Living with ALS 2

pete46 (Mar 8, 2010 7:59:36 PM)
(This user has entered Living with ALS 2)

Jim_VA (Mar 8, 2010 8:06:57 PM)
(This user has entered Living with ALS 2)

pete46 (Mar 8, 2010 8:07:07 PM)
hi jim

westjlittle (Mar 8, 2010 8:07:50 PM)
(This user has entered Living with ALS 2)

pete46 (Mar 8, 2010 8:08:03 PM)
hi jim

westjlittle (Mar 8, 2010 8:08:27 PM)
hi guys

pete46 (Mar 8, 2010 8:08:42 PM)
how are you doing?

westjlittle (Mar 8, 2010 8:10:01 PM)
still here but had real poo today! 47 days

Jim_VA (Mar 8, 2010 8:10:25 PM)
hi jim and pete

pete46 (Mar 8, 2010 8:10:40 PM)
well the real poo is encouraging :)

pete46 (Mar 8, 2010 8:11:04 PM)
and ins is covering the nurse team again?

westjlittle (Mar 8, 2010 8:11:31 PM)
yes

westjlittle (Mar 8, 2010 8:11:42 PM)
My wife basically said she can not handle my care and we must have professionals

pete46 (Mar 8, 2010 8:12:24 PM)
professionals to help your wife

westjlittle (Mar 8, 2010 8:13:58 PM)
to care for me,

pete46 (Mar 8, 2010 8:15:25 PM)
still working

westjlittle (Mar 8, 2010 8:15:49 PM)
I said it is cheaper to hire nanny but she is scared to death

pete46 (Mar 8, 2010 8:16:07 PM)
wife?

westjlittle (Mar 8, 2010 8:16:15 PM)
yes

pete46 (Mar 8, 2010 8:17:02 PM)
i can imagine alhough once she gets the hang of things, i am sure she will be fine

pete46 (Mar 8, 2010 8:18:34 PM)
did you put together the care team?

westjlittle (Mar 8, 2010 8:18:42 PM)
She is not willing to try at this point

pete46 (Mar 8, 2010 8:18:55 PM)
thats understandable

pete46 (Mar 8, 2010 8:19:11 PM)
has she received training?

Jim_VA (Mar 8, 2010 8:19:28 PM)
train your dad and mom

westjlittle (Mar 8, 2010 8:20:36 PM)
I can afford it for a little while but not for long enough

pete46 (Mar 8, 2010 8:20:57 PM)
very expensive, i thought ins was paying?

westjlittle (Mar 8, 2010 8:21:13 PM)
they are on board

pete46 (Mar 8, 2010 8:22:42 PM)
thats good

westjlittle (Mar 8, 2010 8:23:16 PM)
inswont pay for everMy read of plan features suggests only 60 days peryear

pete46 (Mar 8, 2010 8:23:51 PM)
thats not very good

Jim_VA (Mar 8, 2010 8:24:45 PM)
there will be times that your help won't show

westjlittle (Mar 8, 2010 8:25:04 PM)
If I can't work and go on medicare there is no benefit from the government

pete46 (Mar 8, 2010 8:25:33 PM)
so what options do you have?

CRIS (Mar 8, 2010 8:25:51 PM)
(This user has entered Living with ALS 2)

pete46 (Mar 8, 2010 8:25:59 PM)
hi cris

CRIS (Mar 8, 2010 8:26:09 PM)
hi all...I finally made it...lol

pete46 (Mar 8, 2010 8:26:28 PM)
lol

CRIS (Mar 8, 2010 8:26:50 PM)
how is everyone tonight?

pete46 (Mar 8, 2010 8:26:59 PM)
i;m good thanks

Jim_VA (Mar 8, 2010 8:26:59 PM)
hi cris]

westjlittle (Mar 8, 2010 8:27:27 PM)
private Private pay until qualify for medicaid

pete46 (Mar 8, 2010 8:27:59 PM)
will medicaid pay if you have it?

