cool_quick
New member
- Joined
- Dec 24, 2021
- Messages
- 4
- Reason
- Learn about ALS
- Diagnosis
- 00/0000
- Country
- US
- State
- AR
So, I've been a pretty healthy guy my whole life. I played sports, ran marathons, and worked outside pretty regularly. But starting about 8 months ago, I started having some strange things happen.
A few months before my 20th birthday, I started having rare instances where my balance would feel off and cause me to stumble into things. Also, after doing some work outside, my right leg would feel a bit heavier than my left. Naturally, I paid no attention.
I started a job working at a grocery store at the end of May and had no real issues at first. However, a month and a half in, I came in to work one day and reached for a cup, only for my fingers to completely fumble it. Again, I paid no attention.
I started paying attention when I continued to fumble things more and more frequently as the weeks went by and started having more issues lifting various items. My hands would also shake uncontrollably when I tried to hold them still.
As for my legs, they also started having more problems. My feet started to drop, which I first noticed after I tripped on the stairs at my college campus. Eventually, I started having to walk with a bit of a high step to keep my feet from dragging as much. This is around the time some co-workers noticed my symptoms and asked me what was going on. I had no answer.
Fast forward to now, and I'm having a lot of issues with saliva building up in my mouth, as well as certain words slurring a bit when I talk. My posture is abysmal (according to one of my supervisors), since I slouch in any chair I sit in and can't even keep my head up for more than a minute. I have twitching/ fasciculations several times a day, and at least 3 of my fingers are having more difficulty moving. I can't even fully straighten my pinkie fingers anymore. It's really hard to work as a grocery store cashier when I have problems even lifting a liter of Coke. Something else to note, I don't have any pain, or any weird sensations.
I had an MRI done and it showed no signs of MS, brain tumor, or anything. Blood work showed a slight lowering of my b12 levels, but nothing eyebrow raising. My cholesterol has also fluctuated a lot in the past year. I'm scheduled for an EMG early next year, and that's the part that concerns me. People keep telling me that 20 years old is way too young to have ALS, and that it's probably just in my head, but it feels way too real to just be psychological. I want to believe that it's nothing bad, but at this point, I'm not sure anymore.
A few months before my 20th birthday, I started having rare instances where my balance would feel off and cause me to stumble into things. Also, after doing some work outside, my right leg would feel a bit heavier than my left. Naturally, I paid no attention.
I started a job working at a grocery store at the end of May and had no real issues at first. However, a month and a half in, I came in to work one day and reached for a cup, only for my fingers to completely fumble it. Again, I paid no attention.
I started paying attention when I continued to fumble things more and more frequently as the weeks went by and started having more issues lifting various items. My hands would also shake uncontrollably when I tried to hold them still.
As for my legs, they also started having more problems. My feet started to drop, which I first noticed after I tripped on the stairs at my college campus. Eventually, I started having to walk with a bit of a high step to keep my feet from dragging as much. This is around the time some co-workers noticed my symptoms and asked me what was going on. I had no answer.
Fast forward to now, and I'm having a lot of issues with saliva building up in my mouth, as well as certain words slurring a bit when I talk. My posture is abysmal (according to one of my supervisors), since I slouch in any chair I sit in and can't even keep my head up for more than a minute. I have twitching/ fasciculations several times a day, and at least 3 of my fingers are having more difficulty moving. I can't even fully straighten my pinkie fingers anymore. It's really hard to work as a grocery store cashier when I have problems even lifting a liter of Coke. Something else to note, I don't have any pain, or any weird sensations.
I had an MRI done and it showed no signs of MS, brain tumor, or anything. Blood work showed a slight lowering of my b12 levels, but nothing eyebrow raising. My cholesterol has also fluctuated a lot in the past year. I'm scheduled for an EMG early next year, and that's the part that concerns me. People keep telling me that 20 years old is way too young to have ALS, and that it's probably just in my head, but it feels way too real to just be psychological. I want to believe that it's nothing bad, but at this point, I'm not sure anymore.
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