chopstick
Member
- Joined
- Dec 19, 2011
- Messages
- 17
- Reason
- Loved one DX
- Country
- US
- State
- TN
- City
- memphis
Hello. I’m 33 years old and I would like your opinion. I’ve been quietly reading for around eight months now. I think it’s great how you guys support each other and offer encouragement to all the twitchy people looking for answers who post on this site. I guess I’m officially one of those people now.
I know once I tell you of my “symptoms” you will tell me to go see a doctor. But I live in China. I have no insurance and I get one free round trip ticket to America a year. This year I had planned on buying a new computer with that money instead of going home, but this week two more things happened that make me wonder if I should go home to see a doctor. I don’t want to waste the opportunity for a new computer if I’m just being silly. That’s where you come in, if you don’t mind. Will you read my tale and tell me if I should come home. I’d like for you to tell me to stay here, that I can wait until next year. I mean, it’s already the middle of June. If I come home it will have to be mid July and I can only stay for two weeks. Is it even possible to make any progress in two weeks? I rarely go to doctors. I don’t get sick, so why go?
Okay, on with my story. I fell down February 2011 and sprained my ankle. I wasn’t running. I was walking. I wasn’t doing Chinese gymnastics. I was just placing one foot in front of the other. I stepped off a sidewalk onto a street and I was on the ground. I have no idea why.
Then in June 2011 the twitches started. I know, I know . . . twitches all over does not a PALS make. At that point I didn’t even know twitches were a symptom. I googled it. (I know! Really! All the inward groans – I Google diagnosed myself!) I didn’t jump to conclusions immediately. But I did pause when I saw ALS on the list of possibilities. My grandmother lost her battle to ALS in January 2011. I started looking into the hereditary bit saw the chances were slim. But I remembered Grandma saying she remembered seeing her mother die the same way, but they didn’t know what it was. Hmmm . . . could it just be Grandma putting two and three together to get four? I called my mom and told her my fingers were twitching. She said hers were, too. It had never occoured to me that what Grandma had could be hereditary. Her neuro told us it attacks people at random. He didn’t mention the hereditary bit. At least, not to me.
Finger twitches turned into fasciculations. I’ve had them for a year now. They were in my back a lot. Then my back went out. It started with the muscles. When I was 30 I had Xrays done and was told I had early degeneration of my spine. The pain went away back then because I stopped bending over when I washed my hair. I guess doing that on a regular basis aggravated my back. But this time I had done nothing to aggravate it. The doctor here told me to lay on my back for three weeks. I did for one. I also had some acupuncture. I was finally able to stand and walk around but even then not for long. My muscles felt like I had been holding a really heavy box for hours and I had to let it go. I had to bend over or sit down for relief. I bought a back brace and wore that for a few months on and off when I had trouble. I know enough from reading that you will tell me that with ALS things don’t get better. I’m just mentioning it to give a complete history. I can’t stand for long periods now. I have to sit down to brush my teeth or wash dishes because any prolonged bending of the back is too much for me.
After the initial wave of fear passed (and please note I didn’t bother you with my fears back then. I didn’t want to waste your time.) I just accepted that none of these things happening to me were ALS, just part of getting older.
Now my ankles are getting weaker. As are my wrists. Sometimes when I turn over in bed and I support myself on my wrists I feel like they are going to break. This week I was standing in my living room and my ankle rolled on me. For no reason. I wasn’t even walking this time. And it was the other ankle. It’s never done that before.
I started playing tennis a few months ago. But as I played, when I would hit the ball the racquet would turn in my hand because I couldn’t hold it tight enough. Because I never played tennis before I don’t know if that’s normal or a sign that my grip is weaker.
When I walk my dog it’s a given that she will pull her leash out of my hand at least once. She’s a medium sized dog.
If I go on an hour long bike ride I have to stay in bed the entire next day due to exhaustion. I feel fine on the ride but the next day I’m just so tired. Again, I’m new to bike riding, so I don’t know if that’s normal.
Last week I felt the fasciculations in my esophagus. This week and especially tonight I have noticed my voice changing. Tonight it sounds like I’ve been sucking helium. I guess that was the final straw. It’s the helium voice that pushed me over the edge. It’s what made me finally bother you guys.
I’m not a doctor person. I don’t take medicine. Before I moved here in 2010 I was put on high blood pressure meds. I changed my diet, lowered my blood pressure naturally and stopped taking the meds. When my back hurt me the first time the doctor just threw a prescription at me and said get used to taking them for the rest of my life. Instead I looked at my daily routine to figure out why all of a sudden my spine would be hurting me. I realized I had recently changed the way I wash my hair, stopped doing it that way and the pain went away. I never took the meds. I tell you this so you will know why I hate the idea of wasting my money to fly around the world to see a doctor who will probably just tell me to take this or that medicine without telling me what’s wrong with me.
So, this is where you come in. Mock me. Tell me I’m one of those paranoid people who looks to Dr. Google. Tell me I should totally stay in China and buy my awesome new computer and wait to come to America until next winter.
