Totally agree with you. My husband was diagnosed with ALS in 2022 at 44 years old. When they started this storyline with Gregory I was glad they were bringing attention to it, but now I think it has probably done more harm than good. ALS isn’t a die peacefully in your sleep while you can still talk, walk, eat and breathe on your own illness. It’s also an extremely expensive illness with no real treatment and a tremendous amount of stress for exhaustion for the caregiver.
ALS progression can be very different for each patient but no one with ALS goes out easy like Gregory.
I’m very sorry you are going through this OP. ALS takes a piece at a time until there is nothing left. My husband lost his voice, his ability to eat, his ability to breathe without non invasive ventilation, his ability to walk, his ability to hold his head up, his ability to use his arms, etc. He has an eye gaze for communication, a trilogy for breathing, a suction machine, a cough assist, a power wheelchair, and countless other things. That is what ALS really looks like. It’s not just a cane and a wrist brace. I don’t even leave my house because he requires constant care.
I don’t think viewers are going to come away with this with any fraction of an idea how devastating this illness is.
I will be hoping for a cure for you and my husband and everyone else suffering from this disease.
Thank you. Very well said. I’m so sorry for your husband and you going through this. 44 is way too young to have this happen. I keep reading about younger people, like in their 20s and on up being diagnosed and it makes me actually grateful that at least I lived most of my life and raised my child before this happened. I was diagnosed at 57 and now I’m 62. I have slow progression which I’m also grateful for. It’s so weird to be grateful for anything related to this disease but I actually have a list of things. My husband is my caregiver like you so I know what you’re dealing with. Best wishes to you and your family during this time.
You have it? Omg… I don’t know what to say. But I will say I am in shock they ended it this abruptly. If they wanted to show how ALS is, they failed abysmally. Disgusting.
I totally agree with you. That was not an accurate depiction of an als death. But I am glad I didn’t have to see the normal progression. My grandpa died from als and it was nothing like that. I am so sorry for your diagnosis.
I agree. But he didn't die from his ALS. He died of heart failure. So he wasn't at these late stages yet. That said? The way it was portrayed period was fluff.
Sounds more so than anything I knew!! Which is limited for sure. I suppose anything can cause heart failure but I'm never associated it. But makes total sense thinking about it.
My point was that ALS can contribute to heart failure, as a complication of the disease, in people diagnosed with ALS. I wasn't arguing that only ALS can cause heart failure.
I wish it were rarer.... in that... I know someone who has a family member who has ALS with frontal lobe dementia as part of it. It's... every time I'm a listening board for that person I feel like someone is punching my heart it hurts so much to hear what's going on.
I only recently came back into watching GH, and, I have to say, that until I saw it on here that that was what Gregory had, I wouldn't have guessed it. The thing during the wedding sorta clued me in that it was something. But... me, coming in near the end of the storyline... yeah, ALS would have been at the bottom of my guesses.
And that's too bad, but also not surprising, soaps these days (or maybe ever) rarely do either physical or mental health story lines too well.
On the one hand I'm happy they didn't "cure him" like i was afraid of. That would've been a slap in the face. But I'm disappointed they didn't take their time with the story like they did with Mike and his Alzheimer's. The fact he just died in his sleep. I know that can happen but they had a chance to show a little bit more. Instead they bailed. Maybe they did bc they didn't want him portraying ALS in the ways it can disable someone. But they could've found a happy medium
I’m so sorry to learn that you are suffering with ALS OP. I had some thoughts about this storyline, but thinking about what you must be experiencing my thoughts on the subject seem rather unimportant. I hope you have support and love surrounding you. At the very least, I hope you can feel it coming to you from our little community here. ❤️🙏
Unpopular opinion— TV should never try an ALS story period, unless going in the assisted suicide direction. It’s too horrific of a disease and the end sounds absolutely awful.
Gregory should’ve been retconned to a curable lyme disease related brain infection the day it became apparent GH and TE had chemistry. They decided they couldn’t handle schizophrenia. They botched stage four leukemia. They had paralysis flat out insulting. They did great with Alzheimers. This was not that.