Jim_VA (Mar 8, 2010 8:28:16 PM)
good ty how are you

westjlittle (Mar 8, 2010 8:28:25 PM)
yes

pete46 (Mar 8, 2010 8:28:45 PM)
ut you have to be broke to get it?

westjlittle (Mar 8, 2010 8:28:56 PM)
yes

pete46 (Mar 8, 2010 8:28:57 PM)
or close to it

pete46 (Mar 8, 2010 8:29:26 PM)
and income has to be real low?

westjlittle (Mar 8, 2010 8:29:36 PM)
yes

CRIS (Mar 8, 2010 8:29:48 PM)
I am OK

pete46 (Mar 8, 2010 8:30:26 PM)
i am trying to get it now, different for nursing home eligibility

pete46 (Mar 8, 2010 8:31:25 PM)
not sure about colorado but mass allows you to put assets in a pooled trust and is not counted for medicaid eligibility

Jim_VA (Mar 8, 2010 8:31:46 PM)
good cris

pete46 (Mar 8, 2010 8:32:14 PM)
you can use it as you wish as long as its spent on you. if anything left when you die, medicaid gets it

CRIS (Mar 8, 2010 8:32:43 PM)
not here in California....a single person can only have $2000 in assets

pete46 (Mar 8, 2010 8:34:24 PM)
in mass a single person can only have $2000 in assets too, but can have unlimited assets in the pooled trust that doesnt count

pete46 (Mar 8, 2010 8:35:12 PM)
brb

westjlittle (Mar 8, 2010 8:36:45 PM)
Colorado allows person to have only 2000 plus a per month income a home a car spouse can have 100 k

Jim_VA (Mar 8, 2010 8:37:58 PM)
jim i am sure we can train your mom

pete46 (Mar 8, 2010 8:38:26 PM)
back

CRIS (Mar 8, 2010 8:38:43 PM)
when are you going home, jim w?

Jim_VA (Mar 8, 2010 8:39:13 PM)
wb

pete46 (Mar 8, 2010 8:39:39 PM)
ty

westjlittle (Mar 8, 2010 8:40:19 PM)
i dont know

CRIS (Mar 8, 2010 8:40:39 PM)
ok....brb...gonna make me a sandwich

westjlittle (Mar 8, 2010 8:42:18 PM)
jim do you have paid help?

Jim_VA (Mar 8, 2010 8:43:30 PM)
we don't do everything by the book

pete46 (Mar 8, 2010 8:44:13 PM)
i have a health care aide that comes in 3 times a week and a pt that sees me once a week ins pays

westjlittle (Mar 8, 2010 8:44:21 PM)
that was Y/N question

pete46 (Mar 8, 2010 8:44:36 PM)
y

Jim_VA (Mar 8, 2010 8:45:04 PM)
yes now 3 days a week

westjlittle (Mar 8, 2010 8:45:40 PM)
what skill level?

westjlittle (Mar 8, 2010 8:46:11 PM)
nurse, CNA, other

Jim_VA (Mar 8, 2010 8:47:18 PM)
none for 3 or 4 years

Jim_VA (Mar 8, 2010 8:48:07 PM)
retired rn

westjlittle (Mar 8, 2010 8:49:24 PM)
Can you email me what they do and how you pay them

Jim_VA (Mar 8, 2010 8:53:10 PM)
she worked in the or heart in orlando no problem

westjlittle (Mar 8, 2010 8:53:26 PM)
I am alI for hiring our own people -- there would be difficulties but it would be cheaper in the long run

westjlittle (Mar 8, 2010 8:55:17 PM)
I am sure the CNAs around here would do some extra work on the side

Jim_VA (Mar 8, 2010 8:57:01 PM)
when she came here we had to train her

westjlittle (Mar 8, 2010 8:58:43 PM)
sure

Jim_VA (Mar 8, 2010 9:00:28 PM)
she said i can dial 911'

westjlittle (Mar 8, 2010 9:00:32 PM)
my dad just came signing off'

westjlittle (Mar 8, 2010 9:01:06 PM)
(This user has left DigiChat)

