In Loving Memory
Newburgh, Ontario
Date of loss: December 27, 2015
Dad was my hero and my best friend. A strong quiet man that everyone loved. Dad didn't complain a single day during his ALS struggle.
Dad began struggling with eating, coughing excessively during each meal. Dad was an active strong man prior to diagnosis and walked around the village and rode his bike to the next community daily. I had been away for work and returned in time to see Dad's difficulty swallowing and speaking and was saddened to learn Dad had stopped going for long walks and riding his bike. Dad's first appointment was with an Ear Nose Throat Surgeon that sent an urgent referral to a Neurologist. The Neurologist we saw was visiting from Ottawa and he referred Dad to a Neurologist in Kingston. Dad underwent all of the necessary testing and as a family we received the results of an ALS diagnosis. Dad's eating continued to be a problem even though I had taken over making soft easily swallowed food and mixing yogurt into Dad's cereal. Dad told us one day that he had something stuck in his throat. A trip to the Ear Nose Throat Surgeon got us an appointment with a colleague in Kingston. Dad squirmed in the chair as the Doctor popped the obstruction out of Dad's throat. A swallow test was ordered and a report was sent to the Neurologist. Dad's swallow test wasn't surprising, he swallowed yogurt the easiest. The Neurologist called us at home when he got the results of the test and recommended a feeding tube. Dad's concern was would he be able to wear his belt and cut the lawn? Dad had a feeding tube inserted in June. Within a couple of days of being home I rushed Dad back to the hospital with aspirated pneumonia. Dad didn't eat anything by mouth after having the feeding tube inserted. Phlegm was a major problem and Dad had aspirated pneumonia 4 times. Dad lost weight until the feeding solution was changed. During one of Dad's hospitalizations he discovered a suction machine and I discovered an ALS pamphlet. With the assistance of the ALS Society Dad had an Occupational Therapist, Speech Therapist and Nursing come to the house frequently. Dad was loaned a shower chair, a 4 wheel walker and an air seat cushion after he developed a bed sore during an emergency room stay. It took a long time to get the bi-pap machine and unfortunately Dad's lung function had deteriorated by the time it arrived. The ALS Society provided provided much needed help with navigating through each of Dad's hospital visits. Dad saw our family Doctor on December 23rd, a Nurse came to the house December 24th, both listened to Dad's lungs. Monitoring Dad's weight and temperature daily I knew Dad's temperature was a bit higher and told both. Dad slept all of Christmas day. December 26th Dad was taken by ambulance to the hospital and intubated. December 27th we were told Dad's lungs were full of pneumonia and he was septic. Dad was removed from life support and died quietly surrounded by family while I held his hand. Dad's ALS journey was 8 months long. Dad went from being a strong healthy active man to a man that could only walk around one village block, to a man that loved to go for a car ride but could only tolerate 30 minutes, that needed help with dressing, shaving and bathing and he never complained.
Christine Young