Hi all, Im new here. One year ago in August, my friend and brother inlaw was diagnosed with ALS. 2 weeks ago he was admited to a hospice. He is on a breathing machine and has no use of his limbs. We saw him today and he looks real bad. Forgive my ignorance but how long can he last this way?

John

Welcome to NeuroTalk, John, but sorry for what brings you here.

Forgive MY ignorance, but I have no idea how long a person can last in that situation. How very sad!

John,

I am sorry you are going through this with your friend. ALS is a monster of a disease.

If your BIL is already on a ventilator, he is in a very fragile state. Being on the vent makes him more vulnerable to respiratory infections, so even a cold could be serious. Since he is on hospice, they may or may not choose to treat big infections, and a case of pneumonia could very well cause his death.

On the other hand, if he is stable and avoids infection, he could live much longer. It depends on so many factors.

I am glad hospice is involved. They will be a huge help to you all.

Good luck.