Sen. Kubly announces Lou Gehrig's diagnosis
State Sen. Gary Kubly, DFL-Granite Falls, said he's been diagnosed with ALS, the degenerative neuromuscular disorder also known as Lou Gehrig's disease.
Kubly said it will likely mean the end of his legislative career, which started with his election to the House in 1996. He'll be up for election in 2012, and doesn't plan to run again. He said he was diagnosed last month.
"After the diagnosis, I thought, well, I'm not just going to go home and sit around feeling sorry for myself," Kubly said. "I'm hoping to make it through this term. It's only two years and it looks like a good possibility now."
Kubly said he had trouble last year walking during his re-election campaign. He said he's since noticed he's also had difficulty speaking clearly.
"So, I thought, we need to get this checked out," he said.
Kubly is a retired Lutheran pastor. He was elected to the state Senate in 2002.
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