68

We went to the ALS clinic, this time with me in the wheelchair. My weight is maintaining at about 132. They measured my FVC at 68 percent, which is down 10 percent from three months ago. But I don't feel that my breathing is any different. My peak cough flow rate was 400 liters per minute, which seemed to impress them. My inhale force was negative 35, which they thought was pretty bad.

My cognitive screen results were still good, 19 out of 20. My speech intelligibility was 74%, I gather from an overheard comment, although they didn't formally measure that. Three months ago it was 96 percent.

I am going to get a bipap machine which pumps a little extra air into your lungs at night. No, it's not a ventilator, you wear it as a mask.

My wonderful wife took good notes.

These results ought to freak me right out. But they don't. Other than being a little more clumsy and weak, I feel that not much has changed. Think "bottoming out."