Oathkeeper
New member
- Joined
- May 3, 2014
- Messages
- 4
- Reason
- CALS
- Diagnosis
- 02/2013
- Country
- US
- State
- Florida
- City
- Jacksonville
Hello to all you great PALS
My mother was diagnosed last February and I am primary caregiver for her. Things have been fairly manageable with steadily progressing symptoms and she's staying positive and strong, however a relatively recent concern has caused me to question familiar or environmental dangers.
I moved back in with my mother to help take care of her a little over a year ago, no major health problems other than obesity for myself. Starting this past February, I have been developing some concerning problems. I experience tingling and numbness in fingers and toes (used to be intense and regular, but has either subsided or I have become accustomed to it by now). My throat has steadily become more hoarse, first noticing I couldn't hit the same higher notes I used to while singing in the car, then an almost constant feeling of phlegm in my throat and needing to clear it, which does little to dispel the hoarseness. I also get dry mouth and weakness of the soft palate when speaking at length (begin to miss hard "k" sounds). I haven't noticed any loss of dexterity in the tongue and do a few tongue exercises each day to check. I also feel like I may have less flexion in my left ankle (paranoid about foot drop). Friends and co-workers all say I appear to be walking normally, so that may just be stress and paranoia. The voice problems, however, are very real and frightening. I have an initial doctor's appointment on the 19th with my primary care physician and plan to just state my symptoms without trying to insinuate a MND.
What has been the biggest concern to me was noticing a musty smell in the home a few months ago. I know black mold can have neurological damaging effects, but never heard of any correlation with ALS or any other MND. Just to be sure, I had the A/C maintenance people come and clean/replace parts in our home unit and the smell has gone, but I fear either some mold persists doing us harm or it was already too late. I realize much of this may be stress or anxiety from dealing with caregiving for my mother, but it's hard to ignore my voice problem (which keeps looking like early stages of bulbar onset). I'm looking forward to going to the doctor and knowing one way or another. I hope you are all doing well, staying positive, and thank you for any support/advice you might have.
My mother was diagnosed last February and I am primary caregiver for her. Things have been fairly manageable with steadily progressing symptoms and she's staying positive and strong, however a relatively recent concern has caused me to question familiar or environmental dangers.
I moved back in with my mother to help take care of her a little over a year ago, no major health problems other than obesity for myself. Starting this past February, I have been developing some concerning problems. I experience tingling and numbness in fingers and toes (used to be intense and regular, but has either subsided or I have become accustomed to it by now). My throat has steadily become more hoarse, first noticing I couldn't hit the same higher notes I used to while singing in the car, then an almost constant feeling of phlegm in my throat and needing to clear it, which does little to dispel the hoarseness. I also get dry mouth and weakness of the soft palate when speaking at length (begin to miss hard "k" sounds). I haven't noticed any loss of dexterity in the tongue and do a few tongue exercises each day to check. I also feel like I may have less flexion in my left ankle (paranoid about foot drop). Friends and co-workers all say I appear to be walking normally, so that may just be stress and paranoia. The voice problems, however, are very real and frightening. I have an initial doctor's appointment on the 19th with my primary care physician and plan to just state my symptoms without trying to insinuate a MND.
What has been the biggest concern to me was noticing a musty smell in the home a few months ago. I know black mold can have neurological damaging effects, but never heard of any correlation with ALS or any other MND. Just to be sure, I had the A/C maintenance people come and clean/replace parts in our home unit and the smell has gone, but I fear either some mold persists doing us harm or it was already too late. I realize much of this may be stress or anxiety from dealing with caregiving for my mother, but it's hard to ignore my voice problem (which keeps looking like early stages of bulbar onset). I'm looking forward to going to the doctor and knowing one way or another. I hope you are all doing well, staying positive, and thank you for any support/advice you might have.