Also, what would a visit to a neuro cost? With no insurance. If I can’t afford it I’ll have to stay in China anyway! ☺
Thanks for your time!
I know once I tell you of my “symptoms” you will tell me to go see a doctor. But I live in China. I have no insurance and I get one free round trip ticket to America a year. This year I had planned on buying a new computer with that money instead of going home, but this week two more things happened that make me wonder if I should go home to see a doctor. I don’t want to waste the opportunity for a new computer if I’m just being silly. That’s where you come in, if you don’t mind. Will you read my tale and tell me if I should come home. I’d like for you to tell me to stay here, that I can wait until next year. I mean, it’s already the middle of June. If I come home it will have to be mid July and I can only stay for two weeks. Is it even possible to make any progress in two weeks? I rarely go to doctors. I don’t get sick, so why go?
Okay, on with my story. I fell down February 2011 and sprained my ankle. I wasn’t running. I was walking. I wasn’t doing Chinese gymnastics. I was just placing one foot in front of the other. I stepped off a sidewalk onto a street and I was on the ground. I have no idea why.
Then in June 2011 the twitches started. I know, I know . . . twitches all over does not a PALS make. At that point I didn’t even know twitches were a symptom. I googled it. (I know! Really! All the inward groans – I Google diagnosed myself!) I didn’t jump to conclusions immediately. But I did pause when I saw ALS on the list of possibilities. My grandmother lost her battle to ALS in January 2011. I started looking into the hereditary bit saw the chances were slim. But I remembered Grandma saying she remembered seeing her mother die the same way, but they didn’t know what it was. Hmmm . . . could it just be Grandma putting two and three together to get four? I called my mom and told her my fingers were twitching. She said hers were, too. It had never occoured to me that what Grandma had could be hereditary. Her neuro told us it attacks people at random. He didn’t mention the hereditary bit. At least, not to me.
Finger twitches turned into fasciculations. I’ve had them for a year now. They were in my back a lot. Then my back went out. It started with the muscles. When I was 30 I had Xrays done and was told I had early degeneration of my spine. The pain went away back then because I stopped bending over when I washed my hair. I guess doing that on a regular basis aggravated my back. But this time I had done nothing to aggravate it. The doctor here told me to lay on my back for three weeks. I did for one. I also had some acupuncture. I was finally able to stand and walk around but even then not for long. My muscles felt like I had been holding a really heavy box for hours and I had to let it go. I had to bend over or sit down for relief. I bought a back brace and wore that for a few months on and off when I had trouble. I know enough from reading that you will tell me that with ALS things don’t get better. I’m just mentioning it to give a complete history. I can’t stand for long periods now. I have to sit down to brush my teeth or wash dishes because any prolonged bending of the back is too much for me.
After the initial wave of fear passed (and please note I didn’t bother you with my fears back then. I didn’t want to waste your time.) I just accepted that none of these things happening to me were ALS, just part of getting older.
Now my ankles are getting weaker. As are my wrists. Sometimes when I turn over in bed and I support myself on my wrists I feel like they are going to break. This week I was standing in my living room and my ankle rolled on me. For no reason. I wasn’t even walking this time. And it was the other ankle. It’s never done that before.
I started playing tennis a few months ago. But as I played, when I would hit the ball the racquet would turn in my hand because I couldn’t hold it tight enough. Because I never played tennis before I don’t know if that’s normal or a sign that my grip is weaker.
When I walk my dog it’s a given that she will pull her leash out of my hand at least once. She’s a medium sized dog.
If I go on an hour long bike ride I have to stay in bed the entire next day due to exhaustion. I feel fine on the ride but the next day I’m just so tired. Again, I’m new to bike riding, so I don’t know if that’s normal.
Last week I felt the fasciculations in my esophagus. This week and especially tonight I have noticed my voice changing. Tonight it sounds like I’ve been sucking helium. I guess that was the final straw. It’s the helium voice that pushed me over the edge. It’s what made me finally bother you guys.
I’m not a doctor person. I don’t take medicine. Before I moved here in 2010 I was put on high blood pressure meds. I changed my diet, lowered my blood pressure naturally and stopped taking the meds. When my back hurt me the first time the doctor just threw a prescription at me and said get used to taking them for the rest of my life. Instead I looked at my daily routine to figure out why all of a sudden my spine would be hurting me. I realized I had recently changed the way I wash my hair, stopped doing it that way and the pain went away. I never took the meds. I tell you this so you will know why I hate the idea of wasting my money to fly around the world to see a doctor who will probably just tell me to take this or that medicine without telling me what’s wrong with me.
So, this is where you come in. Mock me. Tell me I’m one of those paranoid people who looks to Dr. Google. Tell me I should totally stay in China and buy my awesome new computer and wait to come to America until next winter.
Also, what would a visit to a neuro cost? With no insurance. If I can’t afford it I’ll have to stay in China anyway! ☺
Thanks for your time!