Hello everyone,
My father has ALS and was diagnosed in June 2008. I have visited this site a few times since then, and appreciate everyone's thoughtful & insightful comments. I finally decided to register on this site this morning because dad is getting a lot worse and my family and I seem to have unending questions about how to help him.
Last week the hospice nurse told my mom that we should be prepared for another year for Dad. We can't imagine another year of this. Dad is in so much discomfort and so very tired and weak. We just don't want him to suffer any longer. A year sounds so long... The nurse based this comment on the fact that dad hasn't been through the secretion stage yet. But I was under the assumption that not all ALS patients show that symptom. I thought all of that comes with the bulbar form of ALS, which my dad doesn't have.
I appreciate any thoughts you may have. Thank you all so much.
My father has ALS and was diagnosed in June 2008. I have visited this site a few times since then, and appreciate everyone's thoughtful & insightful comments. I finally decided to register on this site this morning because dad is getting a lot worse and my family and I seem to have unending questions about how to help him.
Last week the hospice nurse told my mom that we should be prepared for another year for Dad. We can't imagine another year of this. Dad is in so much discomfort and so very tired and weak. We just don't want him to suffer any longer. A year sounds so long... The nurse based this comment on the fact that dad hasn't been through the secretion stage yet. But I was under the assumption that not all ALS patients show that symptom. I thought all of that comes with the bulbar form of ALS, which my dad doesn't have.
I appreciate any thoughts you may have. Thank you all so much.