ALS

[livingwith]

My Dad has had ALS for 20+ years now. We have seen many levels of debilitation from the start of it to now. He has been on a respirator for almost 16 years now. My Mom takes great care of him. They lost their main helper at the first of the year, after 10years of service. All the “helpers” who have been sent out since, are ones who are hard to live up to the name of “help.” Some are more “work”, than “help”, as many of you can maybe relate to...Read the full article

[tina]

Als is hereditary in my family. My mother and cousin currently have it. My grandmother, great-grandfather, and several others have died from it in my family. It does not affect the mind, except in some patients with mild dementia. That's part of what makes the disease so terrible - the fact that it doesn't affect the mind, but traps you in your body with eventually no or very little communication. God bless you and your family! Your mother deserves a medal for caring for him for so many years as she has. I know how hard it can be. My mother has just been put on a ventilator as of last week. Her and my step-dad live with me, my husband, and 2 children. My step-dad also deserves a medal for all he does for my mother. My husband and I care for her too, but not as much as my step-dad does. I don't know what we'd do without him.