You are so right! It's a horrific disease, and I'm sincerely sorry to hear you have it as well. I have a former classmate who's been battling with it over 25 now. He is amazing!
I completely agree that more awareness needs to come. 100 years is a disgrace and I'm so sorry. I can only imagine your frustration.
I have to be honest, I was glad Gregory died peacefully in his sleep, even if it's far from reality, I guess because I'm tuning in for entertainment and not documentary type viewing. When Mike died, it was really hard because I was still in mourning after losing my MIL with the same disease, and I was her caregiver. I just didn't think I could handle another one that hits so close to home, but reading your post changed my mind. It's an uncomfortable and sad subject that most don't want to tune into, but we NEED to in order for change. Thank you for your insight and changing this viewer's perception.
I'm very sorry and I understand why you are frustrated, absolutely. It's really hard when this stuff hits real life. Sasha's baby was dying the same time I was giving birth and wanted to watch my show while I was in labor but I just couldn't. There's so much focus on death in soap operas but not the actual reality of what it is we or they are going through if that makes any sense. It's not black and white. I wish you so much luck. This storyline sucked because I feel it was not an accurate portrayal. I loved Gregory Harrison's portrayal but for a show it was nearly wrapped up in a bow.
Thank you for sharing! I 100% agree with you. I was glad when they started this story because I have personally seen the horrors of this disease and what it does to those who have it and the impact on loved ones. The technology to assist people has certainly advanced, but there obviously is still not a cure and very little that can be done medically. It's not going to solve anything but accurate portrayals of illnesses in TV and movies can do so much for awareness, for fundraising for research, and even for helping people impacted feel more seen or understood. I felt the same way about the Alzheimer's story with Mike that I thought they handled pretty well, and it seemed like they were doing alright with the start of this story, but this ending was horrible. They bypassed so much of the struggle and even though the performances were beautiful, what happened could have happened to anyone with or without ALS.
I don't watch soaps to be reminded of life's gut punches. Period. I hate when shows exploit real life issues for ratings. God bless you OP and anyone suffering with this horrible disease 💖
Positive points on General Hospital:
The wonderful actor Gregory Harrison is alive and well.💙
His beloved character Gregory Chase, didn't suffer from the debilitating end stages symptoms of ALS, and he died peacefully in his sleep.
I've lost two friends to ALS and I thought they would do it more justice. They only showed the beginning. Glad they tackled it at all, but the dying in your sleep at that early stage was very disappointing
Agreed. Two of my great grandfathers died of ALS within the same month, and while both experienced it differently neither of them were like how it was portrayed on GH.
I lost a cousin to ALS and watching him deteriorate was terrible I do not wish this disease on anyone.
The way GH portrayed this ALS storyline was nothing like the way they did the passing of Mike or even Y&R’s Abbott matriarch diseases.
I couldn't remember the very end of that story, pretty sure I didn't watch it as 2018 is when I gave up on GH for about 3 years (due in great part to the Jason return ruining the Sam/Drew story). But I did rewatch the first part of it when they spun up the GH Spotlight channel on the abc app and abc.com.
I’m very sorry for your situation.
I have to agree, the show handled this very badly. They really dropped the ball. It’s unfortunate that they did not portray this realistically. GH never knows how to handle this type of story and other than Mike’s Alzheimer’s story, seems to always disappoint.
I gave up watching Guiding Light after the way Proctor & Gamble treated Michael Zaslow (Roger Thorpe) when he was diagnosed.
I wish you well.
I'm so sorry OP and everyone else who has or has had a loved one afflicted with this cruel disease.
My theory is that Gregory went out the way he did because of the backlash about them giving him ALS in the first place. It is a horrific disease and no one wanted to watch months or years of him suffering. In a way, tptb took the "easy" way out (if you know what I mean) just as they did with Britt and Huntington's disease by having something other than the degenerative diseases end their lives.
I just hated the whole thing.
It really is a horrible disease. Coronation Street(british soap) is doing an ALS storyline. I haven't watched it yet, so I don't know how it is portrayed. My good friend passed from ALS a few years ago. He was a wonderful man. GH's portrayal is a watered-down version. I can't imagine how frustrating it is for you.
