Recent content by kylisa

I hate to be a bearer of bad news but the reality of ALS is that it SUCKS! There is no easy way to approach it, simply because there is no future hope. If you have an extremely slow progressing case, be thankful and live your life to the fullest while you can. If you aren't so lucky, still live...

Sad as it sounds, I can believe this senario. My mother went from June of 2007 until February 2008 with a neurologist that had no idea what was wrong with my mother and got downright mad at me for researching on my own. After getting her transferred to a neurosurgeon at the medical center an...

I hate to hear yet another person affected by this ALS Monster! My advice is this: Whatever he is able to do now, do it while he is still able and within monetary means. Accept any and all help offered. Take advantage of the local ALS Chapter because they may be able to loan you items like wheel...

When bulbar set in on my mother, her voice became a bit monotoned. She couldn't sing in church anymore. For several months the slurring would come and go but the monotoned sound remained.

I guess now that my mother has been gone for over a year, I am finally finding myself with questions that I didn't even consider before. Thanks Joel for answering my question.

Has anybody experienced significant muscle shrinkage before actual weakness began?

Gosh....this thread really brought back memories. Mom had a terrible time with constipation once she went to total peg feeding. Mirrolax was the medication of choice for a while. Then, as the pain medication increased, so did the constipation issues. I will tell you this: toward the end, nothing...

Let me clarify.... severe cramps in the upper left abdomen, under the breast bone, and now wondering about the upper right abdomen too?

Wondering if a severe cramp in left side is something any PALS have experienced? I can't remember my Mother ever complaining about that one.

You are in my prayers. Hope you find peace knowing he is no longer living with this horrible disease.

Condolences from my family to yours.....may you find peace knowing she is no longer a prisoner of the ALS monster.

This is the article the email referred to on the ALS Association's Website: November, 2009 Smoking May Now be Considered an Established Risk Factor for ALS While previous studies have indicated a “probable” connection between smoking and ALS, a new study published in the Nov. 17, 2009 issue...

I got an email from the ALS Association today that said the AMA now says that smoking is a very real possible cause of ALS. How many of you smoke or have smoked? My mother was a smoker but we were told when she was diagnosed that smoking did not cause ALS.

Unfortunately, we did experience this with my mother. She seemed to plateau for a month or so and then a little something else would go. The last few months she declined at a more steady pace and , finally, the last couple of weeks she lost the ability to hold her head up overnight. I hate...

You say she is in the final stages. Have you contacted Hospice? They were a godsend to my family. The nurse came at least once a week, an aide came once a week and washed her hair. They have volunteers that can sit with your wife and give you a respite for a few hours. Just a thought.