pittsburghgal
Senior member
- Joined
- Jan 7, 2016
- Messages
- 569
- Reason
- Lost a loved one
- Diagnosis
- 11/2011
- Country
- US
- State
- PA
- City
- Pittsburgh
Greg, thanks for this important message. I wish that my husband had read this 9 months ago.
He had very little use of his arms but his legs were still strong so he refused to use the walker that his ALS clinic doctor recommended. He even made me put it in a closet so he wouldn't have to see it. He had a series of falls ( 9 in total) and each time I would plead with him to use the walker but he would always say that it would not have prevented the fall.
Last June he fell again. He denied any injury but became increasingly more sleepy over the next couple of days and complained of a headache. We went to the ER and he had a CT scan that showed bilateral subdural hematomas both chronic from old falls and acute from this recent fall. He ended up spending 10 weeks in the hospital and almost didn't make it.
There was marked progression of the ALS during this time. My husband says he had 2 years of progression over the 10 week period. Prior to this he had slow progression over a 10 year period.
I can't emphasize enough to all PALS and CALS the importance of taking all precautions to prevent falls. Do not let your pride stand in the way.
Sharon
He had very little use of his arms but his legs were still strong so he refused to use the walker that his ALS clinic doctor recommended. He even made me put it in a closet so he wouldn't have to see it. He had a series of falls ( 9 in total) and each time I would plead with him to use the walker but he would always say that it would not have prevented the fall.
Last June he fell again. He denied any injury but became increasingly more sleepy over the next couple of days and complained of a headache. We went to the ER and he had a CT scan that showed bilateral subdural hematomas both chronic from old falls and acute from this recent fall. He ended up spending 10 weeks in the hospital and almost didn't make it.
There was marked progression of the ALS during this time. My husband says he had 2 years of progression over the 10 week period. Prior to this he had slow progression over a 10 year period.
I can't emphasize enough to all PALS and CALS the importance of taking all precautions to prevent falls. Do not let your pride stand in the way.
Sharon