CRIS (Mar 8, 2010 9:02:29 PM)
back

pete46 (Mar 8, 2010 9:03:13 PM)
wb cris

pete46 (Mar 8, 2010 9:03:32 PM)
jim w just signed off, his dad came for visit

CRIS (Mar 8, 2010 9:03:53 PM)
ty...oh, that is nice that he got a visitor

pete46 (Mar 8, 2010 9:04:02 PM)
yes

AmberB (Mar 8, 2010 9:04:44 PM)
(This user has entered Living with ALS 2)

riley04 (Mar 8, 2010 9:04:52 PM)
(This user has entered Living with ALS 2)

pete46 (Mar 8, 2010 9:05:00 PM)
hi amber

pete46 (Mar 8, 2010 9:05:04 PM)
hi riley

AmberB (Mar 8, 2010 9:05:07 PM)
hi

pete46 (Mar 8, 2010 9:05:15 PM)
how are you?

CRIS (Mar 8, 2010 9:05:24 PM)
hi amber

riley04 (Mar 8, 2010 9:05:31 PM)
hi sorry i missed the mito chat

pete46 (Mar 8, 2010 9:05:59 PM)
well this is the als chat, youre welcome to join us

riley04 (Mar 8, 2010 9:06:05 PM)
(This user has left DigiChat)

AmberB (Mar 8, 2010 9:06:13 PM)
(This user has moved to Mitochondrial Chat)

pete46 (Mar 8, 2010 9:06:34 PM)
oh well

AmberB (Mar 8, 2010 9:06:43 PM)
(This user has entered Living with ALS 2)

pete46 (Mar 8, 2010 9:06:55 PM)
wb amber

AmberB (Mar 8, 2010 9:07:15 PM)
new to the mda site and chat. still figuring it out]

CRIS (Mar 8, 2010 9:07:32 PM)
how are you tonight, amber?

pete46 (Mar 8, 2010 9:07:32 PM)
how is the weather in california cris

AmberB (Mar 8, 2010 9:07:32 PM)
still getting used to mda site and chat

CRIS (Mar 8, 2010 9:07:56 PM)
it seems to be lagging

AmberB (Mar 8, 2010 9:08:04 PM)
good. i noticed that too

AmberB (Mar 8, 2010 9:08:22 PM)
how are you guys?

CRIS (Mar 8, 2010 9:08:23 PM)
where are you from, amber....california here

AmberB (Mar 8, 2010 9:08:30 PM)
idaho

pete46 (Mar 8, 2010 9:08:42 PM)
im good and from massachusetts

Jim_VA (Mar 8, 2010 9:08:46 PM)
the only one we didn't have to train is Emma]

CRIS (Mar 8, 2010 9:09:03 PM)
what form of MD do you have, amber?

AmberB (Mar 8, 2010 9:09:17 PM)
my mom has MG, and my kids have mito

AmberB (Mar 8, 2010 9:09:36 PM)
among other things.

pete46 (Mar 8, 2010 9:09:44 PM)
sorry to hear that

pete46 (Mar 8, 2010 9:09:51 PM)
what is MG?

AmberB (Mar 8, 2010 9:09:56 PM)
myasthenia gravis

pete46 (Mar 8, 2010 9:10:04 PM)
ok

pete46 (Mar 8, 2010 9:10:21 PM)
how many kids do you have?

CRIS (Mar 8, 2010 9:10:26 PM)
how old are your kids?

AmberB (Mar 8, 2010 9:10:38 PM)
4. girls age 7,6,6,5

pete46 (Mar 8, 2010 9:10:56 PM)
wow thats a handful

CRIS (Mar 8, 2010 9:11:27 PM)
they must keep you very busy

AmberB (Mar 8, 2010 9:12:21 PM)
yep. oldest has arthrogryposis and amyoplasia and more. one of the twins is armless, one has a right brain disorder, so I am very busy

AmberB (Mar 8, 2010 9:12:29 PM)
you guys have kids?

