An attainment of an ALS patient's dream to see cherry full blossoms

Abstract

An ALS patient in our hospital had difficulties to communicate because of their progressive deteriorations of speaking and writing. He complained, "Wanna die." and "I would rather die." We tried to talk with a patient using communication software "DENnoSHIN" with a foot-writing sensor. We describe here about DENnoSHIN made not only nurses and wife possible to communicate, but also took a walk to see cherry blossom. Mr. S. M., 77years complained muscle power loss, dysphagia, and dysarthria, those symptoms led diagnosis as ALS at Yamaguchi University Medical School in October 2001. PEG in October 2003, respiratory care after tracheotomy in August 2004. CPAP care at daytime, and SIMV care at night. Before middle of March, he lost his left foot writing because of his lower extremity pain appeared, there after he could not communicate with staff and his wife saying "Wanna die, to be free from this life." We decided to use DENnoSHIN that made us to communicate with him. So we planned to see cherry blossom, as for the first step simulation, we set a portable aspirator for suction sputum on rehabilitation floor, and then he moved in by wheel chair, and tried tracheal sputum suction. On that day of scheduled event, he enjoyed inmates' singing songs and dancing of affiliated nursery school under full cherry blossoms, and his wife felt happy with smiles and saying "We never thought of going out to cherry park hill."