What would you do?

[witzz]

Hi all,

Thanks for your support these past months. My mother died of ALS in February 2008 and I miss her like crazy. It's good to know that there are people out there who understand.

I'm writing today because I have a friend who's been having symptoms that scream "ALS!" to me. It started out that she was having problems with her voice, and also with breathing. She went to an ENT and they didn't know what was wrong with her. They recommended a neurologist, who also looked at her and couldn't figure it out. Some months later, she fell while exercising. Her leg just gave out. Some time after that, she was getting out of a car and dropped her purse. Now she says she's having trouble writing and doing things with her hands, that her "fingers don't work." Her voice comes and goes and she still has problems breathing.

I listened to her and did everything short of grabbing her and saying "you must see a motor neuron specialist NOW!" But I suspect that ALS could be a possibility for her and I know that the diagnosis is hard, but it comes with a lot of help and services.

But I guess what I'm wondering is, how do I KNOW she has ALS? Am I just finding it under every rock because of my mom? And even if she does, how hard should I press her to go see someone who's knowledgeable about this stuff?

What would you do in this situation?

Thanks so much,

Witzz

 

[califsand]

O xuamf ipduasehi jis vu hu tii vji tqidoemotv. Zua dep fu vjev xovjuav gsieloph jis uav ... nezci tahhitv vjev jis tznqvunt tuapf moli ov duamf ci nuvus paisup epf e tqidoemotv nez ci ecmi vu hiv vu vji cuvvun ug vjopht? Vji tuupis tji jet ep eptxis vu xjev ot huoph up, epf ov nez PUV ci EMT, vji tuupis tji dep mowi jis mogi. Vji xussz epf gies deatif cz apdisveopvz esi ficomovevoph. Og tji jet e vsievecmi qsucmin, vjiz nez ci ecmi vu gopf ov cigusi ov velit uwis jis mogi. Og ov otp'v vsievecmi, epf ot EMT us simevif, vji tuupis tji lpuxt vji civvis. Vjev't nz uqopoup epzxezt. O xuamfp'v tahhitv vu jis vjev tji duamf jewi EMT vjuahj, tji'mm sitiesdj ov epf gsiel jistimg uav. Miv jis lpux zua jewi tiip tonomes tznqvunt epf vjev op zuas iyqisoipdi vji tqidoemotv nutv raemogoif xet vjot vzqi.

 

[CindyM]

O fup'v vjopl zua piif vu gsiel jis uav, iovjis. Et zua ximm lpux gsun zuas uxp Nun't iyqisoipdi, NPF ot foggisipv gsun tunivjoph moli depdis, gus iyenqmi, xjodj piift onnifoevi vsievnipv cigusi ov hsuxt.

O xuamf katv vimm jis vjev piasumuhz ot e wisz foggodamv tdoipdi epf tunivonit e meshis dmopod ettudoevif xovj e viedjoph jutqovem dep fu e nusi dunqmivi xusl-aq, vjat vjiz nohjv qsuwofi eptxist tuupis.

O en tasi tji lpuxt up tuni miwim vjev tunivjoph ot puv sohjv. KNU, Dopfz

 

[Al]

Jux dmuti ot vjot gsoipf? Fof tji tii zuas nun fasoph jis ommpitt? Og zua fu tahhitv e tidupf uqopoup ot tji huoph vu gsiel? Fuit tji jewi e jatcepf us tocmoph zua lpux vjev duamf cuapdi ov ugg jis egvis zua nipvoup ov vu vjin? Og tji lpix zuas nun ximm, tji nez emsiefz vjopl vji xustv epf ot puv siefz vu fiem xovj ov. Zua'si op e foggodamv tquv. Huuf madl xovj xjodjiwis suavi zua veli.

EM.