pete46 (Mar 8, 2010 9:13:07 PM)
i have 5 and 9 grandkids, 1 great grandkid

CRIS (Mar 8, 2010 9:13:41 PM)
no children here

AmberB (Mar 8, 2010 9:13:48 PM)
cool. i should go help get them to bed. ttyl

AmberB (Mar 8, 2010 9:14:05 PM)
(This user has left DigiChat)

pete46 (Mar 8, 2010 9:14:18 PM)
she has her hands full

CRIS (Mar 8, 2010 9:14:25 PM)
understatement

pete46 (Mar 8, 2010 9:14:40 PM)
i'm really not familiar with the disorders she mentioned

pete46 (Mar 8, 2010 9:14:56 PM)
i think paper has mitochondria

CRIS (Mar 8, 2010 9:15:27 PM)
me neither...I wonder if paper knows her?

pete46 (Mar 8, 2010 9:16:13 PM)
paper left a message on yahoo im asking for visitors to the mitochondria chat room

CRIS (Mar 8, 2010 9:16:56 PM)
there is no one there

pete46 (Mar 8, 2010 9:17:49 PM)
i left messages for new members of plm, with the link to this chat room hoping to get more visitors but nothing yet

CRIS (Mar 8, 2010 9:18:39 PM)
I wonder why....maybe they feel safe at the plm website

CRIS (Mar 8, 2010 9:19:48 PM)
can you chat there?

pete46 (Mar 8, 2010 9:20:19 PM)
this site is harder to access, there is another als site called jeannies chat room, much easier to get onto

pete46 (Mar 8, 2010 9:20:44 PM)
and usually a good crowd there weekdays afternoons.

pete46 (Mar 8, 2010 9:21:08 PM)
no you cant chat in plm, but forum discussions

CRIS (Mar 8, 2010 9:21:16 PM)
I know...you got to get a password here and it is kind of complicated

CRIS (Mar 8, 2010 9:21:34 PM)
what time is jeannies chat room?

pete46 (Mar 8, 2010 9:21:55 PM)
and you have to submit your username and wait until the next day for an email confirmation

pete46 (Mar 8, 2010 9:22:09 PM)
jeannies is open 24/7

CRIS (Mar 8, 2010 9:22:15 PM)
I know

pete46 (Mar 8, 2010 9:22:35 PM)
and you need up to date java here

pete46 (Mar 8, 2010 9:23:13 PM)
at jeannies just go there, type in a username and hit the login button

CRIS (Mar 8, 2010 9:23:30 PM)
is it just for ALS patients?

pete46 (Mar 8, 2010 9:23:44 PM)
and caregivers from what i can see

CRIS (Mar 8, 2010 9:24:18 PM)
do you go often?

pete46 (Mar 8, 2010 9:24:22 PM)
a fellow named kurt is there every afternoon during the week

pete46 (Mar 8, 2010 9:24:35 PM)
i go there quite a bit

pete46 (Mar 8, 2010 9:25:19 PM)
if at my computer in the afternoon i can chat there and do something else on other monitor

CRIS (Mar 8, 2010 9:26:09 PM)
how are your Mafia Wars coming along on Facebook?

pete46 (Mar 8, 2010 9:26:17 PM)
from what they tell me they used to get a real big crowd there, 12 to 15 people at a time

pete46 (Mar 8, 2010 9:26:50 PM)
ok, just a way to pass the time, i still dont really understand it

CRIS (Mar 8, 2010 9:26:51 PM)
how many now?

pete46 (Mar 8, 2010 9:27:00 PM)
how many what

pete46 (Mar 8, 2010 9:27:08 PM)
chatters?

