JasonGoodMeasure
Active member
- Joined
- Oct 2, 2008
- Messages
- 31
- Reason
- Learn about ALS
- Country
- US
- State
- Maryland
- City
- Baltimore
:roll:
Thank you all for being here at this forum, and thank God for the Internet and for the proliferation of information.
Please bear with me as I ask some questions and provide some information about myself.
About me
I’m a Caucasian Male age 31. I’m 5’6” 150lbs. I have four children ages 16 months to eight years. I’m happily married and we are very active in church and volunteerism. I’m a general contractor in the Baltimore area performing renovations. I’ve never been sick except for appendicitis and the usual colds/stomach bugs. But when I was 20 I sustained a very serious head injury that was so severe that I lost my sense of smell. I eat healthy and have always exercised. Between the kids, major renovations on our home, home schooling, employees, customers, bills, and my current health issues I know that I’m experiencing some higher levels of stress then I'm use to.
The beginning of this until now
About this time last year I stopped working and lay down in the middle of the workday. I just couldn’t go on. I immediately scheduled an appointment with a Doctor. I told her about this fatigue as well as some balance and cognitive issues. She ordered some blood tests, an MRI, an EEG and eventually a visit with a neurologist. I was told the blood tests were normal, the EEG was normal, but the MRI showed a small brain legion. The neurologist found nothing.
Even though the Neurologist found nothing, my Dr. suggested that I may have Multiple Sclerosis. She gave me a referral to Johns Hopkins MS department. I wanted a second opinion. Upon the suggestion of a relative I saw a Lymes Disease specialist (board certified MD). He was real good. He found that I have a vitamin D issue (23ng/ml.) The D had fallen to that level since my first test about 6 months prior. All the Lymes tests were negative. He also mentioned that my B12 seemed unusually low at 391 pg/ml. I have been able to raise that to 544 through oral supplements.
I began taking 2000IU of oral Vitamin D each day and within a short period of time I felt much better. My strength returned and the fatigue no longer prevented me from working. But as my fatigue subsided, I noticed other things that may have previously been less important. Things like those funny twitches in my left calf, they had begun to appear in my right calf as well. I noticed an increased soreness and slight weakness as well as coordination and balance issues. Recently I’ve noticed that just about every muscle in my body either cramps or feels like it’s about to spaz at one time or another on any given day.
Some Questions
Has anyone heard of the babinski’s sign? I tried searching for it in this forum and had no success. The reason I ask is I’ve heard that people with ALS show a positive. I do not have a positive babinski’s sign and as far as I can tell there is no clonus.
How about reflexes? Two Drs. have told me that I have normal reflexes. How important are reflexes in the findings? When do they change in people with ALS?
Does anyone know of other possibilities? I’ve had these fasciculation’s that started constantly firing about a year ago in my left calf almost unnoticeable. Now they are in both calves and they are very pronounced. I also have inconsistent twitches in my upper legs, stomach, arms, and now in my face that is accompanied by some weakness. I’ve had a hoarseness and acute pain in my throat that has lasted for over 6 weeks.
Some other issues that have developed
Increased nearsightedness and multiplying floaters
Testicular Microlithiasis – Painful
Short term memory and concentration issues – may be from stress
Mercury levels at 12.9 Ugl – EPA says 58 Ugl is safe
Sinusitis – Showed up in the MRI
I seem to have hypoglycemia
One Dr. told me that my thyroid was slightly enlarged but THS was normal
Inconsistent joint pain – Hip, elbow, heel
There are other minor things.
Thanks in advance.
Jason
Thank you all for being here at this forum, and thank God for the Internet and for the proliferation of information.
Please bear with me as I ask some questions and provide some information about myself.
About me
I’m a Caucasian Male age 31. I’m 5’6” 150lbs. I have four children ages 16 months to eight years. I’m happily married and we are very active in church and volunteerism. I’m a general contractor in the Baltimore area performing renovations. I’ve never been sick except for appendicitis and the usual colds/stomach bugs. But when I was 20 I sustained a very serious head injury that was so severe that I lost my sense of smell. I eat healthy and have always exercised. Between the kids, major renovations on our home, home schooling, employees, customers, bills, and my current health issues I know that I’m experiencing some higher levels of stress then I'm use to.
The beginning of this until now
About this time last year I stopped working and lay down in the middle of the workday. I just couldn’t go on. I immediately scheduled an appointment with a Doctor. I told her about this fatigue as well as some balance and cognitive issues. She ordered some blood tests, an MRI, an EEG and eventually a visit with a neurologist. I was told the blood tests were normal, the EEG was normal, but the MRI showed a small brain legion. The neurologist found nothing.
Even though the Neurologist found nothing, my Dr. suggested that I may have Multiple Sclerosis. She gave me a referral to Johns Hopkins MS department. I wanted a second opinion. Upon the suggestion of a relative I saw a Lymes Disease specialist (board certified MD). He was real good. He found that I have a vitamin D issue (23ng/ml.) The D had fallen to that level since my first test about 6 months prior. All the Lymes tests were negative. He also mentioned that my B12 seemed unusually low at 391 pg/ml. I have been able to raise that to 544 through oral supplements.
I began taking 2000IU of oral Vitamin D each day and within a short period of time I felt much better. My strength returned and the fatigue no longer prevented me from working. But as my fatigue subsided, I noticed other things that may have previously been less important. Things like those funny twitches in my left calf, they had begun to appear in my right calf as well. I noticed an increased soreness and slight weakness as well as coordination and balance issues. Recently I’ve noticed that just about every muscle in my body either cramps or feels like it’s about to spaz at one time or another on any given day.
Some Questions
Has anyone heard of the babinski’s sign? I tried searching for it in this forum and had no success. The reason I ask is I’ve heard that people with ALS show a positive. I do not have a positive babinski’s sign and as far as I can tell there is no clonus.
How about reflexes? Two Drs. have told me that I have normal reflexes. How important are reflexes in the findings? When do they change in people with ALS?
Does anyone know of other possibilities? I’ve had these fasciculation’s that started constantly firing about a year ago in my left calf almost unnoticeable. Now they are in both calves and they are very pronounced. I also have inconsistent twitches in my upper legs, stomach, arms, and now in my face that is accompanied by some weakness. I’ve had a hoarseness and acute pain in my throat that has lasted for over 6 weeks.
Some other issues that have developed
Increased nearsightedness and multiplying floaters
Testicular Microlithiasis – Painful
Short term memory and concentration issues – may be from stress
Mercury levels at 12.9 Ugl – EPA says 58 Ugl is safe
Sinusitis – Showed up in the MRI
I seem to have hypoglycemia
One Dr. told me that my thyroid was slightly enlarged but THS was normal
Inconsistent joint pain – Hip, elbow, heel
There are other minor things.
Thanks in advance.
Jason