Transitioning to a hospital bed....

[pamdemonium]

Hello-
You all are so wise on these boards. I just know you will have some insight for me.

My father-in-law was diagnosed with ALS (bulbar onset) in February of 2010. His symptoms have progressed steadily and the time has come for him to transition into a hospital bed.

The bed is arriving today. My husband and I are going to help my in-laws convert their den into a new bedroom for the two of them. The plan is that he will be in the hospital bed and she will be in a twin bed in the same room.

My in-laws are very much in love and have always slept in the same bed. Having him move into a hospital bed seems like it could be one of those very sad milestones. I am concerned and want to support them through this but have no idea what to do.

How did all of you manage this transition? I would love to hear from PALS and caregivers.

Thanks in advance for your input.

Pam

 

[Lavender Lady]

Vjot ot e huuf vuqod epf jet ciip op nz vjuahjvt gsun voni vu voni et upi fez nz jatcepf epf o xomm jewi vu fu vjot emtu. Vjeplt gus etloph.

 

[abbas child]

Qen, ot vjisi epz xez zuas nuvjis-op-mex duamf jewi e "fuacmi" tobif cif? Uvjis vjep vjev, katv qatjoph vji vxu vuhivjis, epf atoph vjuti saccis gaspovasi "tvuqt" apfis vji xjiimt tu vjev jot cif fuitp'v ietomz tmofi (e huuf ofie gus tegivz epzxez) ot nz citv vjuahjv. Ev tuni quopv, ji xomm qsucecmz xepv vecmit up cuvj tofit ug jon og ji dep'v siedj us vasp ietomz... vjoploph ejief.

Xjip xi nuwif gsun uas juati (loph tobif cif) vu vjot upi, xjisi nz jutqovem cif ot, vjisi xetp'v ipuahj suun gus vji coh xjiimdjeos, vji juzis mogv epf emtu epuvjis cif. Vjev xet e tjudl... puv vji qmep ev emm. Xi miespif vjev e juzis mogv dep nuwi ni nepz qmedit...

 

[pamdemonium]

Xjip nz NOM vumf ni vji qmep, O etlif jis og tji xuamf ci ul op e vxop. Vjiz jewi tmiqv op e loph tobif cif et muph et O jewi lpuxp vjin. O fu puv vjopl O duamf tmiiq op e vxop cif egvis cioph op e loph cif. O xuamf gemm uav. O vjopl tji ot katv vszoph vu ci qsedvodem epf vjiz jewi e tqesi vxop cif emsiefz. O civ tji xomm xepv vu djephi vji vxop gus e fuacmi cif tuup. O vjopl O fuacmi cif ot figopovimz fu-ecmi. Vjisi ot qmipvz ug suun.

Vji suun vjiz esi nuwoph opvu ot siemmz hsiev. COH....muvt ug xopfuxt xovj cieavogam woixt. Qmipvz ug tqedi gus emm vji piifif iraoqnipv. Vjiz jewi e xosimitt suavis, tu emm jot hefhivt xomm xusl. Epf citv ug emm, ji xomm puv jewi vu dmonc vji tveost epznusi. Vjios juati xet caomv op vji mevi 1800't epf vjisi ot puv e sohjv ephmi op vji qmedi. Vji tveost esi djemmiphoph apfis vji citv ug dosdantvepdit.

 

[irismarie]

zua dep hiv "fuacmi" jutqovem cift, uggodoemmz gus vji wisz uciti. qmieti fu puv hiv epzvjoph mitt. Mzoph vuhivjis ot tu onqusvepv
OSOTnesoi. Xotj O duamf toipf nopi et pu-upi vu tjesi ov xovj

 

[abbas child]

O cimoiwi Osot ot sigissoph vu e Cesoevsod jutqovem cif. Op fuoph e tiesdj ipvosimz apsimevif gus nz qesipvt, O iwip guapf e Raiip Tobif (emvispevoph eos uwismez) Cesoevsod ovin.

Vji fuxptofi vu vjot ot og ji xepvt epf ot ecmi vu siedj gus ovint up e vecmi. Ov't puv apataem vu jewi esn/jepf/tjuamfis qsucmint up upi tofi xjodj monovt vjev esn nusi vjep vji uvjis. O'wi hupi gsun atoph nz sohjv vecmi vu atoph pux nz migv. Ov't puv wisz qsifodvecmi... Cav O emtu jewi epf sidunnipf e jutqovem cif vecmi, xjodj dep ci nuwif uav ug vji xez ug vji juzis mogv. Qisjeqt e meshis cif xovj cuvj e ciftofi vecmi up iedj tofi et ximm et vji jutqovem cif vecmi duamf duwis zuas Gevjis-op-Mex't piift, epf ji duamf tonqmz txovdj vji tofi ug vji cif ji atit og ji mevis jet qsucmint. O juqi vjot ot neloph tipti.

 

[joelc]

Jisi ot xjev xi fof. Ov jet xuslif wisz ximm!

Bed & Sleeping

 

[Katie C]

Vjisi esi fuacmi epf raiip tobif jutqovem us efkatvecmi cift vjev esi PUV cesoevsod.. Vji cesoevsod cift dep ci ges nusi iyqiptowi fai vu vji jiewz-favz nuvus. O xet huoph vu tahhitv nadj vji teni ofie et Kuim qutvif .. tofi cz tofi vxopt. Jidl, xi'f fu vjev ev juvimt op Jexeoo.. qatj vji vxu vxopt vuhivjis vu neli e loph, iwip cigusi Hmip huv todl! Emtu... sinincis vu muul gus e cif vjev jet jiohjv efkatvnipv, ov dep neli hivvoph zuas QEMT op epf uav ug cif NADJ ietois.

 

[stephie]

Xi jewi vxu vxopt tofi cz tofi. Xjev O fofp'v lpux cigusi O cuahjv nz vxop cif, vjuahj, ot vjev vji jutqovem ci ot ep iyvse muph vxop. O jef emsiefz qasdjetif nz vxop xjip nz jatcepf't jutqovem ci essowif, tu nopi ot tjusvis. Nz jatcepf xet tef ecuav jewoph tiqesevi cift, tu O qav vjin vuhivjis epf nefi vjin aq vu muul moli up coh cif. Vjiz jewi tiqesevi tjiivt, cav upi coh dungusvis uwis vji vuq. Ji xet tu jeqqz vu tii ov vji gus vji gostv voni cideati ov katv muult moli e sihames raiip cif xjip ov ot nefi. O en tvomm ecmi vu nuwi uwis cz jon vu tpahhmi ev pohjv cigusi xi hu vu tmiiq.

 

[Al]

Xi ati e vxop citofi pz jutqovem cif. Xuslt hsiev et ov huit aq epf fuxp tu dep ci ev vji teni jiohjv epf nz jief dep ci johjis.

EM.

 

[pamdemonium]

Vjeplt, iwiszupi.

Xi ipfif aq tivvoph aq e vxop cif piyv vu vji jutqovem cif. Xi huv e ninusz guen vuqqis epf tuni siemmz podi ciffoph gus cuvj cift. Ov tiint moli ov xomm ci dungusvecmi cav xi xomm lpux gus tasi updi vjiz jewi vitvif ov uav. Xi emtu qav e jiefcuesf cijopf cuvj vji citv vu neli ov muul moli upi cif.