samsmom

Hi Jennifer,
My dad is 78 and his ALS started in his legs at first. He has limb onset ALS. Dad was diagnosed a year ago in May. His legs started going out and he took some nasty fall but luckily falls but didn't break anything. He is now wheelchair bound except he does walk a little in the house with a walker and someone holding on to his gait belt. He still eats on his own though he has limitted use of his fingers and arms are very week. He is in good spirits and loves to watch Netflix movies on tv. My dad also drinks Boost at least once a day. I think the boost helps his immune sytem by having vitamins and all it for nutrition. I would recommend that your dad takes it or Ensure. I know you are devastated but take it one day at a time. You still will have some good times ahead yet. Don't forget to pray because its currently the most potent medicine we have at this time. Take care and keep in touch. Kim

Hi again my email seems to be broken right now if you need an answer to your email let me know and I will send your another email address so you can resend
Take care

Sent an email
Hope it helps a bit
Nikki

Hi Jennifer
You can't pm until 15 posts unfortunately.
I am familiar with some places in Needham and some in the greater Brockton area. None are perfect but I know places I would not go and some I would. It also depends on the need. There is a little nursing home in Brockton I would go to except no wifi and I would want that foe communication with outside world. Let me know if you want more details. If you can set up a temporary email and give address here I will email you Reluctant to post particulars on a public forum

Had to continue the post here because the limit is 1000 words, who knew : ) Anyway where was I? My 23 year old niece moved in with my mom at the beginning of Jan. so someone is there overnite. I am there for a couple of hours in the am and the same in the pm. I live with my husband and 13 year old son, about 5 min. away from my mom. I never would have thought that my mom's life would have to end like this, and I can get really, really angry that this is what the powers that be have made her (and me) deal with. Reading these forums have really helped me, and like you I am always looking for people whose parents are in their eighties. Sucks, sucks, sucks. Please stay in contact and tell me more about you and your dad. I usually check in at least every couple of days. My name is Trina.

Hi Jennifer,

I am very sorry about your dad's diagnosis. When my mom was diagnosed in 12/2012 I felt so completely lost and scared, and then gradually life has become a new sort of normal. What type is your dad's? My mom's is bulbar meaning she started with the slurred speech and swallowing issues. She is still strong, walks with a rolling walker(when she remembers) mainly for balance issues. She is practically impossible to understand, yet will still talk before I remind her she needs to write it down. She got the peg tube back in January and it has been a god-send for us. She gets 3 cans a day, and she still drinks her tea (rather noisily because she won't put thik-it in it), and I puree food every few days because she still likes to sit down to a meal around dinnertime.