Hello. I have a question about only one symptom.

[Orangecrush]

Hello.

First off, I deeply admire the patients and the caregivers on this website. I know so many of you are only able to type with one finger, so I am deeply indebted to all of you.

I do not have an anxiety disorder of any kind. I just wanted to put that out there front and center. I am 48, and female.

Here's my symptom; there's only one. I noticed it for the first time 5 months ago, when I was taking my ear ring out. I had gotten my ears pierced the month before. All of a sudden my ring finger on my right hand was tremoring when I was taking the back part out. When I got the ear ring out i examined that hand, and all of the fingers on it, I determined that it is only the one finger, and it doesn't tremor at rest, and it doesn't tremor when I press down hard on it.

I had my 6 month doctor's visit this morning, and without warning I showed the nurse as soon as she walked in. I said look at my finger, isn't this weird? I put my finger against the counter in the exam room and laughed as my finger moved wildly back and forth, making my whole hand jiggle a little. But when I lifted my hand up and I looked over at the nurse, I saw she looked scared. She didn't even try to hide it. The look on her face was so unprofessional, in my opinion. She dramatically said in her entire career (she's in her 60's) she's never seen anything like it. Really? She's never seen Parkinson's disease? One of their doctors, who delivered my daughter, had to retire at 51 because he developed Parkinson's, but she's never seen a tremor like mine? I do know this isn't Parkinson's because it doesn't tremor at rest. She said I should bring it up to the doctor though when she comes in.

But when the doctor came in, she immediately said my ANA titer is off the charts, as high as they can test and she said she believes I have Limited Scleroderma, and suggested I see a rheumatologist. I got completely caught up in that conversation, and we spent the whole time talking about that and what i can expect from that condition. Between talking about that and a few other things I forgot to bring up my finger to her.

As soon as I was checking out I was kicking myself for not mentioning my finger to her. When I got in my car, I picked up the doctor office's "summary of my visit" off the passenger seat, and saw she diagnosed me with an unspecified involuntary movement disorder. So the nurse had to have told her all about it before she walked in to see me.

Is that kind of tremor a sign of *clinical* weakness? For sure my finger does not feel weak to me, at all. I have no weakness anywhere, in fact. I just don't know if I should see a neurologist or not. It's not progressing, I know that, I mean no other finger is doing it.

Should I ask for an EMG? I've never asked for that test before. I've been twitching for almost 4 years and never even asked for an EMG then, nor asked for a referral to a neurologist.. But this tremor is really weird. I would never know it was there if I just don't press my finger lightly against something.

So, that is my question. Thank you so much for your time. I am honored to have any of you read my post, and know that this will be my only question. I will come back to thank anyone for responding, of course, but that's it..

 

[Atsugi]

Weakness means the inability to move. Your finger moved a lot.

I am curious, though, how it is that you went from "my finger is wiggling" to "I should ask about a terminal disease."

The body does weird stuff. Over the years, our brains, our nerves, our joints all get worn out, electrical signals go zipping about and our bodies do funny things.

1) If it's no big deal, it's not worth bothering about.
but, however,
2) If it is ALS--and it isn't--you can't do anything about it except update your will. (Which you should do anyway.)

So relax and enjoy life, every day, every night, for the rest of your long life.

 

[Orangecrush]

Hi Mike, nice to meet you sir, and thank you for your service. It's an honor any time I get to meet and talk to somebody who served. Both my father and stepfather served. I also have several family members currently serving.

I haven't jumped to a terminal disease. I know I posted my question here, but that's because what little I know about ALS (i have a childhood classmate who currently has it) is that it's all about weakness. So I was hoping someone on here would know if a tremor equates weakness. I didn't want to go on google because all sorts of diseases would probably pop up..

I'm generally a pretty chill person. The nurse's reaction gave me pause though, because I figured she would say oh that's nothing, that's just an essential tremor and be done with it. But she looked at my hand as if it was an alien life form. I got to thinking geez, maybe it's a sign of muscular weakness or bad nerves. I'm absolutely not jumping to any specific neurological condition.

My dh and I already have our life directives. I'm weird, I don't even want a funeral. Just cremate me and by all means go on with your day.

Thank you again, sir, for answering my question. I appreciate it so much!

 

[GregK]

Your denial is odd as this is a MND forum, but whatever.

Most nurses and most doctors wouldn't know als if it bit them on the ass.

So dismiss the nurses reaction and stay away from terminal disease web forums.

And, fwiw, many people suffering from anxiety have no clue they are.

 

[Orangecrush]

Good morning, Greg. Thank you for your reply.

I'm definitely taking your advice and dismissing the nurse, and her reaction. I'm not even going to make another appt with the doctor, I'll see her in 6 months anyway, and show it to her then.

As to your point about anxiety, I don't think I have that disorder. I started twitching 4 years ago when I lost my father and step father months apart, and the day after I lost my step father my mom developed congestive heart failure and spent 3 days on a ventilator..Right after that we had an asbestos scare in our house. A contractor we hired to redo the drywall in our bedroom thought we had asbestos in the very old insulation behind the drywall, He said the company had even gone bankrupt years ago over their asbestos insulation. DH and I had taken down that drywall and the insulation ourselves, so we were freaked out.

Then dh faced an imminent job loss during the during the 2013 Sequester. At the very last moment he didn't, but for months we thought it was going to happen any day. All of the above happened in ONE year, and that is right when the twitching started. I never once for a moment thought it was anything other than stress.

I honestly see a big difference between stress and anxiety, but your point is well taken, sir. Thank you again for responding. I do respect your point of view, and I am indebted to you for responding.

I'm going to leave now.... I will be thinking of all of you.

 

[Orangecrush]

I briefly returned this morning to say I got a diagnosis yesterday. I officially have Intention Tremor. Right now it's only in my right hand.

I finally went to the doctor about the tremor, when after picking up the tv remote my thumb started wildly tremoring, shaking the entire remote. I knew then this tremor was starting to progress.

I wanted to add this diagnosis in case anyone lurking on the DIHALS forum was curious. Thank you for allowing me to do this and God Bless everyone here.