Recent content by DigPlantWeed

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    How to be a true friend?

    It's wonderful that you want to be a friend to a PALS. Our PALS friend was 1500 miles away, and we couldn't not visit as much as we wanted. But we learned that all contact -- phone, Facetime, text, Facebook, was appreciated. And when we could visit, we did errands, grocery, shopping, meal...
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    Paying for home health assistance

    I cannot speak to this for ALS, but my mother has an aide because she is in a wheelchair due to a stroke and cannot walk. (Thankfully, she recovered fully in terms of language and cognitive ability). It is nothing like 12 hours a day, more like 6, split into different times of day. My parents...
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    Vigil from a distance

    Our friend died Saturday. He is at peace and free of the prison his body had become. His ashes will be laid to rest at Arlington. Many thanks to everyone here for the information in these forums and for encouragement when I felt being a friend from 1500 miles away was not enough. My husband...
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    Vigil from a distance

    For the time being, he is breathing on his own. But he cannot clear his bronchi or lungs, so it is a matter of time. But his wife is able to visit with him, and his daughter may be able to see him again without the endo tube.
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    Vigil from a distance

    After more days of of the endo tube, broncoscopies, and breathing tests, the end comes tomorrow. The endo tube will be removed tomorrow. His muscles are too weak for him to breathe enough. A tracheotomy is the only way to stay alive. He has consistently indicated that the answer to that is...
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    Vigil from a distance

    We cannot be there now, and even if we were able, this time belongs properly to his wife, children, and other family who are there. And the ICU (due to pneumonia) has limited opportunity to visit in any case. Still, we wish there had been time for the visit we planned for just a few weeks from...
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    Vigil from a distance

    Two months ago, I was in their neck of the woods for work -- well, sort of, I was in Dallas and they are near Austin. I planned to drive down during a two-day break and see them. But I developed a respiratory illness and did not want to expose either our friend with ALS, or our friend his wife...
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    Vigil from a distance

    We have been sorry to be so far from our friend as he battled ALS. A few visits and phone calls seem so inadequate. Now the end is near and we are keeping vigil from 1500 miles away. This last severe pneumonia (probably the fifth in a year) has hastened the end. An abscess has caused a hole...
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    Feeling helpless; friend's condition detriorating

    Laurie, we have FaceTimed with him before, when there was someone there to manage the phone for him. I will check with his wife on a good time for them (at a time Mr. Dig is home and can be on the call).
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    Feeling helpless; friend's condition detriorating

    Well, he is back in the hospital yet again. Pneumonia again. I will see them in 3 weeks. when I am in their state for work. It's a 3.5 hour drive from where I am staying to their house, but with two free days during my business trip, I will of course go to see them. I fear it may be the...
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    Feeling helpless; friend's condition detriorating

    The latest news is good -- his doctor removed two mucus plugs and some congestion. He is feeling much better and is resting comfortably, and has his trilogy and cough assist there. It's almost certain he'll go home tomorrow.
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    Feeling helpless; friend's condition detriorating

    I've posted about our friend before. We are 1500 miles from them and haven't seen them since April. I plan to visit in November. The other day, our friend's wife told me that his respiratory numbers have declined. He has been in the hospital 5 times in the past year with pneumonia or...
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    antidepressant use

    I do not have ALS (I am a friend of a PALS). During a period of significant sleep problems, my doctor prescribed one of an older class of antidepressants called trazodone (Desyrel). She said in her opinion, it doesn't work all that great as an antidepressant but is great for sleep. She was...
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    Don't know what to wish for our friend

    Thanks everyone for your responses. I am retiring in a couple of months and will fly out to see our friends and shortly thereafter. Mike, I'm a Catholic school survivor myself. I had a few of those nuns as teachers. One I called "the psycho nun from hell." (Now I'm technically...
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    Don't know what to wish for our friend

    Our friend was diagnosed in 2012. He has had a few falls, one with serious head injury about 16 months ago (subdural and subarachnoid bleeds). His ALS has progressed to the point that he cannot use his legs and arms, but can use it hands a very little bit. He he has a great attitude and is...
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