Grey’s Anatomy star Eric Dane reveals first ALS symptom he mistook for ‘texting too much’
Grey's Anatomy star Eric Dane revealed he mistook his initial ALS symptom for 'texting too much'.
Back in April, the 52-year-old actor confirmed his Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis diagnosis - a degenerative health condition that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord and gets worse over time, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Last week, the star was spotted enjoying a rare family outing with his wife, actress Rebecca Gayheart, and their teenage daughter Georgia, as per Page Six.
The Euphoria star was photographed in a wheelchair as the trio made their way to celebrity-favorite restaurant Sushi Park in West Hollywood on Thursday (October 30).
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Dane appeared relaxed and upbeat, dressed casually in a black T-shirt and beige trousers, later adding a black puffer jacket for warmth.
The actor - recognized for his role as Dr. Mark Sloan on Grey’s Anatomy - previously revealed the first subtle ALS symptom he experienced.
Speaking on Good Morning America in June, he said: “I started experiencing some weakness in my right hand and I didn’t really think anything of it at the time.
“I thought maybe I had been texting too much or my hand was fatigued.
“But a few weeks later I noticed it had gotten a little worse so I went and saw a hand specialist and he sent me to another hand specialist.
“I went and saw a neurologist and they sent me to another neurologist and said this is way above [his] pay grade.”
After nine months of searching for answers, the actor was finally diagnosed with ALS.
A year on from the first symptoms, Dane said: “I have one functioning arm, my dominant side is [my right], my left side is functioning, my right side is completely stopped working.
“My left arm is going, I feel like a couple few more months and I wont have my left either, it is sobering.”
ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease after the famed baseball player who battled it, is a progressive neurological disorder that gradually robs people of their muscle control.
It often begins subtly, with symptoms such as muscle twitches, weakness in a limb, or slight trouble speaking or swallowing.
Over time, the disease worsens, affecting the muscles responsible for movement, speech, eating, and even breathing.
While ALS leaves cognitive function largely untouched, those living with it eventually lose nearly all voluntary movement, making it an especially devastating condition.
There is currently no cure.
According to the Muscular Dystrophy Association, most people diagnosed with ALS live between three and five years, though some manage to survive much longer.
Ellie Kemp