sweetpea
New member
- Joined
- Dec 21, 2006
- Messages
- 7
- Reason
- CALS
- Country
- US
- State
- michigan
- City
- cadillac
I'm caregiver of my 56 year old husband with Bulbar Onset ALS. He struggles so with chewing and manipulating food in his mouth. He can drink out of a straw, and I think he is having problems with that now. It's as though he comes up gasping for air after a drink from the straw. He loses control of food, also, and has multiple coughing spells - eating or not eating. I read somewhere that if someone is coughing while eating they are aspirating - is this true ?
Our Neuro said that the rules for feeding tube are 2-3 bouts of non-weather related pneumonia. Is that his "rule" or insurances' rule? Hubby has lost weight (his normal lookin' good weight was about 155-160; he's now down to 146.) We met with the nutritionist who suggested upping his calorie intake, but if he's struggling to eat, is that the answer ? It takes the rest of the family 20-30 minutes to eat a meal; it takes hubby an hour to 90 minutes. He likes Ensure, and we try to get 2 in him per day !
Sorry this does not seem explained very well. We meet with the neuro again in April, and I just feel deep down that I need to be prepared......
Thanks in advance for help in this matter.........sweetpea
Our Neuro said that the rules for feeding tube are 2-3 bouts of non-weather related pneumonia. Is that his "rule" or insurances' rule? Hubby has lost weight (his normal lookin' good weight was about 155-160; he's now down to 146.) We met with the nutritionist who suggested upping his calorie intake, but if he's struggling to eat, is that the answer ? It takes the rest of the family 20-30 minutes to eat a meal; it takes hubby an hour to 90 minutes. He likes Ensure, and we try to get 2 in him per day !
Sorry this does not seem explained very well. We meet with the neuro again in April, and I just feel deep down that I need to be prepared......
Thanks in advance for help in this matter.........sweetpea