“Grey’s Anatomy” alum Eric Dane gave an update Tuesday on his life with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, the debilitating nervous system condition commonly known as ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease.

After sharing his diagnosis with the public for the first time in April, Dane became an ambassador for the nonprofit I AM ALS. He joined the group’s co-founders on Tuesday for a virtual panel that also featured “Brilliant Minds” creator Michael Grassi.

“I have no reason to be in a good mood at any time, on any given day,” Dane told the panel, adding, “I don’t think anyone would blame me if I go up to my room, get under the covers and spend the next two weeks crying.”

He continued: “I was a little surprised when I realized I didn’t have that build, because I was sure that would be me.”

While continuing his acting career has been a challenge, Dane recently starred in “Brilliant Minds” as a firefighter who is having a difficult time telling his wife that he has been diagnosed with ALS. It was his first on-screen role since the actor announced his own condition in real life, according to People.

Dane called that experience “unique” on Tuesday and suggested he had found new purpose in sharing his journey with as many people as possible, “because I feel like I don’t feel like my life is about me anymore.”

Dane, seen here in June at the Los Angeles premiere of the Prime Video series
Dane, seen here in June at the Los Angeles premiere of the Prime Video series “Countdown.”

VALERIE MACON/News/Getty Images

There is currently no cure for ALS, which is progressive and worsens over time.

Dane revealed in June that he only had “one functional arm” as a result of the condition, which affects nerve cells in both the brain and spinal cord and causes a loss of muscle control.

As an ambassador for I AM ALS, Dane met with Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) in Washington and shared his personal testimony at a press conference led by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

The actor said Tuesday that he is trying to advocate for more ALS research to “improve the picture,” which he described as “so difficult and riddled with obstacles and bureaucracy and all this other nonsense that we’re trying to sift through so we can get to a place where we can start working on solutions.”

Their efforts come at a precarious time: The Accelerating Access to Critical Therapies for ALS Act of 2021, which gave people early access to treatments and secured five years of federal funding for related research, is set to expire next year.

You can watch Dane’s comments and the full panel discussion here.