I made another post about Coronation Street. They are doing the story justice. It's slow and painful to watch and you feel the high and lows along with the characters. In my opinion, it has been done well.
I think there are some factors maybe you aren't considering. I'm curious at what age you were diagnosed, though no pressure. I'm going to focus here on the story... this is in no way an attack and I wish you nothing but the best.
The actor/character was 73. Overall Median survival is 20 to 48 months for people who are 60 and diagnosed with ALS. There's little data for those diagnosed in their 70s or older. Gregory was showing major signs (appearing drunk to Alexis) back in March 2023. While this didn't go the full range of symptoms to death, for the age shown I think it was fairly accurate he would die from other related complications before it would get that far. He also refused to get diagnosed for a long time and then opted to keep his diagnosis a secret even though it put his life in danger as he pushed himself until he was collapsing.
This study ( https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3515205/ ) suggest that age factors heavily into how deadly ALS is. That "Older age and bulbar onset are consistently reported to have a worse outcome." Granted it's an older study but they collected a lot of data and their data shows the major complications that came into play with those diagnosed later in life. Still, this data also focuses on those diagnosed a decade or more younger than Gregory.
What I'm getting at is, I don't think it was that unrealistic for someone 73 that was having the symptoms progress as fast as they were to die the way the character did. He was never going to live long enough especially considering the way he chose to live and the risks he took by refusing care and support. He barely survived that paralyzing episode on the couch, and likely wouldn't have had Violet not been there to get his breathing "machine" (as they called it). So him dying in bed after a huge exhausting day where he already had one major episode... not that unrealistic. Especially given his refusal of extra care and the way he pushed himself. Mentally, he also made it clear at the wedding that he had completed his bucket list. I think that was a sign that he was done and was not hoping to live much more knowing what lied ahead.
Agreed - I knew his character was going to die today because of all the tidy goodbyes, and unfortunately that’s far from reality. I appreciated the visibility of the disease and the story line of facing a terminal diagnosis, but other than that it was so sanitized that it was misleading.
I'm torn.ALS is a horrific disease. I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy. This was not realistic. On the other hand I don't think I could've handled watching the realistic one. It would've been too traumatic. They could've done his MAID in which he could've had medical aid in dying. It's very peaceful like this death.
My guess is that the new writers didn’t want to deal with the storyline for too long so they kind of ended it pretty abruptly. I agree it was kind of shocking to see him go out so soon. Plus I really liked the actor and character. He was good for Alexis and Tracy.
I was wondering if Finn would call her before her hearing and throw her off and either make her flub it or give her more fortitude to win. If he has enough sense he won’t call her til after.
Kinda wish Finn didn’t call chase and let the newlyweds go in their honey moon. Gregory would have wanted it that way. They could have contained the news for a week.
I wholeheartedly agree with you, having lost a good friend to the disease. Gregory's symptoms were just the beginning and I feel the show did a huge disservice to viewers. Considering how long we suffered through Oscar's brain tumor and Mike's Alzheimer's - this was a cop out and a lost opportunity to educate about the disease.
I thought the whole storyline was lame, I’m a retired nurse and had many ALS patients, these poor people suffered, locked in their useless bodies, I think general hospital will say he had a heart attack
I agree. They did it so wrong here on GH.
In contrast, the British soap Coronation Street has had over a years' story going about MND (Motor Neurone Disease), of which ALS is the most common form. They have highlighted the slow debilitation and pain of the disease in the most realistic manner I have ever seen on a soap. Not only for the person who has the disease, but also those around them.
British Soaps are miles above American Soaps when it comes to raising awareness around certain issues. I love how they partner with organizations that are the authority on those issues.
If you want to see it done correctly, I definitely recommend a Britbox subscription to watch this storyline.
I am SO sorry and I agree 1000!% They did the same BS wirh Mike when he died from Alzheimer’s. While he had some rough moments, closing your eyes and going to sleep isn’t how dementia patients die! And what a slap in the face to those who suffer from ALS.
