Idab, sorry you have to be here but there is a wealth of information available.
My symptoms of bulbar onset ALS started in either late 2010 or early 2011 with strange swallowing difficulties. It was like I couldn't coordinate my tongue/palate/throat to complete the swallowing process. It took pure concentration to swallow food yet liquids went down easily. As fast as it started it went away, no swallowing issues in later 2011.
What started then, about August 2011, was me constantly clearing my throat. It drove my wife nuts so I went to our GP. He prescribed a nasal steroidal spray, an antihistamine, and doubled my Prilosec from 1 to 2 daily. He figured that my reflux was irritating my throat and causing some of the drainage.
I was on these meds for about a month and it worked, no more throat clearing. However, I noticed a very slight change in my voice, like a slight itch change. I actually suspected the steroidal nasal spray and stopped using it for about a month. My speech didn't change back to normal but my throat clearing started up again, I went back on it.
By Feb. 2012 my speech was obvious to me but almost no one else. (I say almost because at it turned out, my Mom and Brother noticed the change, they thought I was drinking, a LOT!)
By summer my GP started performing tests, head MRI, Lyme disease, etc. Then a referral in May to ENT, he wasn't much help, said my tongue looked a little thick. Also that I have chronic tonsillitis but doubtful that was the cause.
In July I started to see neurologist. He suspected MG (Myasthenia Gravis). Tests came back negative for this and other possible diseases.
In August 2012 I started having problems swallowing water without being completely upright.
Then in Sept of 2012 they performed an EMG which did have some abnormalities.
This started a battery of ALS mimicking disease tests in Oct 2012, all came back negative.
In January 2013 my Neurologist suggested I might have ALS. He referred me to the Mayo Clinic and on Feb. 14, 2013 I was officially diagnosed with bulbar onset ALS.
At that time I had very slight weakness in my left thumb/forefinger, my tongue was starting to atrophy and my speech was much worse.
I had a feeding tube inserted in May as a precaution. My breathing was at 60%.
Since my diagnosis, my left thumb/forefinger is very weak and my tongue is almost 100% atrophied. My left hand show some weakness and lately my right thumb/forefinger is starting to show a slight weakness.
I use an i-Pad to communicate, even though some of my words are still understandable, it makes it much less irritating to use the AAC.
I take all of my meds and 80% of my fluids via my feeding tube. I supplement one meal per day via the tube. I can still eat but it has to be ground or pureed.
I still have full use of arms and legs, and my breathing tests have improved slightly, staying at at 68% since July 2013.
I really can't say how quickly I am progressing Slower than some but faster than others.
What I do is try and focus on today and not worry about tomorrow until it gets here.