Hi Everyone,
I have been away for awhile hoping that I would get better with my husbands diagnosis of ALS. Just when I think I am getting better it seem to hit me like a ton of bricks. He recently had two episodes of something that ended up causing the left side of his face to go numb and some drooping of the cheek and side of his mouth. He said it feels like he has had a shot of novacain from the Dentist and when it came on it was like a nerve dieing out. Now I have been told that numbness is not a typical sign of ALS. The docs want him to go get another MRI to see if something else is going on but he refuses saying he is not going to burden the family with all these bills and that this is just all par for the course. In a way I understand his thinking but I am a nurse and I want him to have the MRI. I don't think these episodes where strokes because it only effected the left side of his face. Usually strokes or TIAs affect a larger portion of the body. But if these are TIAs this could mean a stroke is coming. He was at his Dr office with the first one and his bp was normal. He was at home with the second one that seemed to spread further out and his bp was normal. He still has the numbness and droop. He says he is getting used to the feeling now so it is not so bad. Then I thought maybe it was bulbar palsy. But was told again that numbness is not part of that either. What am I to think? Please help, I think I am going crazy. My mind is in a constant fog. I did go to my Dr for help. He gave me klonipin to help with my anxiety and it does help but it doen't stop me from thinking about this. I want him to go get another work up. By the way he was diagnosed with Diabeties also.
Thanks for listening
Sincerely Pat
I have been away for awhile hoping that I would get better with my husbands diagnosis of ALS. Just when I think I am getting better it seem to hit me like a ton of bricks. He recently had two episodes of something that ended up causing the left side of his face to go numb and some drooping of the cheek and side of his mouth. He said it feels like he has had a shot of novacain from the Dentist and when it came on it was like a nerve dieing out. Now I have been told that numbness is not a typical sign of ALS. The docs want him to go get another MRI to see if something else is going on but he refuses saying he is not going to burden the family with all these bills and that this is just all par for the course. In a way I understand his thinking but I am a nurse and I want him to have the MRI. I don't think these episodes where strokes because it only effected the left side of his face. Usually strokes or TIAs affect a larger portion of the body. But if these are TIAs this could mean a stroke is coming. He was at his Dr office with the first one and his bp was normal. He was at home with the second one that seemed to spread further out and his bp was normal. He still has the numbness and droop. He says he is getting used to the feeling now so it is not so bad. Then I thought maybe it was bulbar palsy. But was told again that numbness is not part of that either. What am I to think? Please help, I think I am going crazy. My mind is in a constant fog. I did go to my Dr for help. He gave me klonipin to help with my anxiety and it does help but it doen't stop me from thinking about this. I want him to go get another work up. By the way he was diagnosed with Diabeties also.
Thanks for listening
Sincerely Pat