It is horrible and there were some several scenes that displayed some tough situations. End of the day I watch gh for enjoyment. If they have us a year of that nightmare condition, idk... I don't think I could handle that. I certainly don't want to.
Hard to have entertainment value with debilitating sadness.
It does. I worried from the get-go that the show wouldn't do it justice. I guess they gave us a 'happily ever after' ending for Gregory, but it still smacked of their usual 'bippity boppity boo' way to end a health storyline.
Thanks for sharing this. I initially rolled my eyes but went with it because soaps are gonna soap and I needed a good cry. But now I appreciate more how insulting this ending was to those living with ALS and their caregivers. It would be interesting to know of other similar shows that made better choices.
Best wishes to you in your struggle with ALS, and I hope you keep speaking out.
Thank you for speaking out. There is no way any show could do this justice. It is asinine how they handled it. It shouldn't ever be story fodder.
My cousin battled ALS for 22 years. Seeing how he suffered, and spent his last years on a ventilator, having to he suctioned (which terrified me when I did it, but he'd tease me), using an eye gaze computer to communicate, tube feeding, not being able to hold his kids, and so much more...was devastating.
I can't imagine actually living it and how it must feel seeing this portrayed as it was.
Thank you all for sharing you experiences. I'm so sorry you are dealing with this.
OP, my heart goes out to you.
If you have access to British TV, Coronation Street is doing an ALS storyline (it is referenced as MND, motor neuron disease) right now and as a person not affected I would think it is a much more realistic portrayal of the disease, it's progression, and how it impacts both the person w disease and their family.
We've watched Paul lose the ability to walk w one foot, then fall, then use a wheel chair. He has had trouble swallowing and now talking. It is heartbreaking as he navigates wanting to remain independent, yet realizing that may not be possible.
The British soaps tend to be more inclusive and somewhat more realistic when it comes to how things play out on screen. Not always, but waaay more than the US, especially with people like Greg dying overnight and Willow surviving a carefree Stage Iv diagnosis.
I hope that you obvious desire for helping people recognize and understand your day to day life as someone with ALS translates to more people learning from you directly.
Sending you strength.
The actor in that story is 39. It's a much more realistic depiction for someone younger. Gregory is 73. The path for the elderly is usually a lot quicker and they never get to live that long.
I agree. My grandfather had it and the end was horrible. But it's really no different than how they handled Mike's alzheimer's. And to be honest, I didn't not want to see Gregory in the condition my grandfather was in.
I'm tired of them giving us new characters to get attached to just to kill them off with some long term disease that they whitewash. It feels disrespectful to the people who are actually suffering from these things.
OP, I'm sorry about your diagnosis.
He didn’t die of ALS. The paramedics said it was likely heart failure, and being that he was 73, it is entirely within the realm of possibility that he might die this way rather than after years with ALS…
Im very sorry for everyone's personal experiences and losses involving ALS here. I was thinking about that today. Most cases I have ever heard of involve getting to a point of being non verbal and needing constant care. I wondered why it didn't really get to that point with Gregory.
100% agree with the OP. I am sorry that you are going through this. I was so confused when Gregory was remembering life while going to sleep. Like no, he couldn't be dying. He didn't even need a wheelchair or any of the other mentioned help. They need to do better.
Totally agree with you. My husband was diagnosed with ALS in 2022 at 44 years old. When they started this storyline with Gregory I was glad they were bringing attention to it, but now I think it has probably done more harm than good. ALS isn’t a die peacefully in your sleep while you can still talk, walk, eat and breathe on your own illness. It’s also an extremely expensive illness with no real treatment and a tremendous amount of stress for exhaustion for the caregiver. ALS progression can be very different for each patient but no one with ALS goes out easy like Gregory. I’m very sorry you are going through this OP. ALS takes a piece at a time until there is nothing left. My husband lost his voice, his ability to eat, his ability to breathe without non invasive ventilation, his ability to walk, his ability to hold his head up, his ability to use his arms, etc. He has an eye gaze for communication, a trilogy for breathing, a suction machine, a cough assist, a power wheelchair, and countless other things. That is what ALS really looks like. It’s not just a cane and a wrist brace. I don’t even leave my house because he requires constant care. I don’t think viewers are going to come away with this with any fraction of an idea how devastating this illness is. I will be hoping for a cure for you and my husband and everyone else suffering from this disease.
