Jaci Haakonson has been a caregiver to her husband Ted for ten years now. They were "lucky" in many ways early in Ted's diagnosis, but living with ALS shouldn't be dependent upon luck.
Don and Alice Worden have been married for 42 years. Don is living with ALS, but the couple live their lives to the fullest and enjoy the little things that bring constant love. This is the perfect Valentine's Day love story. <3
It is not unusual to notice the first symptoms of ALS in the arms or legs. There may be only a slight weakness or clumsiness in the affected limb at first and the person with ALS (PALS) may be able to go without orthotics until the weakness progresses to a more noticeable level. However, adaptability, comfort, and independence can be greatly enhanced with the proper orthopedic devices and/or products.
When living with ALS, there may come a time when you’re no longer able to clearly communicate your wishes and decisions will need to be made about your medical care and end-of-life plans. To keep control over these choices and relieve your family members from having to guess what you’d want, you can make decisions ahead of time using advance directives. Learn more.
We recently spoke with George Stevens – husband, father, grandfather, and a person living with ALS. George and his family live in Maine and have been very involved with The ALS Association Northern New England Chapter. Here is what George had to say about his journey with ALS in his own words.