mrs.eptwa
Member
- Joined
- Aug 31, 2015
- Messages
- 13
- Reason
- PALS
- Diagnosis
- 11/2015
- Country
- US
- State
- WA - Washington
- City
- bremerton
I am a 33 year old woman, and my symptoms started at the end of April 2015. First my left arm felt strange - tingly, pins and needles, like the circulation to my arm was being cut off, but never numb. Soon after that I noticed my left arm and hand were weak, I could no longer fully extend my index finger or carry a cup o coffee, and every time I would try to reach behind my back with my left arm, my forearm would cramp up and my hand would lock up like a lobster claw until I released it with my other hand. My left leg was also weak and would just give out and I kept falling.
So, I went to see my regular doctor who ordered a cervical xray and referred me to an orthopedist for a suspected radiculopathy. Ortho examined me and was alarmed because I was hyperreflexic, and ordered an emergency cervical mri because he suspected a spinal cord injury. That mri showed a small bulged disc at c5-c6, but did not explain my symptoms, so he suspected brain damage and ordered a brain mri. After that came back clean he said he thought III had an autoimmune disease and referred me to a neurologist.
Neurologist ordered blood tests, did 2 more mri's and ordered LP. Right around then, my right hand started to go, my hand writing getting worse and worse, and I started to walk funny. All tests neuro ordered came back clear, so he did ncv and emg on left arm - results showed denervation of a bunch of muscles in arm, but not in my paraspinal muscles, and normal sensory, but reduced motor amplitudes. My legs often feel so tight II can hardly walk, and my left arm and hand is cramping and spastic when i wake up...
Now I am waiting to see specialists and thinking if I am going to be diagnosed with als I better get some life insurance quick... rather than after a diagnosis.
Also, I believe these may point away from als, but I do have pain in my left arm that starts in my shoulder and goes down into my forearm, and I also am having a harder and harder time making it to the bathroom in time, like I don't feel the urge to go until my bladder needs to let it go now. And I have not noticed any atropy, but I am obese and have llost 20 lbs but gotten fatter - seatbelt is tighter.
Does this sound like it could be als?
or something else?
any advice?
Thank you for your time.
So, I went to see my regular doctor who ordered a cervical xray and referred me to an orthopedist for a suspected radiculopathy. Ortho examined me and was alarmed because I was hyperreflexic, and ordered an emergency cervical mri because he suspected a spinal cord injury. That mri showed a small bulged disc at c5-c6, but did not explain my symptoms, so he suspected brain damage and ordered a brain mri. After that came back clean he said he thought III had an autoimmune disease and referred me to a neurologist.
Neurologist ordered blood tests, did 2 more mri's and ordered LP. Right around then, my right hand started to go, my hand writing getting worse and worse, and I started to walk funny. All tests neuro ordered came back clear, so he did ncv and emg on left arm - results showed denervation of a bunch of muscles in arm, but not in my paraspinal muscles, and normal sensory, but reduced motor amplitudes. My legs often feel so tight II can hardly walk, and my left arm and hand is cramping and spastic when i wake up...
Now I am waiting to see specialists and thinking if I am going to be diagnosed with als I better get some life insurance quick... rather than after a diagnosis.
Also, I believe these may point away from als, but I do have pain in my left arm that starts in my shoulder and goes down into my forearm, and I also am having a harder and harder time making it to the bathroom in time, like I don't feel the urge to go until my bladder needs to let it go now. And I have not noticed any atropy, but I am obese and have llost 20 lbs but gotten fatter - seatbelt is tighter.
Does this sound like it could be als?
or something else?
any advice?
Thank you for your time.