Heading Home: "I've been a Yankee fan for so long, I got Lou Gehrig's disease," Randy Studier joked. This is the story of how he faced a horrifying terminal illness with humor, dignity, and grace.

Randy Studier turned 61 years old, secured a new job, and looked forward to the future. Then, he went deer hunting, fell, and couldn’t get up. Medical testing ruled out all but one disease – amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, aka Lou Gehrig’s disease. “I’ve been a Yankee fan so long, I got Lou Gehrig’s Disease,” Randy joked. His remarkable humor and grace in the face of death impressed all who knew him. Yet, Randy struggled with questions such as: What mark will I leave? Who and what did I influence? Did it matter that I was here in the first place? Is heaven really next for me? As ALS ravaged his physical body, he resolved those questions, and found a faith sufficient to head home. Randy also formed his own personal definition of “quality of life” and made difficult decisions about how he would, or would not, live with ALS. From Randy’s notes and her own journals, his wife, Susan, shares their story of coping with ALS. In addition to their personal experience, Susan describes the adaptive equipment, home remodeling, and caregiving duties as a guide for other ALS families.