The results of this study should not surprise those of us living with Kennedy's Disease, but it is still interesting. The article is well written and easy to understand. The link to the published study is also included in the article.
Respiratory Issues with SBMA

Hi Bruce, Thank you for sharing this. My father had a choking episode this past Tuesday and went unconscious. He was brought to a nearby hospital where he's been struggling ever since. He's already quite weak from his KD and has been completely wheelchair bound for the past few years. They performed a barium swallow test on Wednesday and noted that he should no longer be able to eat regularly and they want to move forward with a GI feeding tube. Through it all his oxygen and carbon dioxide levels have been up and down and he's currently on a bipap because his breathing is so shallow. As with most hospitals, no one here had ever heard of SBMA until now and they only do so much research . We've been trying to explain his situation and the symptoms of the disease but it doesn't seem to mean much to them which is frustrating. Based on what I've read so far of this article and knowing how every time my dad gets sick or takes a big blow like this he loses a great deal of strength and his symptoms worsen it makes sense that his breathing is not getting back to "normal" anymore. It's definitely a scary time for our family and we're just hoping we will be able to take dad back home soon and get out of this hospital, hopefully without needing any major work like a tracheotomy or anything that severe.

I am sorry to hear of your father's issues. If it was me, I would ask your doctor to have a physical therapist come in who has worked with patients with progressive neuromuscular disorders like ALS and/or KD.

There are some breathing exercises and swallowing exercises that might help speed the recovery process. These exercises can be performed several times a day from a chair or bed.

I went through a rough couple of months late last year with choking episodes. I practiced my exercises 2-3 times a day and worked my way out of the problem. Fortunately, choking issues are infrequent again - as long as I remain aware of what I am eating and focus on eating. I also use water to wash down dryer foods like bread.

Let us know how he is doing.