Nutrition: Weight Loss
Calories are very important for everyone and more so when you are living with a disease. I recommend weighing yourself at least once a week. If you begin to loss weight, it is frequently due to a subtle, and likely unnoticed, decrease in the amount of food you eat. Some people with ALS will develop weakness of the swallowing muscles. At first, you might notice that it takes longer to eat, or that it is more difficult to chew or to get the food from your mouth into your throat. This increase in effort often results in eating less, even though you do not realize it. On the other hand, you may have unexpected episodes of choking. This is dangerous and very frightening. It is very important not to deny to yourself, to your family or to your doctor that this is happening. There are things you can do about this. If you do not, there is a chance that you might seriously choke and not recover. The best advice we received throughout this disease is to be prepared for what may happen. In addition, a great resource is a booklet called Meals published by the Muscular Dystrophy Association. Visit their website for more information about obtaining this helpful resource.

1. First, you will need a suction machine. Your doctor can write a prescription and a respiratory therapy company can supply the suction machine and all the "stuff" that goes with it: Suction canister, tubing, suction catheters, yankaur suctioning tubes, a yankaur, etc. The respiratory company will also teach you how to use the suction machine and how to take care of the equipment (cleaning, disinfecting, re-ordering parts). Having a suction machine on hand gave us a peace of mind. My wife could suction out anything I may have choked on as my swallowing became weaker.
2. Be educated on feeding tubes and prepared for that step before you lose too much weight, begin to aspirate foods or liquids and/or become dehydrated.