Status
Not open for further replies.

universpace

New member
Joined
Jul 3, 2009
Messages
3
Reason
Learn about ALS
Country
US
State
GA
City
Atlanta
Hello everyone,
I am 23 M living in GA originally from India. I am just about to start my career with a company. I am going to list all my symptoms below and I need your help regarding my next move to seek some help

1) 2 1/2 yrs ago - I play carrom board and a friend points out that my right hand has tremor when I am about to strike a coin

2) Nov 2007 - I wake up early morning studying all night for the exam and I goto brush - I get dizzy and my walk is haphazard drop the brush in my hands. goto bed back again - I get stabilized and I become completely normal. (My personal diag was TIA or just heat or extreme tiredness) I dont goto a doc after this episode.

3) 2008 (later) - I begin noticing slight tremors (in my index finger ) when I point to my monitor in my laptop. doesnt take it serious and i forget about it.

4) Feb 2009 - onwards - begin to look closely to my tremor. I find that i have a postural hand tremor(slight) and no resting tremor. Sometimes when i lift my legs I feel slight tremor.

5) 6 weeks ago - I get more obsessed with tremor (worrried if I have Parkinsons/MS or simply essential tremor). I wake up because of head tremor. I have had 4-5 episodes of getting up in Head tremor.

6) I begin taking Vitamin B complex hoping that it will be cured. last friday i feel extremely tired. Both my arms and legs. Its a combination of weakness and numbness that i feel which usually gets worst at evenings and i goto sleep. i have thsi for a week now.

Now I think about all these symptoms seem to match with ALS symptoms. Also the symptoms match perfectly with Thyroid disorder. I am worried to tell me parents or goto a doc bec its going to get expensive and jeopardize my job in the US.

But I overcame the fear and fixed an appointment directly with a neurologist next week Wednesday.

I am sure they will want Blood, MRI, CT, nerve tests etc. Can anyone give me how much it would cost completely without an insurance.

Let me know what you think.

Your friend.
 
a lot of fricken money dude. good luck! :)
 
It does cost a lot of money ..but sometimes hospitals will have special programs for people with out insurance and low income..might want to look into it.
 
first and foremost adressing ur fears regarding tremors/twitches u noticed them 2 1/2 yrs back ...now u get them constantly...if it was ALS u would have known for sure by now...it doesnt hide itself after 2 1/2 yrs...its a clear presentation that here i am .....so dont bother about it...there are several possibilities regarding ur symptoms and answers to them can only be provided by an specialist(neuro)...regarding ur query about how much it will cost why dont u ask the attendant(help desk) at the hospital/clinic u are planning to go.
 
Rejoice, you don't have ALS! Get yourself checked out and get them to check your TSH. Good Luck.
 
It can be very costly without insurance. Check with doctor's office before your vist. I suppose you ended up being here because of google.
 
It doesn't sound like ALS to me either but my God man if you thought you were having TIA's, why wouldn't you get medical aid? You could have had a stroke and died. ALS wouldn't be an issue.

AL.
 
universepace ... it doesn't sound anything like ALS to me, either. Tremors are not a symptom of ALS. As you noted, it could indicate Parkinson's or thyroid and probably a lot of other things.

And as Nishant said, you can find out the costs before you make appointments for further tests. When you see the neurologist Wednesday, talk to him/her about your whole situation and see if there is a way to get tests done for a reasonable price. Sometimes doctors surprise you.

Good luck.
 
People, I am very impressed with all your comments. I am thankful that you guys put in so much of ur time to help me out! Thanks again!

Yes - i am going to indeed do this going to call the hospital and check their costs. I am assuming that she was ask me to take a MRI, CT, Thyroid, blood, etc and I am going to plan how much it will costs..

My other big worry is family. My parents living back home are having so many dreams about my future and they are average middle class government employees in India. I am worried if i say these things they are going to be devastated and start worrying. I am still in the dilemma of what to tell them or to do a few tests and tell them after the results.

But I do not have any other support/vent than this forum right now to talk about my problems. So I would greatly be happy to discuss this with them but at the same time worried about how they will take this...
 
You know, I'd wait until you know more before talking to your parents about this. They will surely worry, and being so far away, they will worry even more. Hopefully, when you do tell them, it will be good news.

Good luck with the tests.
 
Please do not worry your parents needlessly. Although you may have real symptoms, it could be caused by many different things that can be treated successfully. Wait til you have been tested.

Try to proceed as normal with your new career. There is no need to speculate and inform your new employer, as you do not know what is causing your problem. It could be a virus.

Good luck.
 
Thank you so much again. I think I am going to go ahead with your advice of not mentioning this to them for now.

Not to belabor the point. Could anyone give me a ballpark of how much these tests w/o insurance would cost? I am thinking of taking one now before these exams. Also if they r going to cost high I might want to think about going back home and getting diagnosed fully..
 
I agree with CJ, Beth and Al.

If you suspect you have been having TIA's, it would be very wise to get checked out by a doctor, regardless of cost.

There is no need to worry your parents with things you may suspect that have not yet been proven. It would be better to wait until results come in and you know what it is you are dealing with. Who knows, you may have something very minor or transient.

Go to work as if nothing is troubling you. Try and keep your mind off of your symptoms and stay focused on the job. Try not to cause yourself or others any undue stress. I'd also start looking for a job that offers some kind of health benefit.

Best of luck to you!

Zaphoon
 
universpace~

Some hospitals have paperwork to fill out if you have no inusurance. The hospitols set aside alot of money for people that dont have insurance or money. You may qualify for something. Call and see. Opps, I see that was already mentioned! I second that. When I was in my 20's my friend broke his arm needing surgery and pins put in. He had no isurance and he filled out paperwork and got an extremly reduced cost ( I mean, like 10% of what it was) and made a payment plan. Well, that was 15 yrs ago and the economy was in better shape but still worth a try!

Best wishes
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top