Stupid things people say to PALS

[affected]

I can come up with so many of these!

Thought it might be a nice companion thread to Fun with ALS.

My PALS was having too much trouble swallowing to manage more than 3 mouthfuls of mashed fruit and icecream that had melted in. So his mother turned and said - would you rather try a piece of this chicken dear?


Report of conversation running into someone in a shop when he was early diagnosed:
MAN: oh hi, haven't seen you in ages, heard you are not well, what is it?
PALS: I can't speak
MAN: What?
PALS: I can't speak
MAN: WHAT? (getting louder)
PALS: I can't speak
MAN: oh you can't speak? why not?
PALS: I have ALS
MAN: What?
PALS: I have ALS
MAN: You have what?
PALS: I have ALS
MAN: Oh wow, ALS? that's terrible! So what have you been up to lately?
PALS: I CAN'T SPEAK
MAN: What?
PALS ... sullen silence

80 year old mother, who should use a walking frame, but refuses, falls or overbalances often, says to my PALS - would you like me to walk you outside dear? My PALS nearly goes hysterical laughing especially with his emotional lability thrown in. Mother cannot understand what is so funny and complains later to me that he won't let her do anything for him!

 

[AfraidButNotAlone]

I'm speechless

 

[CGARS]

The worst I heard was Reggie Bush's comment after team mate, Steve Gleason was diagnosed with ALS.
Bush said "Sorry to hear about Steve, hope he makes a fast recovery."
Say what?!?

 

[dalvin]

I get that one all the time. Got a card recently from back home, said 'get well soon'. really shows how little people understand about these diseases

 

[Santa joe]

I hear "is he better today". Better than what? I want to say people - please read about ALS.

 

[Jeff Long]

A friend and I were talking about speech loss, text-to-speech and all things bulbar ALS when he had an epiphany... "Hey Dude, you should learn sign language before you lose the use of your hands!" Kinda like rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.
I gave him the only sign language I know...

Not ALS related but funny to me... my bride and a friend were out shopping recently and saw a blind man (dark glasses, cane, the whole bit) exit a store as they were coming from the parking lot. My wife's friend, feeling compassionate but not thinking it through, says to the wife "We should help that man to his car." Took her a minute to realize why the thought of him driving had my wife in stitches.