CRIS (Mar 8, 2010 9:27:11 PM)
how many people go to the chat room

CRIS (Mar 8, 2010 9:27:27 PM)
now

pete46 (Mar 8, 2010 9:27:35 PM)
quite a few of course not everyone goes every day

CRIS (Mar 8, 2010 9:27:55 PM)
next time you go, let me know....ok?

pete46 (Mar 8, 2010 9:28:14 PM)
but there is usually 4 to 8 people on it weekdays afternoon

pete46 (Mar 8, 2010 9:29:12 PM)
quite a few from outside usa on it, it was started by a gal from england

CRIS (Mar 8, 2010 9:30:06 PM)
thats good

pete46 (Mar 8, 2010 9:30:39 PM)
people from spain, germany, new zealand, a lot from england and of course lots from different parts of usa

CRIS (Mar 8, 2010 9:31:43 PM)
do you ever ask them why they don't come over here to our website?

pete46 (Mar 8, 2010 9:32:24 PM)
kurt, the fellow thats there everyday, has no movement, can only talk and move his eyes. he has a caregiver that types for him

CRIS (Mar 8, 2010 9:32:44 PM)
where is he from?

pete46 (Mar 8, 2010 9:32:54 PM)
wisconsin

pete46 (Mar 8, 2010 9:33:00 PM)
milwakee

pete46 (Mar 8, 2010 9:33:07 PM)
milwaukee

pete46 (Mar 8, 2010 9:33:39 PM)
he hasnt been out of his house in 5 years

pete46 (Mar 8, 2010 9:33:49 PM)
he has hospice come

pete46 (Mar 8, 2010 9:34:09 PM)
and is on bipap 24/7

CRIS (Mar 8, 2010 9:34:33 PM)
that is like our friend, Glen...he hasn't been out of bed for 12 years....his parents and nurses take care of him

pete46 (Mar 8, 2010 9:34:57 PM)
can he still talk, eat, breathe?

Jim_VA (Mar 8, 2010 9:35:04 PM)
does Clare still attend

pete46 (Mar 8, 2010 9:35:29 PM)
once in a while he is there, he is on facebook quite a bit

CRIS (Mar 8, 2010 9:36:15 PM)
Glen cannot talk, eats thru tubes and on vent, but has the best attitude about things

pete46 (Mar 8, 2010 9:36:30 PM)
does he have als?

CRIS (Mar 8, 2010 9:37:29 PM)
no, I believe he has Beckers and maybe something else....he was bedridden when he got pneumonia about 12 years ago....was in wheelchair since young

pete46 (Mar 8, 2010 9:37:44 PM)
how old is he?

CRIS (Mar 8, 2010 9:38:02 PM)
maybe 44

pete46 (Mar 8, 2010 9:39:03 PM)
we used to get more at this site but has really slowed down the past few months

CRIS (Mar 8, 2010 9:39:11 PM)
I got him started on yahoo messenger, now I hardly see him....he has gathered a bunch of friends and says hello to me every once in a while

pete46 (Mar 8, 2010 9:39:31 PM)
is he able to type?

CRIS (Mar 8, 2010 9:39:52 PM)
I think so, but I may be wrong

pete46 (Mar 8, 2010 9:40:17 PM)
is that what cary has?

CRIS (Mar 8, 2010 9:40:50 PM)
not sure

pete46 (Mar 8, 2010 9:45:17 PM)
i'm not sure either i know ive talked to someone with beckers

Jim_VA (Mar 8, 2010 9:46:29 PM)
how about libby

CRIS (Mar 8, 2010 9:46:38 PM)
there use to be someone who came to chat named Budmello, but he does not come any more

pete46 (Mar 8, 2010 9:47:25 PM)
no libby isnt there, shes on plm forum quite a bit though

CRIS (Mar 8, 2010 9:56:17 PM)
well friends, it was nice chatting with you....hope to see you soon....good nite

pete46 (Mar 8, 2010 9:56:34 PM)
good nite cris

pete46 (Mar 8, 2010 9:56:50 PM)
i am signing off too as its that time

pete46 (Mar 8, 2010 9:57:03 PM)
bye jim, chat again on wednesday

CRIS (Mar 8, 2010 9:57:09 PM)
ok...good nite all

CRIS (Mar 8, 2010 9:57:14 PM)
(This user has left DigiChat)

pete46 (Mar 8, 2010 9:57:16 PM)
(This user has left DigiChat)

Jim_VA (Mar 8, 2010 9:58:16 PM)
(This user has left DigiChat)