halfin
Senior member
- Joined
- Jun 29, 2009
- Messages
- 540
- Reason
- PALS
- Diagnosis
- 08/2009
- Country
- US
- State
- CA
- City
- Santa Barbara
I got bad news this morning that one of the members of our local ALS support group died yesterday.
Joe was diagnosed a month after me, in September of last year. His symptoms were very slight at first, just some hand weakness. But his speech and eating began to be affected and he started losing a lot of weight. He didn't get to an ALS clinic until May, and at our June meeting he had lost 10 or 15 pounds from the previous month. He missed our July meeting, and we were all worried.
Apparently Monday he went in to have his PEG inserted, but then the next day he started having problems. His breathing became weak and he had some confusion. His family took him to the hospital, where they put him on a breathing machine. But he did not want to stay on that, and asked to have it disconnected even though he might not be able to survive without it. Indeed his breathing was too weak and he died the next day.
This news came as a terrible shock and surprise. Joe and I were diagnosed about the same time and were going through our progression together. He was a totally sweet and kind man, much loved by his friends and family. He spent most of the last month moving in with his daughter, a strong young woman who would be his caretaker. Even his ex-wife had volunteered to have him move in and take care of him.
Joe died way too early, and I'm not really sure why. It sounds like there must have been complications from the PEG surgery. Usually those are routine but sometimes things happen I guess. I really can't believe he's gone, that I will never again see his warm smile and feel his big hug at our meetings.
Joe was diagnosed a month after me, in September of last year. His symptoms were very slight at first, just some hand weakness. But his speech and eating began to be affected and he started losing a lot of weight. He didn't get to an ALS clinic until May, and at our June meeting he had lost 10 or 15 pounds from the previous month. He missed our July meeting, and we were all worried.
Apparently Monday he went in to have his PEG inserted, but then the next day he started having problems. His breathing became weak and he had some confusion. His family took him to the hospital, where they put him on a breathing machine. But he did not want to stay on that, and asked to have it disconnected even though he might not be able to survive without it. Indeed his breathing was too weak and he died the next day.
This news came as a terrible shock and surprise. Joe and I were diagnosed about the same time and were going through our progression together. He was a totally sweet and kind man, much loved by his friends and family. He spent most of the last month moving in with his daughter, a strong young woman who would be his caretaker. Even his ex-wife had volunteered to have him move in and take care of him.
Joe died way too early, and I'm not really sure why. It sounds like there must have been complications from the PEG surgery. Usually those are routine but sometimes things happen I guess. I really can't believe he's gone, that I will never again see his warm smile and feel his big hug at our meetings.