Recent content by geehdee

help in the bathroom At first, I got a raised commode seat with attached arms. That was good while I could still walk and my arms were strong. Then I had to graduate from cane/walker to a power chair. In my bathroom now I have an lift assist commode seat which lifts me to a standing position...

How I respond I am always straightforward in my reply. I say I have ALS or Lou Gerhig's disease. If they ask about the disease I tell them what I know. If they ask if it's terminal, I say it is but not for a while. If they say they are sorry, I thank them. Some people ask how I am every...

hospital bed I have a twin size fully electric hospital bed through ALSA and rented with an insurance co-pay. I really like it. I use fitted twin sheets and a bed rail on one side only. I bought my own tempurpedic mattress because I could feel all the springs, rollers and rails through the...

Twitching not reliable symptom I had weakness, drop foot, falling and some paralysis all before I started twitching. Anxicety can make twitching more noticable. Continue to regard your symptoms but don't let the twitches OR the information you are googling obsess you. If you end up having...

First it sucks and then you cry.... My wonderful daughter heard me say that after my diagnosis. Then she and her marvelous husband quit their jobs, disrupted their young lives and moved across country to move in and take care of me. I know, I know....I'm the mom and I gave her life, but this...

pain and ALS This is how my PA described it to me: "before you knew you had ALS, if something hurt it was probably an over worked muscle or ligament, or your arthritis or a strain or just a pain. Now that you know you have ALS, if something hurts, it's probably the same types of things as...

ALS after Lipitor I was diagnosed with ALS after a few years on Lipitor. Not sure of the connection but am irritated with my PC for telling me "it's completely safe...I take it everyday myself!"

Oh the waiting! It also took quite a while for my diagnosed. I began with symptoms almost four years ago, but I know that only in hindsight. My condition got lost in the process of being surgically treated for a spine problem, and only recognized after not recovering properly. At my first...

symptoms before diagnosis I was recently diagnosed but can trace my symptoms back almost four years ago. The confusing issue is that I also have a variety of arthritis related problems which led to a very necessary lumbar fusion two years ago. I was told that the weakness in my left leg was...

Another AZ PALS Hi Michael I am another zonie with ALS. Who is your doctor? I was diagnosed after several months of testing (including several EMGs) but probably have been ill since 2004. I am also on Rilutek but I think I've read that we won't actually be able to "feel" the drug working. I...

still working i am a research technician for the Agricultural Service. Still 5 years away from normal retirement but have been working sick for two years. My job depends on using my hands which I'm losing. My boss pledges to keep me on until I absolutely have to go. I love my job and the...

I've been wearing AFOs since August of 2006. I wear two and I found I needed to get shoes one to one and a half sizes larger than normal to get the braces into. I wear kneesox and trouser sox all year round, even in our 114 degree AZ summers. Fun socks I get from Footraffic.com and...