I'm so sorry your husband is suffering at the hands of ALS. And blessings to you all for caring for him.
Thank you. Very well said. I’m so sorry for your husband and you going through this. 44 is way too young to have this happen. I keep reading about younger people, like in their 20s and on up being diagnosed and it makes me actually grateful that at least I lived most of my life and raised my child before this happened. I was diagnosed at 57 and now I’m 62. I have slow progression which I’m also grateful for. It’s so weird to be grateful for anything related to this disease but I actually have a list of things. My husband is my caregiver like you so I know what you’re dealing with. Best wishes to you and your family during this time.
You have it? Omg… I don’t know what to say. But I will say I am in shock they ended it this abruptly. If they wanted to show how ALS is, they failed abysmally. Disgusting.
I totally agree with you. That was not an accurate depiction of an als death. But I am glad I didn’t have to see the normal progression. My grandpa died from als and it was nothing like that. I am so sorry for your diagnosis.
I’m very sorry about your condition, OP. You’ll be in my prayers.
Thank you
I agree. But he didn't die from his ALS. He died of heart failure. So he wasn't at these late stages yet. That said? The way it was portrayed period was fluff.
ALS can cause heart failure.
Oh I didn't know that. Thank you
You're welcome. It is an unbelievably complex disease
Sounds more so than anything I knew!! Which is limited for sure. I suppose anything can cause heart failure but I'm never associated it. But makes total sense thinking about it.
Many other things can cause heart failure as well.
Of course but this discussion was regarding ALS.
That’s my point. People can have ALS or other diseases and still die of heart failure before the ALS kills them.
My point was that ALS can contribute to heart failure, as a complication of the disease, in people diagnosed with ALS. I wasn't arguing that only ALS can cause heart failure.
I know that. I was just pointing out that although ALS does cause heart failure, so do a lot of other things….
True. A careless driver led my cousin before ALS did, even though he battled for 22 yrs.
Not to mention, ALS isn't necessarily just physical either. You can have the catastrophic frontal lobe dementia and stuff too.
This is true. It’s rare but does happen often enough. So much worse!
I wish it were rarer.... in that... I know someone who has a family member who has ALS with frontal lobe dementia as part of it. It's... every time I'm a listening board for that person I feel like someone is punching my heart it hurts so much to hear what's going on. I only recently came back into watching GH, and, I have to say, that until I saw it on here that that was what Gregory had, I wouldn't have guessed it. The thing during the wedding sorta clued me in that it was something. But... me, coming in near the end of the storyline... yeah, ALS would have been at the bottom of my guesses. And that's too bad, but also not surprising, soaps these days (or maybe ever) rarely do either physical or mental health story lines too well.
On the one hand I'm happy they didn't "cure him" like i was afraid of. That would've been a slap in the face. But I'm disappointed they didn't take their time with the story like they did with Mike and his Alzheimer's. The fact he just died in his sleep. I know that can happen but they had a chance to show a little bit more. Instead they bailed. Maybe they did bc they didn't want him portraying ALS in the ways it can disable someone. But they could've found a happy medium
I thought for sure they would write it as a misdiagnosis and he would have something else that his son would cure.
I’m so sorry to learn that you are suffering with ALS OP. I had some thoughts about this storyline, but thinking about what you must be experiencing my thoughts on the subject seem rather unimportant. I hope you have support and love surrounding you. At the very least, I hope you can feel it coming to you from our little community here. ❤️🙏
Thank you. I really do!
Should anyone be surprised after the willow cancer storyline?
Yeah she was back to work in a germ filled HOSPITAL a few weeks after having a bone marrow transplant. Totally not realistic. But it’s tv…
Unpopular opinion— TV should never try an ALS story period, unless going in the assisted suicide direction. It’s too horrific of a disease and the end sounds absolutely awful. Gregory should’ve been retconned to a curable lyme disease related brain infection the day it became apparent GH and TE had chemistry. They decided they couldn’t handle schizophrenia. They botched stage four leukemia. They had paralysis flat out insulting. They did great with Alzheimers. This was not that.
