View Full Version : Electromyograms
ruby ben
05-26-2006, 12:44 PM
Hi - could one of you help clear up something for me. I understand that with your second or third emg whether there is a change or not means something that helps them diagnose. I am having my fourth electromyogram in June and want to prepare my questions. After the last one a year ago, he said he was "leaning towards PLS". When I get home and start reading I have atrophy in one leg and that is not suppose to happen with PLS???...................ruby from vancouver (really surrey)
Hi Ruby. How would you describe the atrophy? Is it a definate wasting where your bad leg looks smaller than the other? Or is it just weaker?
ruby ben
05-26-2006, 03:16 PM
Hi Al - One leg is smaller in circumference from the knee to the ankle. One neuro measured it. The thinner one is about 1 1/4 inches smaller around at mid calf. This happened within the first 6 mons. of my problem (tripping, limping, etc.) There has been no change in size the last three years. When I guess stupidly asked the neo last June, how come my foot sometimes was a different colour from the other - he answered "of course, the muscle is wasting and cannot move the blood"..................ruby
Hmmm. I always thought the heart moved the blood and the muscles didn't have much to do with it. Have you ever seen someone in a chair or a bed totally atrophied by either ALS or Muscular Dystrophy? The blood seems to be moving in them. I think your guy was being a bit simplistic. Sounds like it wasn't a stupid question but you got a stupid answer.
ruby ben
05-27-2006, 11:38 PM
Hi Al - I like your answer and I think you are right!................ruby
I guess all those years reading medical journals weren't wasted. I have a friend that has a kind of similar thing going on with his leg. He limps and has atrophy and the doctors are saying maybe ALS but probably not and he saw a back specialist who said it could be a trapped sciatic nerve so let's do exploratory surgery on your back. He didn't go for that and now hasn't any idea what's wrong with him. Limps ,atrophy,cramps etc. just in one calf so far. Weird.
ruby ben
05-28-2006, 09:48 AM
Hi Al - I'm afraid I also have a couple of other things - right arm does not swing (no big deal but just that it is on my right side) and am loosing my balance. Outside of the house, I feel I am now loosing control os where that right foot is going to land and am quite dotterie (is there such a word?). Like I am walking on two posts.................ruby
Boy you think you got it bad. Wait till tomorrow and I'll tell you a very funny story (now it's funny) about my silieness today. Could have killed myself I guess but God looks after fools and little children. Not sure which category I'm in but I have to think about the proper way to present this story. Stay tuned. I'm sure it will be your chuckle for the day.
