Recent content by DavidGL

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    Few more questions, then I'll stop....

    None. If you are suffering from upper motor neuron degradation you can experience cramps (that is pain) and muscle stiffness (is that pain?). So, if you are somewhat far along in ALS you might call the muscle fatigue pain. Maybe. Surely the cramps. But a big zero is called for with respect...
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    Silence

    What are "blackies"?
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    Hi! ~ new here

    Thank you for your compliment, Diane. And I can surely the same about you! I will be filing my disability claim on Friday as my very understanding neuro agrees that the time is right. She is puzzled by the vocal cord atrophy--she says it is not to be expected in an exclusively UMN...
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    Hi! ~ new here

    It is very difficult to find just the right kind of information. For the most part, you either get a very watered-down explanation or get launched into a journal for neurologists clouded by nomenclature. From what I gather, the lowers and uppers are quite near one another in the bulbar area...
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    Hi! ~ new here

    Hello Diane, Your path is quite similar to mine. I started with hoarse voice and loss of projection. It was an ENT who told me to go and see a neurologist. Unlike your case, he opted out of the vocal cord EMG because, he said, "we already know your vocal cord is atrophied". But he did do a...
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    The turning point must come.

    "but I must ask how messed up is my thinking here? " IMHO, incredibly so. Fercryinoutloud--go see a doctor for a diagnosis! Not to do so is just inane. Good luck...
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    Questions

    Tom, You can't diagnose this thing yourself or from the internet. Some of your symptoms do not fit the model of ALS but do fit into other categories of MND. But there are always exceptions to every general rule. You could even have more than one malady at the same time. You have enough MND...
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    new awaiting diagnosis

    To all, When we speak to one another in person, our eyes and our smiles complete the communication picture. Words lacking emotional content may be accepted as helpful when the eyes are twinkling and lips are curled into a knowing smile. We don't have that add-on when offering our thoughts in...
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    My Visit with Dr. McCluskey

    Lou, This question is a good one, I think. We all must realize that it is essential to get solid objective opinions from people who are trained and experienced with MND. Suddenly, something odd is going on with your muscles and you are staring at parts of your body you never paid much...
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    What to expect from an ALS Center

    I go to Drexel/Hahnemann too. Do you see Dr Heiman-Patterson there? I am very pleased with the way they run things.
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    My symptoms

    Try not to dwell on the possibility. It's going to take quite a while to work through all the possibilities. Ask lots of questions and make sure all possibilities are considered. Odds are in your favor. Get as much out of life as you can--just in case!
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    Tomorrow is the Big Day

    Don't take this the wrong way, Conrad, but that is exactly what so many people say when they are proven to have physical problems caused by those things. Maybe you should let your doctor presribe an anti-anxiety medication just to see. Can't hurt. Might even feel good. At least you could put...
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    Tomorrow is the Big Day

    Anna, I suggest that you not try to second-guess the results. Sure, it is possible that it missed a bad signal, but with two probes in such a small muscle it does not seem likely. In order to be diagnosed with ALS you will need to have enough mis-fires to show on the EMG. Your neurologist will...
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    Alternative Therapy Question

    Anna, There is a distinct difference between what the field of medicine has to offer and the anecdotes of alternative therapists. You can do everyone a favor by pointing to an "alternative" web site that has copies of the peer-reviewed clinical studies that show that these alternative methods...
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    Tomorrow is the Big Day

    The standard method is push it up through your throat from under your chin. The neurologists I visit prefer to do it directly into the tongue. It is nowhere near as bad as it sounds. Just don't move your tongue while the needle is in. I
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