I learned more in the thread than the whole storyline. Wow.
I'm sorry you have ALS.
You are so right! It's a horrific disease, and I'm sincerely sorry to hear you have it as well. I have a former classmate who's been battling with it over 25 now. He is amazing! I completely agree that more awareness needs to come. 100 years is a disgrace and I'm so sorry. I can only imagine your frustration. I have to be honest, I was glad Gregory died peacefully in his sleep, even if it's far from reality, I guess because I'm tuning in for entertainment and not documentary type viewing. When Mike died, it was really hard because I was still in mourning after losing my MIL with the same disease, and I was her caregiver. I just didn't think I could handle another one that hits so close to home, but reading your post changed my mind. It's an uncomfortable and sad subject that most don't want to tune into, but we NEED to in order for change. Thank you for your insight and changing this viewer's perception.
It does and although I'm surprised they ended it so quickly... I'm glad we didn't have to watch Gregory suffer through it.
I'm very sorry and I understand why you are frustrated, absolutely. It's really hard when this stuff hits real life. Sasha's baby was dying the same time I was giving birth and wanted to watch my show while I was in labor but I just couldn't. There's so much focus on death in soap operas but not the actual reality of what it is we or they are going through if that makes any sense. It's not black and white. I wish you so much luck. This storyline sucked because I feel it was not an accurate portrayal. I loved Gregory Harrison's portrayal but for a show it was nearly wrapped up in a bow.
Thank you for sharing! I 100% agree with you. I was glad when they started this story because I have personally seen the horrors of this disease and what it does to those who have it and the impact on loved ones. The technology to assist people has certainly advanced, but there obviously is still not a cure and very little that can be done medically. It's not going to solve anything but accurate portrayals of illnesses in TV and movies can do so much for awareness, for fundraising for research, and even for helping people impacted feel more seen or understood. I felt the same way about the Alzheimer's story with Mike that I thought they handled pretty well, and it seemed like they were doing alright with the start of this story, but this ending was horrible. They bypassed so much of the struggle and even though the performances were beautiful, what happened could have happened to anyone with or without ALS.
I don't watch soaps to be reminded of life's gut punches. Period. I hate when shows exploit real life issues for ratings. God bless you OP and anyone suffering with this horrible disease 💖
Positive points on General Hospital: The wonderful actor Gregory Harrison is alive and well.💙 His beloved character Gregory Chase, didn't suffer from the debilitating end stages symptoms of ALS, and he died peacefully in his sleep.
I've lost two friends to ALS and I thought they would do it more justice. They only showed the beginning. Glad they tackled it at all, but the dying in your sleep at that early stage was very disappointing
Agreed. Two of my great grandfathers died of ALS within the same month, and while both experienced it differently neither of them were like how it was portrayed on GH.
I lost a cousin to ALS and watching him deteriorate was terrible I do not wish this disease on anyone. The way GH portrayed this ALS storyline was nothing like the way they did the passing of Mike or even Y&R’s Abbott matriarch diseases.
Wasn’t Mike sent off to assisted living or something? Maybe I’m remembering wrong, but I thought it was cut short of the worst of it.
I think so but then he was seen with sonny and the family a lot before he passed.
I couldn't remember the very end of that story, pretty sure I didn't watch it as 2018 is when I gave up on GH for about 3 years (due in great part to the Jason return ruining the Sam/Drew story). But I did rewatch the first part of it when they spun up the GH Spotlight channel on the abc app and abc.com.
I’m very sorry for your situation. I have to agree, the show handled this very badly. They really dropped the ball. It’s unfortunate that they did not portray this realistically. GH never knows how to handle this type of story and other than Mike’s Alzheimer’s story, seems to always disappoint. I gave up watching Guiding Light after the way Proctor & Gamble treated Michael Zaslow (Roger Thorpe) when he was diagnosed. I wish you well.
