AKmom
Senior member
- Joined
- Jun 2, 2010
- Messages
- 608
- Reason
- DX UMND/PLS
- Diagnosis
- 11/2009
- Country
- US
- State
- Alaska
- City
- Wasilla
how much atrophy does pls'ers get and how quickly? For instance, my hands first started getting cramps about 2 years ago, where anytime I used them like in writing, cutting ect...and they would get stuck in their position and hurt like the dickens. Then I noticed that my dexterity was getting clumbsier. I was dropping things. Then I started getting occasional twitching sometime starting about a year ago. Then they started hurting all the time and itching intensely on occasion, plus everyso often would swell. Then I noticed that I could no longer open jars because if I really pushed it to open it...I would rip up the tendons (and still not open the jar). Then in December a orthopedic doc shows me a dent below my left thumb saying it was atrophy. Within a month of that a dent began to form on the opposite thumb. I can no longer grab a cup using my thumbs. So I have adapted to using the rest of my hand and fingers.
3 days ago I noticed that there were some big divits where my pinky and ring finger knuckles on the back of my hand are. My fingers seem to sort of 'stick' when I bend them at those knuckles but I can still unstick them without any help from my other hand. I can only guess this is atrophy too. The right hand has the same thing happening too but the divits are not as big. The palm on the left is not as 'deep' in the center as the one on the right, and the left has alot more loose skin folds on the palm. Now...from the onset of the actual seeing the 'atrophy' and the more serious weakness its only been 4 months. Does it happen this quickly with PLS?
Just 2 weeks before I head out to the Mayo clinic. I know that they will have answers for me. I guess I am getting a little nerveous about things, although I do try and not think about it. But when I cannot pour juice for my daughter without using both hands to hold the bottle....it gets hard to ignor and not be concerned.
3 days ago I noticed that there were some big divits where my pinky and ring finger knuckles on the back of my hand are. My fingers seem to sort of 'stick' when I bend them at those knuckles but I can still unstick them without any help from my other hand. I can only guess this is atrophy too. The right hand has the same thing happening too but the divits are not as big. The palm on the left is not as 'deep' in the center as the one on the right, and the left has alot more loose skin folds on the palm. Now...from the onset of the actual seeing the 'atrophy' and the more serious weakness its only been 4 months. Does it happen this quickly with PLS?
Just 2 weeks before I head out to the Mayo clinic. I know that they will have answers for me. I guess I am getting a little nerveous about things, although I do try and not think about it. But when I cannot pour juice for my daughter without using both hands to hold the bottle....it gets hard to ignor and not be concerned.