als is one fucked up disease

we had a benefit fishing tournament for the receptionist from my company yesterday..she has als.

one year ago she was perfectly healthy..today she needs a motorized wheelchair and a feeding tube.

such a fucked up disease..I really like her..she is such a good person and she is being robbed at 50 years old

I've known three people who had it.

she is such a sweet lady and she has to go through this.

It kills me

As you stated. People with ALS become dependent upon others for everyday activities. Very positive though, is the benefit you all put together for her :thumbsup:.

I'll give them this..they are VERY proactive on these type issues.

we had a garage sale and the fishing together..we raised enough to buy her a motorized wheelchair and a wheelchair enabled van



on edit: and I caught an 8 lb trout :)

I have resolved to commit suicide if ever I am diagnosed with the disease. It's perhaps the most evil way I can imagine dying, as one by one your muscles fail to obey, until finally breathing itself is too difficult. Horrible, terrifying way to go. <shudder>

There are good people out there searching for cures and helping alleviate the suffering. The ALS Society, I think they're called. Helped a lot when my brother was still around.

Someone recently referred to EMS technicians as heroes, which they are. But in my view, family members who care for ALS patients are heroes, too. My younger brother gave the prime years of his life acting as a full-time caregiver for my older brother: he's my hero.

There is nothing however in this disease that makes anything right. I've taken care of many with this problem. My heart goes out to you.

My heart goes out to anyone who has that.

I knew a man who eventually passed away from it. He needed tubes and pumps for breathing, eating, etc. Sometimes the breathing tube became clogged and because of that he needed supervision at all times. He was remarkably brave through all of it.

It is one of the most horrifying diseases ever, second only maybe to Alzheimers.

My neighbor died of it many years ago. Apparently he'd had it for many years, and it progressed very slowly. At the end, he went rapidly.

He chose not to be on any sort of life support/artificial feedings, but maybe his refusal came from his having had a long, full life. I don't know.

50 is way too young to die.

My best wishes to all of you as you stand by her...

:hug:

he dies less than a year ago

It's a horrible disease

That one scares me too...

The body lives on, while the soul and mind are gone.

:hug:

A guy I'd known since kindergarten died from it in 2006. He was 25. Way too young to go. :(

a bit. And one of the main characters has ALS. They mention Stephen Hawking has had it for 30 years.

Locally they do a "lock up" as a fundraiser, and every year they would call my office and ask me to agree to do it. I have always wanted to--but something always seemed to be happening on that date. Maybe it was just an excuse on my part--I dunno. Anyhow, this year when they called me, the woman from MDA started talking about all the different diseases that fall under the MDA programs. One of them is ALS.

I lived with a man for many years who was the son of a man with ALS. Cy was diagnosed with it and they conceived Jim shortly after. Nobody knew back then that there was a genetic link in some cases. Jim never wants to have a child that would carry that gene, and I had to respect that. When Cy died I gave money to the ALS Foundation in his memory, and when I have a good year I still do. This year, I'm "going to jail" in memory of Cy.

ALS really is an awful disease.



lAURA