This movie documents Patrick O'Brien's onset of ALS from diagnosis to not being able to speak, breathe, or eat on his own. He was a young, wild, artistic filmmaker when his legs began to shake. He was quickly becoming an internet celebrity and DJ named "Transfatty". Shortly after, he was diagnosed with ALS. In much of the movie he is using a speech synthesizer to speak because his ability to talk was gone. During the documentary, Patrick has a son born. He spends much of the movie speaking to him so that his son can know what he was like. It was so interesting to see how ALS not only affects the person that is diagnosed, but also the whole community of family and friends surrounding that person. Patrick films the disease from start to finish, so you see him gradually lose control of his legs, then arms, then swallowing mechanisms, and eventually the ability to breathe. One funny picture Patrick had taken was of a friend pouring a beer into his G-Tube. Patrick was able to finish telling his story through the use of eye movements.
I chose this documentary as a neuro note because I love documentaries, and I have never spent much time around a person diagnosed with ALS. I figured it would be good experience for me to see the effect ALS has on the body. I learned a lot about how to better treat a person who has been diagnosed with ALS. Even in the more severe stages of his disease, Patrick was able to ask complex questions about life and death. He was just as smart as ever. I would definitely recommend that others watch this movie! It is very "up close and personal" with ALS. It was a fascinating film, and I have enjoyed reading more about Patrick's story after watching the documentary.
O'Brien, P. (2015) Transfatty Lives. [Streaming video]. Retrieved from: https://netflix.com
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