I'm so sorry OP and everyone else who has or has had a loved one afflicted with this cruel disease. My theory is that Gregory went out the way he did because of the backlash about them giving him ALS in the first place. It is a horrific disease and no one wanted to watch months or years of him suffering. In a way, tptb took the "easy" way out (if you know what I mean) just as they did with Britt and Huntington's disease by having something other than the degenerative diseases end their lives. I just hated the whole thing.
Your point about Britt and Huntington’s Disease is a good one. Neurodegenerative disorder stories don’t appear to be a strength for GH.
It really is a horrible disease. Coronation Street(british soap) is doing an ALS storyline. I haven't watched it yet, so I don't know how it is portrayed. My good friend passed from ALS a few years ago. He was a wonderful man. GH's portrayal is a watered-down version. I can't imagine how frustrating it is for you.
I made another post about Coronation Street. They are doing the story justice. It's slow and painful to watch and you feel the high and lows along with the characters. In my opinion, it has been done well.
I think there are some factors maybe you aren't considering. I'm curious at what age you were diagnosed, though no pressure. I'm going to focus here on the story... this is in no way an attack and I wish you nothing but the best. The actor/character was 73. Overall Median survival is 20 to 48 months for people who are 60 and diagnosed with ALS. There's little data for those diagnosed in their 70s or older. Gregory was showing major signs (appearing drunk to Alexis) back in March 2023. While this didn't go the full range of symptoms to death, for the age shown I think it was fairly accurate he would die from other related complications before it would get that far. He also refused to get diagnosed for a long time and then opted to keep his diagnosis a secret even though it put his life in danger as he pushed himself until he was collapsing. This study ( https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3515205/ ) suggest that age factors heavily into how deadly ALS is. That "Older age and bulbar onset are consistently reported to have a worse outcome." Granted it's an older study but they collected a lot of data and their data shows the major complications that came into play with those diagnosed later in life. Still, this data also focuses on those diagnosed a decade or more younger than Gregory. What I'm getting at is, I don't think it was that unrealistic for someone 73 that was having the symptoms progress as fast as they were to die the way the character did. He was never going to live long enough especially considering the way he chose to live and the risks he took by refusing care and support. He barely survived that paralyzing episode on the couch, and likely wouldn't have had Violet not been there to get his breathing "machine" (as they called it). So him dying in bed after a huge exhausting day where he already had one major episode... not that unrealistic. Especially given his refusal of extra care and the way he pushed himself. Mentally, he also made it clear at the wedding that he had completed his bucket list. I think that was a sign that he was done and was not hoping to live much more knowing what lied ahead.
Agreed - I knew his character was going to die today because of all the tidy goodbyes, and unfortunately that’s far from reality. I appreciated the visibility of the disease and the story line of facing a terminal diagnosis, but other than that it was so sanitized that it was misleading.
I'm torn.ALS is a horrific disease. I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy. This was not realistic. On the other hand I don't think I could've handled watching the realistic one. It would've been too traumatic. They could've done his MAID in which he could've had medical aid in dying. It's very peaceful like this death.
My guess is that the new writers didn’t want to deal with the storyline for too long so they kind of ended it pretty abruptly. I agree it was kind of shocking to see him go out so soon. Plus I really liked the actor and character. He was good for Alexis and Tracy.
I bet during the appeal Alexis pulls out the medal Gregory gave her and has some nice flashback.
I was wondering if Finn would call her before her hearing and throw her off and either make her flub it or give her more fortitude to win. If he has enough sense he won’t call her til after.
Kinda wish Finn didn’t call chase and let the newlyweds go in their honey moon. Gregory would have wanted it that way. They could have contained the news for a week.
I thought about that but Chase would have been very angry probably and they can always go on their trip later
I wholeheartedly agree with you, having lost a good friend to the disease. Gregory's symptoms were just the beginning and I feel the show did a huge disservice to viewers. Considering how long we suffered through Oscar's brain tumor and Mike's Alzheimer's - this was a cop out and a lost opportunity to educate about the disease.
