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Amy R

New member
Joined
Apr 2, 2015
Messages
4
Reason
CALS
Diagnosis
10/2014
Country
US
State
CT
City
Stratford
Hello,
I'm new here. My husband has ALS. Started in his hands and shoulders so he can't really use them. It's now effecting his hip and foot too. He fell down the stairs last night and went head first into the wall. His neck is very sore and two fingers are numb and he can't move them. He refused to go to the hospital. This morning he's very sore. I had to come to work but my family will check on him. do you think he should go the hospital or dr?
 
Yes. He is risking further neurological damage from a neck injury. We can not stop ALS but to risk adding to deficits prematurely from something treatable is ,quite frankly, very foolish
 
Hello Amy, like your husband, I am known to be stubborn. I pray he can be convinced to see a doctor regarding his fall. It sounds a bad one. Please keep strong for him, your strength may be all it takes to convince him. God Bless, Janelle x
 
I am sorry I sounded harsh. I do understand it is not your choice but his. My sister has made several poor decisions that caused needless suffering and anxiety for everyone. I am trying very hard to avoid that pitfall
 
Hi Nikki, not harsh...realistic. You understand better than most (due to your family history) where falls etc can lead. Being new, I'm browsing a bit and found a lot of your posts very helpful. We can all do with a reality check every now and again...we are all in this together after all. God Bless, Janelle x
 
Thank you both. I called his doctor and I'm waiting to hear back and hoping they tell us to come in. If so, I'm leaving work and going home and taking him. He will not have a choice. I wish I insisted on it last night or just called 911. Thankfully his cousin showed up as he fell so he was able to pick him up. Otherwise I would have just called 911.
 
Good on you, Amy. Look forward to good news from the doctor, that no harm was done. Please keep us 'posted'. Thoughts and prayers, Janelle x
 
Never hesitate to call 911. We have the firehouse write up the road and we have gotten to know the guys and taken them give some food. They also know my big old dogAnd have picked me up off the floor more than once. They know how to safely pick people up and I'm lucky that they are familiar with ALS. But a head injury can be fatal. Talk to your ALS social worker so she can evaluate the house. You need to stay ahead of this disease and they know how to do that.I hope your husband hasn't broken anything. As others said, these falls can be very dangerous. Good luck. We're here for you.
Hollister
 
Hi Amy,

I really can't add any more that what the others have already posted. Just know you and your husband are in my thoughts and prayers. Your husband sounds like mine and all I can say is - if had I the opportunity to do it all over again I would be more insistent and listen to what my gut was telling me, i.e. take him to the hospital, call 911 based on circumstance. And I know that's difficult because you don't want to take away the little independence he/she has in making their own decisions/choices, but when it's something like this it's better to be safe than sorry.

God bless...
 
Falls acceleerate progression. So does getting sick, especially with respiratoty issues.
 
The kindness and support by every one is much appreciated. His neurologist is not in today so the nurse was trying to reach him but hasn't heard back. She called my husband and he's insisting he's fine. I got frustrated with him so he said he'll get checked out. I'm leaving work now to check on him possibly take him to the ER. The nurse suggested a walk-in if he won't go to the ER but I'm not confident the walk-in can provide all he needs.
I'm glad I decided to register with this website. I thought of it but it seems to make this diagnosis more real. I mean I know it is, I deal with it every day while I'm my husband's caretaker.
 
So if falls accelerate progression then I should expect to see him getting worse I guess.
 
Not a definite thing if he was not injured. Sometimes PALS get away with a fall but it is a risk both for immediate injury and more long term effects. I hope your husband will be able to see this as a warning. It is simply not worth taking chances and he needs to start looking at whatever aids can keep him safe. Stairs are obviously now not safe. I am sure he will have excuses ( fatigue, distracted etc) but another fall could be deadly. There are former members of this board who died from falls. I am sorry this is probably going to make you the bad guy.
 
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Amy, if he still has no movement in the two fingers, he should have his cervical spine imaged and a walk-in clinic can't do that. Surgery is not the only treatment for disk issues.

Either way, agree that you need a new no-stairs plan [tell us your home layout if you need help] and he should wear a cervical collar when not asleep (ask for one wherever you take him) to avoid aggravating his neck for the time being.
 
Either no stairs or a new method of traversing them.

My OT worked with me on various stratiges relying heavily on the bannister...
 
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