Murph916
New member
- Joined
- Jun 24, 2013
- Messages
- 1
- Reason
- Learn about ALS
- Country
- US
- State
- KY
- City
- Ashland
Hello. Peace to you all. I am, like everyone else, just looking for opinion. I am a 34 yof, paramedic, not a doctor, nurse or survivor of any long term illness. I, like most medical professionals, look to the Internet vs going to a doctor (mainly bc of too much information, over rationalizing, and stubbornness). But before you judge me, know its people like me who wait until the last minute to seek medical help or advice, bc the last thing we want in our file is a medical related complaint that may or may not effect our job/job description. This leads many of us to seek info online first, and follow up later, if ever. I pray you understand that.
I have a physician I see when needed (every two years or so- never regularly, I can easily get a script for an antibiotic while on duty and have a habit of putting off things that wont immediately kill me) but we don't have a great relationship bc I don't utilize her like I should. She is nice and knowledgeable and patient proactive though. Getting ready to set up a much needed past due visit. I have a concern I'd like to tell her about but I'd like input from actual people who live with diseases/disorders before I do so. I feel my worrisome symptoms wont end my life tomorrow so it isn't of great importance to tell the doctor.
I have a few vague issues going on. Some of them have slowly become worse or more noticeable while others are intermittent and show up when they please. I guess I am more/less trying to figure out if they are a figment of my imagination and/or ruling out ALS/MS or if I'm a hypochondriac. Which I here call on the experts advice, you, the patient.
My HX: sedentary, smoker, regular drinker. I'm not fat, but could stand to lose about 20 lbs. high stress (custody battle) in the past 3 months. No major medical history or family medical history other than significant Alzheimer's. No medication other than OTC for chronic headaches/live able low back pain (injury in childhood). Have utilized chiro care in the past for neck/back pain from work related issues but am now not working in EMS and stay at home mom (2 years). Again, I'm not looking for a DX and understand stress can mimic many issues; I'm just looking for advice on what to bring up to my doc when I see her soon.
When I worked EMS full time my body always ached. ESP back and neck. No other body parts effected to my knowledge. In the past year or so I have noticed a weakness forming in my left hand (I am right handed). I can easily attribute this to a neck or arm/nerve issue if needed. The past little while, I have noticed the weakness increasing, and now including my wrist and lower forearm. There is no pain, no tingling, no numbness. It feels as if I've had a cast on my wrist and its recently been removed. Or, and I don't know exactly how one feels and I hate to say this, but it's my personal perception... If a person has CP effecting their one arm/hand, the weakness they 'look' like they feel, the look of 'inability to use the limb', that is how I would describe it. Like the arm exists, but you have to make it function. And I can make it function... I can still unscrew, I can still open/close, I can still hold items. The arm/hand/wrist just feels noticeably weaker when doing so. I know there is an ulnar nerve issue that can cause this as well. Other than swollen digits (in both hands) and constant popping of my knuckles/fingers/wrists as they always feel stiff, nothing else has my attention in the upper limbs other than occasional bicep twitches.
I do have many sporadic muscle twitches across my body. Mainly in one muscle in my back, either eye and in my thumb. Occasionally it will happen in a thigh but that is very rare. I am chronically exhausted but i also have Epstein Barr from childhood Mono.
I have experienced episodes, and I say episodes as in come and go, lasting a few weeks-month and then leaving for a few months... Of tripping, dropped foot, dropping items from my hands, unable to form appropriate words and effective sentences, can't fully grasp an object and hold on to it (both hands)' significant vision problems (blurred vision, halo vision, depleted peripheral vision), mood swings... But those all come and go. Usually every few months they show up together and disperse together, only to show up again together.
I know that many of these can and are stress related. Before the past 3 months I had no stress, emotionally, but of course with the job, it was always physical and mental stress. I am not above saying these issues are the result of stress. I guess my main concern is I was used to the intermittent issues I lastly described, but this new issue of the hand/wrist/forearm weakness has me concerned. Like I said, I see my doc soon... As survivors, do you suggest I mention this and what is your opinion? I'm a medical professional that deals with emergency, not ongoing issues. I am confused.
Thank you for your time. God Bless.
I have a physician I see when needed (every two years or so- never regularly, I can easily get a script for an antibiotic while on duty and have a habit of putting off things that wont immediately kill me) but we don't have a great relationship bc I don't utilize her like I should. She is nice and knowledgeable and patient proactive though. Getting ready to set up a much needed past due visit. I have a concern I'd like to tell her about but I'd like input from actual people who live with diseases/disorders before I do so. I feel my worrisome symptoms wont end my life tomorrow so it isn't of great importance to tell the doctor.
I have a few vague issues going on. Some of them have slowly become worse or more noticeable while others are intermittent and show up when they please. I guess I am more/less trying to figure out if they are a figment of my imagination and/or ruling out ALS/MS or if I'm a hypochondriac. Which I here call on the experts advice, you, the patient.
My HX: sedentary, smoker, regular drinker. I'm not fat, but could stand to lose about 20 lbs. high stress (custody battle) in the past 3 months. No major medical history or family medical history other than significant Alzheimer's. No medication other than OTC for chronic headaches/live able low back pain (injury in childhood). Have utilized chiro care in the past for neck/back pain from work related issues but am now not working in EMS and stay at home mom (2 years). Again, I'm not looking for a DX and understand stress can mimic many issues; I'm just looking for advice on what to bring up to my doc when I see her soon.
When I worked EMS full time my body always ached. ESP back and neck. No other body parts effected to my knowledge. In the past year or so I have noticed a weakness forming in my left hand (I am right handed). I can easily attribute this to a neck or arm/nerve issue if needed. The past little while, I have noticed the weakness increasing, and now including my wrist and lower forearm. There is no pain, no tingling, no numbness. It feels as if I've had a cast on my wrist and its recently been removed. Or, and I don't know exactly how one feels and I hate to say this, but it's my personal perception... If a person has CP effecting their one arm/hand, the weakness they 'look' like they feel, the look of 'inability to use the limb', that is how I would describe it. Like the arm exists, but you have to make it function. And I can make it function... I can still unscrew, I can still open/close, I can still hold items. The arm/hand/wrist just feels noticeably weaker when doing so. I know there is an ulnar nerve issue that can cause this as well. Other than swollen digits (in both hands) and constant popping of my knuckles/fingers/wrists as they always feel stiff, nothing else has my attention in the upper limbs other than occasional bicep twitches.
I do have many sporadic muscle twitches across my body. Mainly in one muscle in my back, either eye and in my thumb. Occasionally it will happen in a thigh but that is very rare. I am chronically exhausted but i also have Epstein Barr from childhood Mono.
I have experienced episodes, and I say episodes as in come and go, lasting a few weeks-month and then leaving for a few months... Of tripping, dropped foot, dropping items from my hands, unable to form appropriate words and effective sentences, can't fully grasp an object and hold on to it (both hands)' significant vision problems (blurred vision, halo vision, depleted peripheral vision), mood swings... But those all come and go. Usually every few months they show up together and disperse together, only to show up again together.
I know that many of these can and are stress related. Before the past 3 months I had no stress, emotionally, but of course with the job, it was always physical and mental stress. I am not above saying these issues are the result of stress. I guess my main concern is I was used to the intermittent issues I lastly described, but this new issue of the hand/wrist/forearm weakness has me concerned. Like I said, I see my doc soon... As survivors, do you suggest I mention this and what is your opinion? I'm a medical professional that deals with emergency, not ongoing issues. I am confused.
Thank you for your time. God Bless.
