NEW COMERS

[Guest guest]

HI ALL

I JUST WANTED TO TAKE A MINUTE TO WELCOME ALL THE NEW MEMBERS TO THE GROUP. HOW MANY DO WE HAVE NOW???

IT SEEMS THAT IN THE LITTLE OVER A YEAR THAT WE JOINED THERE HAS BEEN SO MANY MORE NEW MEMBERS OVER THE PAST FEW MONTHS. IS THIS DO TO AN INCREASE IN THE INSODENSE OF THE DECEASE OR IS IT DUE TO MORE PEOPLE BEING ABLE TO FIND OUT ABOUT THIS SIGHT? I SURE HOPE IT IS THE LATTER.

FOR THE NEW COMERS. I AM THE CARE GIVER AND MY HUSBAND DONALD IS THE PATIENT. DX. IN OCT OF 2000 WITH PLS.

HIS CONDITION HAS PROGRESSED AT A RAPID RATE AND HAS BEEN CHANGED TO ALS. NO NEW TESTS THE INSURANCE ISN'T BUYING THE NEED FOR NEW TESTING. HE SEES THE PRIMARY DR ON THE 4TH AND THE NURO ON THE 15TH. I HAVE TO GET HIM SET UP WITH MORE CARE ITEMS HERE AT HOME. A HANDI CAP BATHROOM IS BEING PUT IN BY WSOS (STATE PROGRAM) HERE IN OHIO. IT'S READY TO BE PUT OUT FOR BID. HE NEEDS A HOSPITAL BED. I AM VERY WORRIED ABOUT DECUBITUS ON HIS BOTTOM SINCE HE CAN NO LONGER SLEEP IN BED. HE CAN'T BREATH WHILE FLAT AND ALSO CAN'T GET UP. SO HE HAS BEEN SPENDING ALL HIS TIME IN HIS RECLINER AND HIS BOTTOM IS PAYING THE PRICE. HE CAN'T GET ON HIS SIDE TO CHANGE THE PRESSURE POINTS. EVEN A TRANSFER TO & FROM A W/C IN THIS COLD IS A NIGHT MARE. HE CAN'T MOVE HIS FEET AND I HAVE TO PLACE EACH FOOT AND PUSH THEM FOR EACH STEP. TIME FOR AN ELECTRIC W/C AND VAN. I CAN'T GET HIM OVER FOR THE POOL ANYMORE NO WAY TO GET HIM THERE AND I'M WORKING. HE NEEDS HELP TO GET OUT OF THE HOUSE IN HIS MANUAL CHAIR AND THE TRANSPORT WILL NOT COME IN FOR HIM. THE WARM WATER POOL IS WHAT HAS BEEN KEEPING HIM WALKING. HE IS ABLE TO WALK IN THE HOUSE WHERE HE IS WARM. OR MAYBE I SHOULD SAY HE IS ABLE TO SUPPORT HIMSELF WITH HIS WALKER AND DRAGS HIS FEET WHERE HE WANTS TO GO.

I DON'T WRITE TO OFTEN ANY MORE. BETWEEN HIS CARE AND MY WORK I HAVE MY HANDS FULL AND WE ARE TRYING TO SPEND AS MUCH TIME AS POSSIBLE WITH OUR GRANDCHILDREN.

WELCOME TO ALL AND WE HOPE THAT THE NEW YEAR WILL BE EASY ON US ALL.

LOVE TO ALL

BONNIE OH