5 gifts that were a hit with my husband, who has ALS

Thinking of gift ideas for my husband, Todd, has always been a challenge — especially since he’s been paralyzed by ALS.

Some of my gifts to him haven’t gotten much use, like a heated jacket that he found too hot. He used it a couple times when we went to hockey games, but he’s not otherwise out in the cold for an extended period.

Nevertheless, I have discovered some winning gifts for Todd, including:

Oversized, long T-shirts keep the bottom of Todd’s back warm while he’s in his wheelchair, and they are more comfortable when he’s being turned in bed at night. Todd is a man of average height, and if he were standing, he would fit nicely in a standard large shirt. But shirts have a tendency to ride up in the back when one sits, so long shirts work better for Todd. Having the shirts oversized makes them easier to get on, and they don’t bunch up around his armpits when he’s being turned at night.

I purchased Duluth Trading Company’s Longtail T shirts online. They are made with quality fabric and are the only shirts he wears.

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Small, light blankets cover Todd’s legs when he’s in his wheelchair. My daughter and I found several light blankets at Walmart, and he uses them nearly every day to cover his bare knees and lower legs. Years ago, Todd switched to using moisture-wicking shorts because they keep his bottom dry and prevent skin breakdown. If he goes out of the house, which is rare these days, we put on snap-up pants. But he typically stays at home in his gym shorts with a lap blanket over his legs.

A massage gun keeps his muscles relaxed. While breaking from the theme of keeping Todd warm, this gift is still about comfort. With ALS, muscles get tight and spastic. We found it helps to have Todd’s nighttime caregivers run the massage gun over his legs after putting him in bed. It helps Todd sleep, and it reduces the muscle fasciculations he typically experiences during the day.

Remote dog treat dispensers are designed for working people who leave their pets at home, but Todd keeps the device a couple feet from his computer, where he sits in his wheelchair. Todd and his dog, Comet, are office mates, and Todd can independently reward Comet for being a good boy by using an app on his phone. I purchased a Wopet dispenser, because it doesn’t require a subscription, and we fill the hopper with Zuke’s mini treats.

Chocolates with memories make the treats 10 times sweeter, according to Todd. For Valentine’s Day last week, I added sentimentality to the box of chocolates I gave him. I typed up and cut out a list of 26 memories and placed one under each chocolate, such as: “Our first date: Alison Krauss,” “Caramel apples in Cedarburg,” and “Taking the kids to the Science Museum of Minnesota.” We are still working our way through the box, and he smiles when he asks me to give him a chocolate and a memory.

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