I am Joyce Williamson
a family member of someone we've lost to ALS,
living with ALS,
someone who cared for a person we've lost to ALS
Delaware
Our decision was to live with ALS not die with it.
My husband was diagnosed October 26, 2018 and passed September 27, 2020. I thank God that he did not have to suffer longer with this disease.
It all started after a hip replacement on his right hip in Feb 2018. A couple months later he started limping but the issue was his left foot drop.
After several appointments and ruling out any other concerns, ALS was the diagnosis. At that point, our decision was to live with ALS not die with it. We did all we could while he was able in 2019.
2020 brought blood clots to his lungs and Covid to everyone. We changed our short term plans but he very quickly didn’t feel up to doing much anyway. He did not want a trach or feeding tube and he never needed either.
He hated every change but kept his spirit up. First, it took his legs, then his arms and hands and any ability to sit up on his own. The last to go was his voice which he really hated to lose but God took him before it was all gone and that was a blessing for him. I feel that this disease robbed him of so much but if this is what he had to have, he went under his terms without lingering with this horrible disease.
