Trip to ER

[jellis86]

I had my first trip to the ER due to ALS.

I slept in my power chair at my computer Sunday night, December 21....this might sound strange, but I became trapped in my Power Wheelchair. My left arm slid off the arm of the chair. Since that arm is so weak I couldn't pull it back up.

So I shifted my body as far right as I could and tried to “drag” my arm up. In the process my right arm slid off.
Now I was in a real pickle, couldn't turn my chair on to try and reposition myself nor could I get on my computer to send a message to my wife.

So for the next 2 hours I struggled to get my right arm back up. I repositioned myself so far to the left that I slumped over. But I did get my right arm up.

Unfortunately for me I had worn myself out so much that I couldn't get my hand on the mouse.
Finally I was able to knock a picture off my desk and woke Rita up. She said I was sweaty, confused, and not breathing well.

She suggested calling 911 which I agreed to.

Of course they all thought I stroked out...slumped over, confused etc.

I’m not sure why but the first test they did was a chest x-ray, it showed pneumonia in the lower left lobe of my lung. Turned out to be aspiration pneumonia, the worst kind for an ALS person.
I had no idea that I even had it, no shortness of breath, beyond my norm anyway.

Tuesday, after just 24 hours in the hospital it was reversing and by Saturday, the day they freed me, it all but gone.

I marvel at the number of “odd circumstances” that lead me from home to hospital and home again.
I see Gods divine intervention from start to finish.

 

[Nikki J]

Glad you are doing better now. What a horrible experience!

 

[skipper66]

Oh my God that experience sounds horrifying. I'm so glad to hear that you are doing better. Kim

 

[Nuts]

Oh what a nightmare! Yes, it is amazing that this chain of events disclosed a very dangerous situation that you were unaware of--bu I hope you don't have any more experiences like that.

 

[davbo49]

it sucks when it takes the arms. well it sucks when it takes anything. i had to have jane tape on some padding on to the arms of my chair so my arms wouldn't fall off.

 

[cheerleader]

Davbo, don't know what kind of chair you have, but my hubby's PERMOBIL had special arms called "trough arms" that replaced the regular ones. Like a trough, your arms sat in it so didn't fall off. Check with the manufacturer and see if you can get these. Much more comfortable for you. And happy birthday! Donna

 

[davbo49]

thank you donna and i will look in to that. jellis you might want to do the same we don't need you going to the er any more.

 

[affected]

Jellis how strange I was thinking about you today and that I hadn't seen any posts from you in a while.

I agree the trough arms may need looking into. It is such an awful feeling when an arm drops down and there is nothing you can do about it. Chris used to at times deliberately do this - slowly edge one arm to the side til it would just hang down. I would then find one very swollen hand ...

So glad that the end result was finding the pneumonia and it sounds like they caught it really early!

 

[MaxEidswick]

>Tuesday, after just 24 hours in the hospital it was reversing and by Saturday, the day they freed me, it all but gone.

amazing, Joel! glad it all worked out in the ennd, but what a nightmare!