Ex CFL star Tony Proudfoot

[BarryG]

An interesting article that I saw this morning. Tony announced that he had bulbar onset ALS in the fall of 2007 just at the time that I was being diagnosed and I am so glad that he is still around.

I noticed that the article says that he has a trache but is only on the ventilator part of the time, at night and for a few hours a day. This is interesting because I always thought that if you had a trache then you had to have a vent. It sounds like he can be more independent and doesn't need constant supervision because he is not totally dependent (yet) on the machine. Something for me to consider and ask my doctors about.

Ex-CFLer works to tackle Lou Gehrig's disease - The Globe and Mail

 

[sadiemae]

Barry, our doc told us the same thing. Didn't understand at first, questioned him more the next time, and basically he said that it would make it easier to suction in case of an emergency, and by having the hole there, it would make for easier breathing. Plus it is already there, and avoids emergency surgery. He recommends we do this at 40% FVC.

 

[thelma313]

Tony Proudfoot is a wonderful man. He was very kind to my dad at the ALS Walk last year. It meant so much to my father to have met him. Neither of them had to "say" anything. The understanding and complicity was palpable. They had the same neurologist too.

 

[joelc]

Yes, just because you have a trache does not mean you are on a vent 24/7. You definitely do not have to be. But it is there for when you need exra help to breathe. It is not a bad idea to get it early as your recovery time is consiiderably shorter.