imagination v reality

[irismarie]

How do you separate reality from imagination? Knowing more or less what to expect as time passes I keep thinking my swallowing is getting difficult, my breath short.........
It is the fact of being so focussed on the damned disease that does this but I fear I can bring things upon myself before due time with this overactive imagination of mine.

Last night I started to swallow something and the last part of the swallow mechanism did not happen. This happened a few times before I remembered reading about the chin tuck and this helped. My throat has been hurting for a long time. Is this "normal" for this disease or is it more likely something else, please? Is that how the swallow problem presents itself? Today I can swallow but it seems more of an effort.

When the foot flapping started 9 months ago, I thought I was imagining that, but now that my legs are virtually useless I know better -or worse.
Irismarie

 

[indigosd]

Oh irismarie-that sounds so scary. I can't help you with information but I can send you hugs!

 

[BethU]

My swallowing problems have been a) delayed swallowing, where I cannot initiate a swallow at all for sometimes up to a minute or two, b) violent regurgitations, like an intense gag reflex shooting liquids or foods out of my mouth before I can try to swallow, c) aspirations, where tiny bits of food or saliva get into my lungs, causing intense and prolonged coughing, and d) choking, where the food or liquid completely blocks the airway, which induces strangling, extreme panic and agitation. You can die very quickly from the latter if the airway is not unblocked.

You can indeed create "symptoms" by focusing on them and worrying about them. Swallowing problems are often a result of anxiety. If you are focusing on your swallowing, which normally is an automatic procedure, it is normal for it to start to feel strange, or to develop glitches.

It is very rare for someone to have ALS start with both limb and bulbar (mouth and throat) symptoms. It's either one or the other. Bulbar onset usually starts with slurred speech, followed by swallowing problems later, and then progresses slowly to the limbs. And limb onset usually attacks all the limbs before progressing to the mouth and throat.

Hope that helps. Take care.

 

[irismarie]

Thank you. That helps a lot................