A mother with ALS.

I'm new to this whole forum thing, or ever talking to anybody about my mother's condition in general because it's just so hard for me to handle. But tonight, I felt the need to speak to whoever is willing to listen and listen to whoever is willing to speak.

My mother got diagnosed with ALS in December 2012. She probably had it longer than that since she started noticing symptoms in mid 2012.
She can't walk, can barely move her arms, has constant skin irritation(recently noticed some red irritation and bumps on her skin), and her voice has recently become raspy. She uses a bipap when sleeping and has a baclofen pump. I'm not sure what else to add to that, but it's been getting pretty tough on me. I can't quite tell what stage she's at right now or what to expect, really. I'm just scared and listening to everyone's stories and experiences really do help me. I'm glad I found this forum.

Please let me know if there's anything I should be expecting, I know everyone is different but I hate playing the guessing game enough.

Much love to you guys and thanks a lot.

My husband was diagnosed in September 2012 and it sounds like he is about the same as your mother. His can't use his legs or arms anymore but he can stil eat and talk. His voice is starting to slur. His Fvc numbers are starting to go down so that means the respiratory muscles are getting weaker. He uses a bipap at night and is scheduled to get a feeding tube next month. This disease is relentless and we have just tried to stay one step ahead.