Feeling helpless!

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wendy

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Joined
Nov 13, 2007
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26
Reason
CALS
Country
CA
State
Ontario
City
Pembroke
Hi everyone I haven't written anything in awhile but still read offen. I have a few questions, my dad is now at the point that he can not swallow at all all his feeds are through his tube, and I is rare that we can understand what he is saying he write everything down. He still gets around but is very sore all the time and when he is up and around he coughs a lot and brings up a lot of phlegm. He uses a machine to sucsion it out because he can not cough it up on his own. When he is sitting he stops coughing but then his throat is so dry that it is sore. I guess my question is does anyone know if there is anything to help with the phlegm and if anyone else has had these things happen.

Thanks for listening,
Wendy
 
There is a machine that you can get....I believe it is a vest.....and it rhythmically thumps the back or chest to break the phlegm so that he can cough it up easier. My husband is not to that point yet, but a friend of ours who had that problem used this form of machine to help him. Can you believe 2 members of the same Bible study class having ALS ? I would check with the MDA loaner closet to see what they have that you can borrow. Don't know if this is something that you can borrow or if you have to buy it. My husband is using a bi-pap machine at night to help him breathe easier.

Melanie
 
Hi Wendy,
Is your Dad on Bipap or oxygen? If so, we found that using water (sterile or distilled) with the bipap and/or oxygen, it helps to moisten the air going in and helps keep the phlegm from accummulating. It's made a huge difference in my husband's comfort level.
Beaner
 
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