DCDad
Member
- Joined
- May 24, 2017
- Messages
- 15
- Reason
- Learn about ALS
- Country
- US
- State
- DC
- City
- Washington
Good Evening All,
I'm a 40 year old male who has followed these boards over the course of the past several weeks. I've had some interesting signs and symptoms emerge over the past few months that increasingly concern me. I was seen by my PCP early last week and after a cursory exam referred me for an MRI and depending on the results will refer me to neurology (reflexes normal in all four limbs, normal Babinski, normal bloodwork results). My MRI is scheduled for 6/19 and I want to run my issues by the group for feedback/reassurance/advice. Candidly, I wish she had referred me directly to neuro because I fear that I won't get to see a neurologist until July if the MRI comes back unremarkable. Here's a quick rundown of my experience to date:
SPEECH
Starting in February/March I noticed the onset of a slight lisp during extended conversations on conference calls. I also occasionally started having infrequent pronunciation issues - particularly with the words with the letter "L" (e.g. "earlier," "obviously," "regularly." After mispronouncing a word, I can always repeat it just fine, but the onset of mispronunciation concerns me as I never had this issue before. In the last few months, I've inadvertently slurred an occasional word about 5 times total, but, again, that's not something I can ever recall happening before - ever. For what it's worth, I've asked my wife and she hasn't noticed anything. I have also asked my co-worker who is a clinical psychologist that has extensively worked with individuals with speech issues, and he hasn't noticed anything either. The important thing is I notice it and it worries me. My speech issues have plateaued. Interestingly, they don't happen when I read aloud to my children, only in free conversation. I recognize that anxiety can play a role in speech issues and understand that could be at play here.
LOWER LIMBS
In 2014, my former PCP noticed that the circumference of my left calf was 7cm less than my right one. This did not cause me any issues. In fact, my 2 mile run time improved about 1:30 between December 2014 and March 2017. Over the past few months I've noticed some atrophy of my outer left quadricep. This has caused some discomfort while running/biking and I don't know if the issues are related. I have observed occasional twitching in my calves and thighs. I can feel all of these twitches except my left calf where I observe/see them but do not feel them.
STAMINA
I took an physical fitness test with the Army Reserve in late March and had improved performance in my push-up (+6) and sit-up (+8) events compared to October 2015. My 2 mile run time was 1 second slower, but I attribute that to being 1.5 years older. Since early April, I've had some issues completing my normal bike workout in the gym and runs. My "go to" bike workout is just taking a lot more effort to get through, I can do it but it requires a lot more focus than normal. My recovery time hasn't really changed, and it just takes a lot more effort.
UPPER LIMBS
This are the really confounding signs that brought me to this forum, because they don't seem connected to a nerve issue involving my legs. In early April, I had a weird 7-10 day episode where 1-2 of my digits would transiently have pain and then get better (e.g. Day 1 = Pain in Left Index Finger and Right Great Toe; Day 2 = Pain in Right Middle Finger and Left Pinky). Transient Pain has since set in on my Right Middle Finger, Right Index Finger, Left Index Finger. These come and go. Some days they are there and some days they are not. I also am experiencing transient pain in my palms (Thenar area, pad under index fingers, and lateral aspect below my pinky). Again, these come and go but have been present more often than not over the past 10 days. I am also observing/perceiving some mild atrophy in the notch between my thumb and index fingers (bilaterally). I really notice this when using knives, cooking and lifting our youngest. I have had fairly regular pain in the lateral aspect of my left upper arm for the past several weeks and infrequent fasciculations bilaterally in my upper and lower arms.
TRUNK
I've had some infrequent fasciculations in my upper back and abdomen. These usually fire a couple of times a day.
CLOSING
Thanks for reading through this long post. The onset of mildly reduced stamina in a long established workout and the onset of "hand issues" has increased my anxiety and that's bled over into my personal life. I discussed some of my issues today with a colleague who is a physician and it was not a reassuring conversation. He started talking about how disability retirement worked in the Federal Government for those with MND/ALS:shock: He may have thought he was reassuring me, but he totally freaked me out. If my issues are indeed MND related, I want to get that figured out soonest to prepare my family and enjoy what functional time I may have left. We are here in a very expensive area without any family and a diagnosis would be absolutely devastating. We would certainly have to move and could not afford anything big enough or accessible enough in our current neighborhood. We would have to leave our neighborhood ecosystem that has our church, shopping, transit, and our kid's school within walking distance. The thought of relocating to a remote exurb with a terminal illness and zero support system while totally disrupting my family's lives weighs very heavily on my mind. I recognize and understand that these are irrational worries at this point, but they increasingly occupy my thoughts and are bleeding over into consideration about having a third child. I was presented last week with a career enhancing 120 day detail opportunity at work and couldn't help thinking if I would even be well enough to finish it.
Thank you for listening and I appreciate any and all thoughts. I don't know what to make of these multifocal issues. I greatly appreciate all that you do here and have become all to aware of what the PALS and CALS physically and emotionally endure while giving so much to those visiting this board.
