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SIS

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PALS
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Ohio
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Cincinnati
I'm new at this so I may not be doing thins right. My husband was diagnosed with ALS September, 2006. He has not been back to the neurologist since, he has an appointment with a new neuro March 26th. His legs are weak, walking with braces because of foot drop both feet, left hand is getting weak sometimes his speech seems slurred.

Today the weather was 72 degrees beautiful, but his feet, toes, ankles and calfs are swelled up and red. He says that they hurt, tingling etc. He feels that he should not be feeling anything if the muscles are dying. What could be the cause of this the weather change? He is on rutilek, vitamins and herbal tea.
 
swollen feet

Hi Sis,

You are doing things fine. If you would like, look above the post and you will see a Search. If you click on that and type in swollen feet you will get several pages of conversations on the subject.

Swelling seems to be pretty common. My husband finds he gets the most relief just by reclining with his feet up higher than his heart.

Take care.

terri
 
Hi Sis. If you read about it , warm weather will make the feet swell naturally. Check out the right side of this site about swelling feet. Maybe it will help. AL.
http://www.living-with-als.org/Diane/
 
Hi Sis,
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but the motor neurons are the ones dying that causes the muscles to quit working. The nerves that send pain signals will work just fine with ALS. I wish it were not that way, but it is the way my neurologist explained it to me.

I also am having foot and leg swelling problems. My doctor has me elevating my legs and feet as much as possible, wearing pressure stockings, and taking diuretic pills like Lasix. If you ever use the Lasix be sure to use a potassium supplement also to offset the loss from the diuretic.

I am in a wheelchair most of the day and I use to just let my legs hang down, which I was told also causes more swelling. So now I use my leg rests on my wheelchair as much as possible.

I hope this helps some.

Thanks for the site AL. It has some great information and answers a lot of questions.

God Bless
Capt AL
 
I keep my feet proped up as much as possible. It helps hold down the swelling and helps reduce leg cramps. Cindy
 
Thank you for responding to my question. All the information is very helpful and I am grateful that this site is here.

My husbands swelling went down overnight but started swelling again this evening the right (the weakest) more than his left leg. He is going to our family doctor on Friday to make sure nothing else is going on. His appt. with the neurologist is 2 weeks from now.

Again, thank you and I so grateful to have people like you guys to consult with.:)
 
Foot massages

The thing that help most for my friend were daily foot massages. She used to say it was the best part of the day. Her feet would get very swollen and either too hot or too cold. I'd use cold or warmed lotion, and give each foot about a ten minute massage to get the blood flowing and before long she'd be good as new.

I hope this helps.
Jeanne
 
Oh Jeanne, that sounds like heaven to me! You should start a little business giving foot massages to us needy PALS!:-D I'd sign up for several! Cindy
 
Cindy,

If only ... I wish it were possible. However, it's a very simple idea and easy enough for even small children to do. The time spent giving Linda foot massages is what I remember best from the more than four years I helped her with her battle. Whether we talked, cried, sang along with the music or just remained silent, those few minutes each day assured us both that, despite the worst of the illness, life could still bring joy.

Hoping and praying the best for you and all my 'friends' on this site.

Take care,
Jeanne
 
That story raised nice visions in my mind, Jeanne. And I know what you mean! My Mom’s hand is cramped from arthritis and she seldom opens it. It gets swollen and her nails dig into her palms. She is in the final stages of Alzheimer’s and reminding or reasoning does not work. The hospice team does not like to pry her fingers open because Mom winces and protests. So I fill a basin with warm water and massage her hand while singing songs from the 40’s. She relaxes, and we have some quality time together. Works like a charm! Thanks for sharing. Cindy
 
Sounds like you have your plate very full these days. Perhaps it's a blessing that your mother is unable to comprehend all that you are facing at this time in your life. I can think of no greater heartache as a mother than helplessly watching my child go through a desease like ALS. I am sure you bring her great comfort as you sing to her and show her love and kindness. I believe the surest way to get our mind off of our own troubles
is to help other people in their time of need.

May God bless you and your family each day with precious memories and the hope for a better tomorrow. I will continue to pray for all the PALS and for a cure for ALS to be discovered soon.

Hugs, Jeanne
 
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