Status
Not open for further replies.

BigFear5

New member
Joined
Jan 27, 2013
Messages
2
Reason
Learn about ALS
Country
US
State
VA
City
Springfield
First and formost I would like to say that to all the people that live with this disease and continue to fight it, your courage and bravery is an inspiration ( and also the caregivers). To all that have lost the lives to this disease, and there loved ones, I'm sorry and prayers to you.

I'm a hypochondriac, that's a given. I'm not the typical hypochondriac, I know a lot of hypochondriacs spend a lot of time at the doctors and stuff like that, I'm the type to say lets hope it's nothing serious, stress out about like crazy, try to distract myself, get better and go back to a normal life. Doctors scare the poop out of me. This all started about a a month ago, I got sick didn't think much of it. Went to doctors said i had bronchitis, gave me my medicine and off I went. Well things got worse a few days into the medicine, a ran a fever for four days. Got mouth sores, fever blisters and just swollen gums and other stuff. Went back to doctors blood work seemed fine said it was viral. At the time I started panicking about all sorts of stuff, I had swollen glands....lymphoma.....leukemia.... Btw they still haven't gone down completely. ( I still have sore throat though and a small cough). ... Let me jump ahead got to get to church soon. I'm dealing with a fear of als, I've read so much about it, I am no expert but I know I have a few things in my favor... I'm 19......it's an uncommon disease and even more uncommon at my age, but its not impossible and it can attack anybody. A couple of other things is I read in the als database 93% of patients in there database our causcians, about 60 are males. I am male, but I am hispanic and as I also read it has a less tendencies in mixed race backgrounds, once again I know it attacks anyone. I could be wrong but that's the als websites I've read not forums. My sysmtoms which I've had is i feel my right arm is weakner than my left, I am right handed, my right leg as well. I have twitches everywhere even in face but not tongue. I also feel my finger movements might be a bit slower in ypmy right hand, strange because Its my domiant hand. First I must say although its my domiant hand, I drive with left, open bottle with left, I had good strength in my left, I do a lot with my left, all I do with right is write, throw and feed myself ( I've i pay to close attention to my right hand I get paranoid). My right leg also feels weaker around the shin area, and let me say again I tore my acl in that right knee two years ago and maybe I relayed I'm my left leg for more support over the past years, now I tore the one in my left so I'm trying to find a balance. My balance seems a bit off, one again when I put to much attention to something I find something wrong. I don't trip or fall I can run but my right leg feels weird only if I really pay attention. I have panick attacks, and high anxiety! I use to sleep fine but since than find myself waking up every two hours or so ( and then I think I have breathing onset). I'm a crazy dude. I think I slur my speech when I read about bulpar onset, I think and I know I have an anxiety problem, I don't want to go to a mental docotor because I believe I can't beat it myself I've done it before. You people just seem so cool and nice, I would like so insight, it seems everytime I read something about als I lay attention to those sysmtoms more than I should, I've already been to the doctor, he did some neck exams, and got blood recommend for thyroid and all other stuff, since my right hand feels shakier than the other. I miss my old life, this hypochondriac thing messes with my personal life, school life and everything else. I don't know where else to vent. I don't want to offend anybody, trust me i just want some peace of mind.
 
You answered your own question. Stay off the internet. Enjoy your life.
 
Thanks. Yes we are cool! What's not cool is you trying to solve your anxiety issues on your own. There's nothing wrong in seeking help from a doctor. There are many options available, including medications, support groups, meditation, counselling. Please don't pass up the opportunity to get better. Also, I know you know... Stay off the Internet. It can be a big black hole. You don't want to bottom out there. Believe me!

I'm off to church now myself. Hope you heed this cool advice. It's the best I have to offer you.
 
I would like to second what Elaine says. Anxiety is a real, brain based condition. It is not "all in your head", but rather "all in your brain". Some people are genetically predisposed to anxiety; others are "wired" for high anxiety by exposure to repeated, stressful events. When we are anxious, we spend a great deal of time worrying about things that MAY happen in the future. However, our brains and bodies can't tell the difference between stressful events that are actually occurring and those events we are just worried MAY happen. Our brain has a reaction either way, and that reaction is a chemical signal that travels to our body to prepare it for "fight or flight". Once our body is activated, all kinds of additional chemicals are released that can cause a variety of strange physical sensations (including twitches!). So . . . for individuals who are anxious about their health, they can interpret all of those weird bodily sensations as symptoms of the very diseases they fear! And their anxiety increases and . . . . well, it's a vicious cycle.

Luckily, anxiety is very treatable with the right therapy and other interventions. One of the best treatments for anxiety is meditation, and numerous studies have shown significant decreases of anxiety reactions in the brains of people who meditate. Aerobic exercise works well too, as it increases activity in a part of the brain that helps to keep our thinking patterns healthy. You are a young person. You don't want to spend your life caught in this anxious, stressful way of being. Life is short. Enjoy it!
 
Thanks!

I still have a few questions,
So you think the right hand tremor/finger weakness
Right leg weakness, with body twitches, as well as the slurred speech and insomia
Can be attributed to my anxiety and my overly obsessive of pay attention to much?
Or the so called " perceived weakness"
Is it possible to have all this in such a short time? I mean it seems rather quickly, I know it can progress quickly.
I mean I can still do mostly all my normal activities.
And you seem like such a great person!
What were some of your symstoms? And how are you doing and your progress?
 
Well, only a doctor can evaluate your physical symptoms and what they may mean . . . my advice was purely meant to help you with your anxiety. Don't be afraid to go to the doctor and let him/her know about your symptoms, and that you tend to worry about your health.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top