Question about falls

[DigPlantWeed]

I am neither a PALS or a CALS; the husband of a long-time friend has ALS and I've tried to be supportive, though I live 1500 miles from them.

Anyway, I see posts on the forums warning people about avoiding falls, and I'm curious about that. My friend's husband has fallen a few times. but not had serious injuriesm, til now.

His most recent fall was quite serious: in the bathroom, small skull fracture, small subarachnoid bleed, small subdural bleed. And the hospital sent him home after 3 days! I went to stay with them and did some cooking, homework with their daughter, errands, etc. But it seems like little; I had to come home to DH and work after 5 days.

So naturally I'm curious about the posts in which members warn of falling. Is there more to it than the immediate injury itself? (Which is bad enough!)

 

[dalvin]

Much more. Falls often lead to more rapid progression. A few here can tell some horror stories about them. Read the 'pity party' thread and the memorial sub forum for examples

 

[DigPlantWeed]

Thank you, Dalvin, for your quick response! So far I haven't been successful finding the pity party thread but will keep looking around the forums.

 

[MaxEidswick]

>So naturally I'm curious about the posts in which members warn of falling. Is there more to it than the immediate injury itself? (Which is bad enough!)

what Dalvin said plus calling 911 to get up, arms don't work so falling has no break -- you land where you land -- shoulder, elbow, face, etc.

 

[Bad Balance]

The mental recovery and resulting progression is very real and takes a toll

 

[DigPlantWeed]

My friend is back in the hospital, I learned today. The new CT scan shows not further bleeding, but there is swelling. He has been sleeping most of the time for 12 days now. Must be back for muscle loss.

His neurologist is trying to get him into a rehab hospital (hopefully acute) where he can have medical supervision and PT and OT.

 

[affected]

thanks for caring about your friends husband.

I would say a couple of things about falls:

PALS are already losing the ability to do so much as muscles fail. The muscles are dying. If they injure a muscle, it is not going to recover, and you can add tendons and ligaments to that as the muscles they attach to are dying. So this will speed up progression.

An example from my experience. My husband was losing the use of his hands and arms. Both sides were affected but he had far more use of both his right arm and hand. He could lift the arm much higher and do more with that hand. He had a fall onto the right shoulder rupturing the main shoulder tendon. Basically that was the end of that arm.

He continued to have some minor falls. The second major fall he went down on the left side, split his head open, broke ribs, damaged the shoulder and hip.

After that fall his mobility deteriorated fast.

The issue of the head injury speaks for itself. Sadly I have known of PALS to fall and die of brain bleeds, it is a very real issue.

Just saw your post come in whilst I was writing my reply here - I hope that the PT and OT at the hospital know what they are doing, they won't fix him, and could do further damage. Don't want to sound alarmist but PT need to understand this disease if they are let near a PALS.

 

[MaxEidswick]

>Don't want to sound alarmist but

yup, two big rules: (1) Don't fall and (2) stay away from sick people, especially colds/respiratory types. simple cough -> pneumonia really fast!

 

[nebrhahe53]

Yup the sick people thing is hard. Yesterday when I had my PEG XRAYS the entire office was filled with sick kids. I had to hide in an unused office and have my wife get me when they were ready

 

[Music67]

I fell 3 times the past 2 days - two of them I landed on my butt but the 3rd fall I landed on my weak side in the hiuse. Two of them were stunners - one of the butt falls I laughed it off as it happened on my lawn - I had inadvertently found myself flinging my lawnmower's gas can with a couple of gallons in it, the weight of it causing my weakened body to fly with it! This falling is pretty new to me - I think my weakened left ankle is the culprit. I have a brace that I wasn't wearing when 2 of them occurred. Sure makes one re-evaluate their movements!