Dear all, my name is Gregory and I am new in this forum. My dad has diagnosed and starting to have the symptoms of Kennedy's disease 10 years ago. He still can walk but his legs are getting weak day by day. He is having flu now and his body become extremely weak without strength to get up from bed or chair. Can anyone help and share with me some experience about Kennedy's disease patients having flu? I really appreciate it. Thank you very much.

Gregory

I don't think there is any special connection between flu and Kennedy's. The issue is he is less capable due to Kennedy's and the flu caused additional weakness to the point where some things are difficult. He'll fully recover back to where he was before the flu most likely.

We have come to refer to these changes in capabilities "slides." We tend to have capabilities at some level for several months or even years, then we slide to the next level down in capability.

The first slide can be addressed by training (how to get out of a chair - "nose over toes") and a avoiding getting ourselves into a position where we can't get up on our own. For example raising the bed so we are closer to standing before we stand up (standing up into a walker (not rollator) helps eventually), using chair with higher seats or cushions - or a stool, using a toilet frame (four feet standing on the floor with arms on each side - toilet elevators never worked for me), getting a shower chair that has a seat height 24-27" (depending on your height), and planning your outings as to distance and seating.

The next slide you may need to address making your car easier to drive and coming up with ways to take a small powerchair with you. Scooters are not great as they are hard to get in and out of if you have to bend your legs. At least for me even a slight bend of the knee while standing sometimes leads to buckling of the leg and falling (broke my leg twice that way.)

Check out some of the other posts on how to deal with weakness.

Dear Bob, thank you very much for sharing advise about dealing with the muscle weakness. We have done most of things you suggested. I am worry about him now because he is totally out of strength. He cannot even sit still by his own. I need to support his back in order for him to sit up. That's why I am asking in this forum about the relationship because flu and the kennedy's disease. I really appreciate your kind reply.

Hi Gregory. For several years any sickness and especially flu was becoming increasingly terrifying. The congestion would force me to mouth breath leading to frequent choking/laryngeal spasm episodes. Which would ruin my sleep increasing my weakness and increasingly frequent hospitalizations with pleurisy/pneumonia. But a year ago last May I began making a series of diet and lifestyle changes which has resulted in a dramatic reduction of my Kennedy's disease symptoms and a wide range of other issues I thought were unrelated. I had a couple minor colds last winter but shook them off quickly and easily.

I've been documenting my journey of recovery in another thread "after decades of decline I'm making rapid gains". It's due for another post, but in brief the past month has been my most rapid yet for gains in lean body mass, strength and performance and I'm still recovering from a knee injury I recently sustained attempting to jog. Before I began this I had great difficulty walking even 50 feet with assistance.

Dear Todd,

Thank you to you also for sharing your experience with me. I really appreciate it. :-)

Roger

Gregory, I'm a little late in responding, but better late than never.

I hope your father has had his flu shot and pneumonia shots/booster. It is important to stay up to date on these immunizations.

Flu can be serious for anyone, especially the elderly and young. Add KD and and another series of issues appear. Phlegm and the ability to clear the lungs becomes more difficult and more important. The coughing can wear anyone down. A person with KD has to be more vigilant. His doctor should be aware of the complications caused by KD and adjust his diagnosis and treatment to compensate.

I'm 70 years old. For the last several years I've adjusted my schedule during flu season. I also tell anyone who has the flu to stay away. It just isn't worth the risk. :-)