My ALS Journey: 11/n

This update is a special one. I want to explain how I can still provide classes, mentoring, and presentations.

What Keeps me Alive

First of all: I want to stay in touch with you by writing or speaking. I was, therefore, extremely depressed when I recognized that I could not move my arms or speak with a strong voice. To be precise, I can only move three fingers of my left arm, and you must put your ear on my mouth to understand me. This limitation made writing a blog post or speaking highly exhausting because I had to take a 5-minute break after each sentence. Additionally, I could not work for more than two hours a day. This is also the reason I answered e-mails only with a few words.

Almost all my limitations are gone, and I can do what I love. I can write at half my original speed and speak with my original voice. On the 27th of June, I gave a presentation at the Munich C++ user group. I was a bit nervous, but it worked out pretty well.

Let me write about how I overcame my limitations.

Writing

I use Windows Access to dictate my text. This works pretty well in English and German. Afterward, I fix the many failures using a virtual keyboard and a special mouse. I switched to a left-hand mouse with a trackball. This mouse allows me to hit all the buttons on my virtual keyboard.

Speaking

When I wear my ventilator, my voice is as good as before. This has two significant advantages. You can understand me, and so can Windows Access. Sometimes, the ventilator exhales or inhales while I’m speaking. If this happens, I have to repeat my sentence.

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Modernes C++ Mentoring

"Fundamentals for C++ Professionals" (open)

"Design Patterns and Architectural Patterns with C++" (open)

"C++20: Get the Details" (open)

"Concurrency with Modern C++" (open)

"Generic Programming (Templates) with C++": October 2024

"Embedded Programming with Modern C++": October 2024

"Clean Code: Best Practices for Modern C++": March 2025

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Thanks, in particular, to Jon Hess, Lakshman, Christian Wittenhorst, Sherhy Pyton, Dendi Suhubdy, Sudhakar Belagurusamy, Richard Sargeant, Rusty Fleming, John Nebel, Mipko, Alicja Kaminska, Slavko Radman, and David Poole.

My special thanks to Embarcadero
My special thanks to PVS-Studio
My special thanks to Tipi.build
My special thanks to Take Up Code
My special thanks to SHAVEDYAKS