I'm a 40 year old male who has followed these boards over the course of the past several weeks. I've had some interesting signs and symptoms emerge over the past few months that increasingly concern me. I was seen by my PCP early last week and after a cursory exam referred me for an MRI and depending on the results will refer me to neurology (reflexes normal in all four limbs, normal Babinski, normal bloodwork results). My MRI is scheduled for 6/19 and I want to run my issues by the group for feedback/reassurance/advice. Candidly, I wish she had referred me directly to neuro because I fear that I won't get to see a neurologist until July if the MRI comes back unremarkable. Here's a quick rundown of my experience to date:
SPEECH
Starting in February/March I noticed the onset of a slight lisp during extended conversations on conference calls. I also occasionally started having infrequent pronunciation issues - particularly with the words with the letter "L" (e.g. "earlier," "obviously," "regularly." After mispronouncing a word, I can always repeat it just fine, but the onset of mispronunciation concerns me as I never had this issue before. In the last few months, I've inadvertently slurred an occasional word about 5 times total, but, again, that's not something I can ever recall happening before - ever. For what it's worth, I've asked my wife and she hasn't noticed anything. I have also asked my co-worker who is a clinical psychologist that has extensively worked with individuals with speech issues, and he hasn't noticed anything either. The important thing is I notice it and it worries me. My speech issues have plateaued. Interestingly, they don't happen when I read aloud to my children, only in free conversation. I recognize that anxiety can play a role in speech issues and understand that could be at play here.
LOWER LIMBS
In 2014, my former PCP noticed that the circumference of my left calf was 7cm less than my right one. This did not cause me any issues. In fact, my 2 mile run time improved about 1:30 between December 2014 and March 2017. Over the past few months I've noticed some atrophy of my outer left quadricep. This has caused some discomfort while running/biking and I don't know if the issues are related. I have observed occasional twitching in my calves and thighs. I can feel all of these twitches except my left calf where I observe/see them but do not feel them.
STAMINA
I took an physical fitness test with the Army Reserve in late March and had improved performance in my push-up (+6) and sit-up (+8) events compared to October 2015. My 2 mile run time was 1 second slower, but I attribute that to being 1.5 years older. Since early April, I've had some issues completing my normal bike workout in the gym and runs. My "go to" bike workout is just taking a lot more effort to get through, I can do it but it requires a lot more focus than normal. My recovery time hasn't really changed, and it just takes a lot more effort.
UPPER LIMBS
This are the really confounding signs that brought me to this forum, because they don't seem connected to a nerve issue involving my legs. In early April, I had a weird 7-10 day episode where 1-2 of my digits would transiently have pain and then get better (e.g. Day 1 = Pain in Left Index Finger and Right Great Toe; Day 2 = Pain in Right Middle Finger and Left Pinky). Transient Pain has since set in on my Right Middle Finger, Right Index Finger, Left Index Finger. These come and go. Some days they are there and some days they are not. I also am experiencing transient pain in my palms (Thenar area, pad under index fingers, and lateral aspect below my pinky). Again, these come and go but have been present more often than not over the past 10 days. I am also observing/perceiving some mild atrophy in the notch between my thumb and index fingers (bilaterally). I really notice this when using knives, cooking and lifting our youngest. I have had fairly regular pain in the lateral aspect of my left upper arm for the past several weeks and infrequent fasciculations bilaterally in my upper and lower arms.
TRUNK
I've had some infrequent fasciculations in my upper back and abdomen. These usually fire a couple of times a day.
CLOSING
Thanks for reading through this long post. The onset of mildly reduced stamina in a long established workout and the onset of "hand issues" has increased my anxiety and that's bled over into my personal life. I discussed some of my issues today with a colleague who is a physician and it was not a reassuring conversation. He started talking about how disability retirement worked in the Federal Government for those with MND/ALS:shock: He may have thought he was reassuring me, but he totally freaked me out. If my issues are indeed MND related, I want to get that figured out soonest to prepare my family and enjoy what functional time I may have left. We are here in a very expensive area without any family and a diagnosis would be absolutely devastating. We would certainly have to move and could not afford anything big enough or accessible enough in our current neighborhood. We would have to leave our neighborhood ecosystem that has our church, shopping, transit, and our kid's school within walking distance. The thought of relocating to a remote exurb with a terminal illness and zero support system while totally disrupting my family's lives weighs very heavily on my mind. I recognize and understand that these are irrational worries at this point, but they increasingly occupy my thoughts and are bleeding over into consideration about having a third child. I was presented last week with a career enhancing 120 day detail opportunity at work and couldn't help thinking if I would even be well enough to finish it.
Thank you for listening and I appreciate any and all thoughts. I don't know what to make of these multifocal issues. I greatly appreciate all that you do here and have become all to aware of what the PALS and CALS physically and emotionally endure while giving so much to those visiting this board.