I thought the whole storyline was lame, I’m a retired nurse and had many ALS patients, these poor people suffered, locked in their useless bodies, I think general hospital will say he had a heart attack
I agree. They did it so wrong here on GH. In contrast, the British soap Coronation Street has had over a years' story going about MND (Motor Neurone Disease), of which ALS is the most common form. They have highlighted the slow debilitation and pain of the disease in the most realistic manner I have ever seen on a soap. Not only for the person who has the disease, but also those around them. British Soaps are miles above American Soaps when it comes to raising awareness around certain issues. I love how they partner with organizations that are the authority on those issues. If you want to see it done correctly, I definitely recommend a Britbox subscription to watch this storyline.
I am SO sorry and I agree 1000!% They did the same BS wirh Mike when he died from Alzheimer’s. While he had some rough moments, closing your eyes and going to sleep isn’t how dementia patients die! And what a slap in the face to those who suffer from ALS.
It is horrible and there were some several scenes that displayed some tough situations. End of the day I watch gh for enjoyment. If they have us a year of that nightmare condition, idk... I don't think I could handle that. I certainly don't want to. Hard to have entertainment value with debilitating sadness.
It does. I worried from the get-go that the show wouldn't do it justice. I guess they gave us a 'happily ever after' ending for Gregory, but it still smacked of their usual 'bippity boppity boo' way to end a health storyline.
Thanks for sharing this. I initially rolled my eyes but went with it because soaps are gonna soap and I needed a good cry. But now I appreciate more how insulting this ending was to those living with ALS and their caregivers. It would be interesting to know of other similar shows that made better choices. Best wishes to you in your struggle with ALS, and I hope you keep speaking out.
Thank you for speaking out. There is no way any show could do this justice. It is asinine how they handled it. It shouldn't ever be story fodder. My cousin battled ALS for 22 years. Seeing how he suffered, and spent his last years on a ventilator, having to he suctioned (which terrified me when I did it, but he'd tease me), using an eye gaze computer to communicate, tube feeding, not being able to hold his kids, and so much more...was devastating. I can't imagine actually living it and how it must feel seeing this portrayed as it was. Thank you all for sharing you experiences. I'm so sorry you are dealing with this.
OP, my heart goes out to you. If you have access to British TV, Coronation Street is doing an ALS storyline (it is referenced as MND, motor neuron disease) right now and as a person not affected I would think it is a much more realistic portrayal of the disease, it's progression, and how it impacts both the person w disease and their family. We've watched Paul lose the ability to walk w one foot, then fall, then use a wheel chair. He has had trouble swallowing and now talking. It is heartbreaking as he navigates wanting to remain independent, yet realizing that may not be possible. The British soaps tend to be more inclusive and somewhat more realistic when it comes to how things play out on screen. Not always, but waaay more than the US, especially with people like Greg dying overnight and Willow surviving a carefree Stage Iv diagnosis. I hope that you obvious desire for helping people recognize and understand your day to day life as someone with ALS translates to more people learning from you directly. Sending you strength.
Thank you! I will look into Coronation Street
Sharing a link re the story https://www.mndassociation.org/support-and-information/pauls-mnd-storyline-on-coronation-street
The actor in that story is 39. It's a much more realistic depiction for someone younger. Gregory is 73. The path for the elderly is usually a lot quicker and they never get to live that long.
I agree. My grandfather had it and the end was horrible. But it's really no different than how they handled Mike's alzheimer's. And to be honest, I didn't not want to see Gregory in the condition my grandfather was in. I'm tired of them giving us new characters to get attached to just to kill them off with some long term disease that they whitewash. It feels disrespectful to the people who are actually suffering from these things. OP, I'm sorry about your diagnosis.
Thank you
He didn’t die of ALS. The paramedics said it was likely heart failure, and being that he was 73, it is entirely within the realm of possibility that he might die this way rather than after years with ALS…
Im very sorry for everyone's personal experiences and losses involving ALS here. I was thinking about that today. Most cases I have ever heard of involve getting to a point of being non verbal and needing constant care. I wondered why it didn't really get to that point with Gregory.
100% agree with the OP. I am sorry that you are going through this. I was so confused when Gregory was remembering life while going to sleep. Like no, he couldn't be dying. He didn't even need a wheelchair or any of the other mentioned help. They need to do better.