<bgsound src="blessed.mid" loop="true" autostart="false" height="25" width="100" controls="smallconsole"> Dick and I have been living with ALS for the last two years. Four years ago, Dick had a quad bypass and was recovering fairly nicely, but had a lot of weakness in his legs. After much testing, and after getting to the point that he had foot-drop and had to wear braces and use a cane, followed by a walker, he was diagnosed with MD. It was thought to be another kind of MD than ALS, but when he began to develop swallowing problems, more testing was done and he was diagnosed with ALS. That was more than a year ago. So all along he had ALS, not what the first diagnosis was. He is now paralyzed from the waist down and his back and shoulder muscles are weakening steadily, along with his right arm more than his left. His speech is greatly affected and we often use an eraser board. Money is our greatest problem as we have only Medicare and whatever MDA will provide. We use a hoist to get him from bed and recliner and wheel chair to the bathroom, and for a limited time now...into the shower on his chair there. He has oxygen for various times, although his last breathing test was not good at all and he may be using a respirator soon. He has a suction machine for excessive mucus in his mouth. He will be having a feeding tube put in for more nutrition, although he can still eat some of his favorite foods. They had hoped to do it as an outpatient, but will have to use a respirator during the procedure since his breathing is so bad. I have Fibromyalgia and so it affects my back, which bad weather and overdoing, along with extra tension at times makes worse. Two weeks ago our older daughter came down from a nearby town with our grandson to care for Dick while I was flat on my back and unable to move for a week. Thank the Lord for our children. We have four, but only two can really help. One is having a terrible time dealing with this. Eight grandchildren are also help, giving their grandfather lots of encouragement and fun. Dick is 62 and I am 59. God is especially good to us each day and we rely on our faith to keep us going, looking toward the day when all problems will disappear in Heaven. I am trying to get help to come in occasionally from the Home Health Services now and then...especially on Sunday mornings so I can go to church and Sunday School. Well, that is pretty much all of it. We take one day at a time, try to find the funny things that happen to us. I often get very tired and then get the giggles over anything. Dick was very active as a Precision Machinist and a bowler and it was so hard for him to change his lifestyle (he was rather a work-a-holic). But he reads a lot now. Randy Alcorn is an exceptional writer for any who are looking for something really good to read. Deadline, Dominion, and In Light Of Eternity are the best!!!Hope this encourages others.Mary and Dick EdmondsGoshen, INDick lost his battle with ALS on 4-10-02"Conformity is the jailer of freedom and the enemy of growth." John F. Kennedy
Dick and I have been living with ALS for the last two years. Four years ago, Dick had a quad bypass and was recovering fairly nicely, but had a lot of weakness in his legs. After much testing, and after getting to the point that he had foot-drop and had to wear braces and use a cane, followed by a walker, he was diagnosed with MD. It was thought to be another kind of MD than ALS, but when he began to develop swallowing problems, more testing was done and he was diagnosed with ALS. That was more than a year ago. So all along he had ALS, not what the first diagnosis was.
He is now paralyzed from the waist down and his back and shoulder muscles are weakening steadily, along with his right arm more than his left. His speech is greatly affected and we often use an eraser board. Money is our greatest problem as we have only Medicare and whatever MDA will provide. We use a hoist to get him from bed and recliner and wheel chair to the bathroom, and for a limited time now...into the shower on his chair there.
He has oxygen for various times, although his last breathing test was not good at all and he may be using a respirator soon. He has a suction machine for excessive mucus in his mouth. He will be having a feeding tube put in for more nutrition, although he can still eat some of his favorite foods. They had hoped to do it as an outpatient, but will have to use a respirator during the procedure since his breathing is so bad. I have Fibromyalgia and so it affects my back, which bad weather and overdoing, along with extra tension at times makes worse. Two weeks ago our older daughter came down from a nearby town with our grandson to care for Dick while I was flat on my back and unable to move for a week. Thank the Lord for our children. We have four, but only two can really help. One is having a terrible time dealing with this. Eight grandchildren are also help, giving their grandfather lots of encouragement and fun. Dick is 62 and I am 59.
God is especially good to us each day and we rely on our faith to keep us going, looking toward the day when all problems will disappear in Heaven. I am trying to get help to come in occasionally from the Home Health Services now and then...especially on Sunday mornings so I can go to church and Sunday School. Well, that is pretty much all of it. We take one day at a time, try to find the funny things that happen to us. I often get very tired and then get the giggles over anything. Dick was very active as a Precision Machinist and a bowler and it was so hard for him to change his lifestyle (he was rather a work-a-holic). But he reads a lot now. Randy Alcorn is an exceptional writer for any who are looking for something really good to read. Deadline, Dominion, and In Light Of Eternity are the best!!!Hope this encourages others.Mary and Dick EdmondsGoshen, IN
Dick lost his battle with ALS on 4-10-02
"Conformity is the jailer of freedom and the enemy of growth." John F. Kennedy
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