zombie_mummy
New member
- Joined
- Jun 17, 2014
- Messages
- 3
- Reason
- PALS
- Diagnosis
- 05/2007
- Country
- CA
- State
- Ontario
- City
- Toronto
My name is Ellen. I've had ALS symptoms since 2005. It began with weakness in my right hand and slowly spread throughout my body. I was diagnosed in May 2007 - at that time I was mother to 5-month-old twin daughters and a 3-year-old girl. My husband had to take parental leave because I couldn't dress my babies or change their diapers. In 2008, I began to have difficulty speaking. In 2009, I became wheelchair dependent. In 2010, I was hospitalized with pneumonia and was given a tracheotomy.
Since then, I have been completely unable to speak and have relied upon a communication device for speaking. Currently I rent a Dynavox from my ALS clinic at Sunnybrook Hospital for $80 a month. It is very slow, crashes a lot and breaks down frequently. I'm on my third machine right now because the previous two have died.
I live in the Chronic Vent-Assisted Care Wing at Toronto East General Hospital. The staff here are skilled and kind - but I'm homesick. I've lived here since December 2011 and before that, I was in the ICU at Toronto Western for 17 months, waiting for a bed.
I don't know why I stubbornly cling to life. I guess maybe because my kids are still young...
Any way, I'm here and thought I'd say HI!
Since then, I have been completely unable to speak and have relied upon a communication device for speaking. Currently I rent a Dynavox from my ALS clinic at Sunnybrook Hospital for $80 a month. It is very slow, crashes a lot and breaks down frequently. I'm on my third machine right now because the previous two have died.
I live in the Chronic Vent-Assisted Care Wing at Toronto East General Hospital. The staff here are skilled and kind - but I'm homesick. I've lived here since December 2011 and before that, I was in the ICU at Toronto Western for 17 months, waiting for a bed.
I don't know why I stubbornly cling to life. I guess maybe because my kids are still young...
Any way, I'm here and thought I'd say HI!