Mary Rose Blackduck sought medical attention when she began experiencing difficulties walking without stumbling. Despite multiple visits to doctors in Yellowknife reporting painful muscle spasms and weakness, she was initially told she was healthy and given sleeping pills. Disheartened by the lack of diagnosis, she decided to spend nearly $6,000 to seek medical help at the University of Alberta Hospital, where she was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.
ALS is a rare nervous system disease that results in muscle damage, with a life expectancy of two to five years post-diagnosis. Blackduck was shocked upon receiving the news and described ALS as a “dreadful, cruel disease.” The Northwest Territories Health and Social Services Authority (NTHSSA) acknowledged the complexity of diagnosing ALS due to the absence of definitive tests and varying early symptoms.
The N.W.T. lacks a full-time neurologist for diagnosing such conditions as neurology is not a funded core specialist service in the territory. The authority collaborates with visiting neurologists from Alberta to provide services in Yellowknife intermittently. Since her diagnosis, Blackduck has been researching ALS to prepare herself for its progression, which may lead to loss of muscle function, speech, and the need for medical equipment like oxygen and feeding tubes.
Despite the emotional and physical challenges ahead, Blackduck is not expecting reimbursement for her medical trip and is contemplating moving to Edmonton for better ALS support. The N.W.T. health department does not track ALS cases in the territory and recommends reaching out to ALS Canada or the ALS Society of Alberta for resources. As she prepares for the future, Blackduck expressed relief at finally knowing her diagnosis and gratitude for the time to put her affairs in order.