The sun streams through trees outside Zeljko’s office window, the leaves creating a shadow dance on his hardwood floor. A large TV sits between two of the windows, but the sunlight doesn’t distract Zeljko as he concentrates on the man on the screen, who is sharing a dream he had last week. When the man finishes, Zeljko looks down to his iPad and uses a stylus to peck out the beginnings of a question that appears on the screen, beside the man. Zeljko has been a psychoanalyst for 35 years and had a thriving practice up until he lost his voice to ALS.
It’s been eight years since Zeljko was diagnosed with ALS, and seven years since he was able to speak. A huge blow for a psychoanalyst with a full slate of clients. Clearly not easily deterred, he keeps up his practice, iPad in hand. Adapting to this new reality Zeljko begins conducting his sessions with the help of predictable text and a healthy measure of patience. Not ideal, but certainly effective. Helping his clients gives him such joy and satisfaction.
After he was first diagnosed and registered with the ALS Society of Alberta, Zeljko would cycle to support groups in his recumbent electric bike - committed to using his legs as long as he could. Support groups became a lifeline for his own resilience as he connected with others going through similar experiences.
Since then, ALS has slowly taken his legs and arms, so, for the past several years his “go to” mode of transportation has been a power wheelchair loaned to him by the ALS Society of Alberta. Living close to the Bow River, the power wheelchair Makes it Possible for Zeljko to go for outings along paved trails, stopping occasionally to take photos with his camera of the beauty around him. His hands are now so weak that he struggles to drive the power wheelchair, relying on his wife Maggie or a caregiver to drive it from behind. Long gone are the days when he could press the shutter release on his camera. And it is more and more difficult to hold the stylus that is his communication lifeline. ALS is such a cruel disease.
Long ago, Zeljko and Maggie renovated his office, turning it into a bedroom, bathroom, and sitting area where he continues his practice today. This way he doesn’t have to use the stairs in their two-story home. He currently needs a sit-to-stand-lift to transfer in and out of his power wheelchair, and soon will need to use the ceiling track installed by the ALS Society of Alberta. Recently, the ALS Society of Alberta loaned him a different power wheelchair with more functions that Make it Possible for him to be more comfortable, whether at home or on outings along the river.
The man on the screen is Zeljko’s last client. Even though his practice gives him energy and a sense of purple, he can now manage just this one client. Using his stylus to type has become so tiring, and his diminishing control is frustrating as communication is slow and stilted. But Zeljko soldiers on, committed to doing what he can with what he has. And the ALS Society has helped to make it possible for him to stay at home and live life to the fullest.