wewillbeatthis
Distinguished member
- Joined
- Aug 10, 2005
- Messages
- 185
Hello ALS Family!
Dad was diagnosed with ALS about 2 years ago but has been dealing with it for about 6 years... In the 6 years his symptons have gone like this:
walking with a foot drop------ Now 6 years later dad can only walk with the cane in and around the house or other houses. Grocery store must use shopping cart, in stores with no carts he uses the walker, and the beach or the mall, or flea markets and stuff like that the scooter....
Balence------ never held onto anything now by 8pm dad will always ensure when walking a wall is near for comfort reasons...
Falls----- minor falls thank god once every 3 months....
Termors----- Same in his right leg at rest at night when sitting only
Voice at the start----now the same after a long day and very tired---- nasal or horse, and a tiny bit slurred, and slow...
Swallowing and eating---- start always eating now always eating.... when he is real tired, long day, bad mood, to much going on around him at the start no problem now the past year an occasional cough from just water, spicy foods, dry foods, he stops himself and then he is good... It only happens once and awhile...
Dressing, cooking, feeding himself, lifting with his arms and legs, lifting himself from a seated position, and driving---- start fine.... Now still fine perhaps a little slower at times..... Dad suffers from spasticity so sometimes it almost seems that he is moving in slow motion and other times he reaches for something so fast it is almost like he grabs it from you.... I believe this is the spasticity... He is able to get out of a low seat by pushing himself up on the arms of the seat or the table in front of him... He dresses, showers, and makes his bed, cooks, drives, and does his clothes washing without a problem....
Breathing--- Start no problem at all he does his exercises deep breaths with an open mouth great, nose great, purssed lips great... Laying flat and sitting up and standing... Now still all the same.....
Fatigue---- Start no problem at all... Now sometimes dad will be just finally sitting or standing and relaxed at home and take this sigh that is so deep. I know I catch myself doing the same sort of sigh when I am really stressed... I am concerned is this normal or something to be concerned about?
Sleeping---Start no problem..... Goes to bed around 11pm sleeps until about 3am gets up to go to the bathroom and then up for the day at like 6:30 or 7:00 am.... The last few weeks on and off he is waking up three and four times a night and says he feels either like he has so much engergy and can't sleep so he will clean out his draws or closet or read or watch TV... Or that he is tired but is restless cause he has so much on his mind, drank to much caffiene before bed, or ate to much to late and is stuffed and has to go number 2.....
Ok so there is so much information here...
My questions are...
Last time he had the oxygen test on his finger and the score was 97....
Please tell me what should I be looking for am I worried over nothing and driving him nuts cause when he told me about his sleep last night I drilled him with questions and now he is so mad at me.... I don't want to bother him but I get scared that it is breathing or something that we are overlooking and that it could hurt him.....
Dad was diagnosed with ALS about 2 years ago but has been dealing with it for about 6 years... In the 6 years his symptons have gone like this:
walking with a foot drop------ Now 6 years later dad can only walk with the cane in and around the house or other houses. Grocery store must use shopping cart, in stores with no carts he uses the walker, and the beach or the mall, or flea markets and stuff like that the scooter....
Balence------ never held onto anything now by 8pm dad will always ensure when walking a wall is near for comfort reasons...
Falls----- minor falls thank god once every 3 months....
Termors----- Same in his right leg at rest at night when sitting only
Voice at the start----now the same after a long day and very tired---- nasal or horse, and a tiny bit slurred, and slow...
Swallowing and eating---- start always eating now always eating.... when he is real tired, long day, bad mood, to much going on around him at the start no problem now the past year an occasional cough from just water, spicy foods, dry foods, he stops himself and then he is good... It only happens once and awhile...
Dressing, cooking, feeding himself, lifting with his arms and legs, lifting himself from a seated position, and driving---- start fine.... Now still fine perhaps a little slower at times..... Dad suffers from spasticity so sometimes it almost seems that he is moving in slow motion and other times he reaches for something so fast it is almost like he grabs it from you.... I believe this is the spasticity... He is able to get out of a low seat by pushing himself up on the arms of the seat or the table in front of him... He dresses, showers, and makes his bed, cooks, drives, and does his clothes washing without a problem....
Breathing--- Start no problem at all he does his exercises deep breaths with an open mouth great, nose great, purssed lips great... Laying flat and sitting up and standing... Now still all the same.....
Fatigue---- Start no problem at all... Now sometimes dad will be just finally sitting or standing and relaxed at home and take this sigh that is so deep. I know I catch myself doing the same sort of sigh when I am really stressed... I am concerned is this normal or something to be concerned about?
Sleeping---Start no problem..... Goes to bed around 11pm sleeps until about 3am gets up to go to the bathroom and then up for the day at like 6:30 or 7:00 am.... The last few weeks on and off he is waking up three and four times a night and says he feels either like he has so much engergy and can't sleep so he will clean out his draws or closet or read or watch TV... Or that he is tired but is restless cause he has so much on his mind, drank to much caffiene before bed, or ate to much to late and is stuffed and has to go number 2.....
Ok so there is so much information here...
My questions are...
Last time he had the oxygen test on his finger and the score was 97....
Please tell me what should I be looking for am I worried over nothing and driving him nuts cause when he told me about his sleep last night I drilled him with questions and now he is so mad at me.... I don't want to bother him but I get scared that it is breathing or something that we are overlooking and that it could hurt him.....