mndireland
Distinguished member
- Joined
- May 17, 2008
- Messages
- 123
- Reason
- Loved one DX
- Diagnosis
- 10/2007
- Country
- IE
- State
- Ireland
- City
- Dublin
Hi all, as some of you know my mom has bulbar als, diagnosed 18months ago now. She had refused peg and trach, and her speech isnt too bad. We have had problems with choking and seemed to have it, to an extent under control. She is on a soft food diet etc. But something has changed. Yesterday afternoon she complained that something was stuck in her throat, she thought a mushroom! Anyway, as her cough is too weak we couldnt get it up so concentrated on getting it down, coke and fizzy drinks through a straw, bread etc, all to try push it down. Rang the doc he told me not to worry if its not causing her breathing trouble, and it may be only small. This morning however it was still there, and she choked badly on her porridge, (which never happens) It caused her to be out of breath for a much longer timescale than normal, it was pretty scary.
I rang the nurse, told her we thought we had got it out (as there was food in the bipap this morning, a piece of cake!) She thought maybe that the throat may have been swollen after it being lodged there, she also said that it may just be the disease, and her swallow is just getting worse.
My question is, if this is the case then what happens next? She is too far gone for peg, and if her swallow is closing up, or not allowing food down, how does she eat?
Also, does anyone have any self help ideas of getting food particles down that seem to lodge in the throat?
Any thoughts welcome....
I rang the nurse, told her we thought we had got it out (as there was food in the bipap this morning, a piece of cake!) She thought maybe that the throat may have been swollen after it being lodged there, she also said that it may just be the disease, and her swallow is just getting worse.
My question is, if this is the case then what happens next? She is too far gone for peg, and if her swallow is closing up, or not allowing food down, how does she eat?
Also, does anyone have any self help ideas of getting food particles down that seem to lodge in the throat?
Any thoughts welcome....