JMH
Active member
- Joined
- Jun 11, 2006
- Messages
- 42
- Reason
- Loved one DX
- Country
- CA
- State
- Manitoba
- City
- The Pas
Hi,
Managed to get an appointment for my Dad on August 1st in Winnipeg with a specialist. I'm really nervous because I told Dad I thought it was important for him to go and see this Dr. I'm scared too. The outcome is going to mean that he (Dad) and we (his family) are going to have to make decisions, ask questions and come to an acceptance. I'm not sure how to go about asking questions of my own. Since the neurologist has made a diagnosis of Familial ALS without an EMG, family background, etc. what am I going to ask this doctor? I guess I am wondering how or if I should question a neurologists' diagnosis. Everyone in the forum seems to have seen doctor after doctor and some have spent years getting a diagnosis. Can a neurologist diagnose ALS just by looking closely at a patient? I don't want to sound dense but I guess it's still hard to understand after all I've read on how difficult it is to diagnose this disease. The last CAT scan showed that there are signs of spinal stenosis. Dad has trouble walking (uses a walker), is very fatigued, is weak, has trouble sleeping and has problems with constipation and urinary incontinence. He has also lost a lot of weight, yet eats well. This has all been noticeable since Mom passed away in November and has progressed rapidly since January/February.
Dad is 77 and has never questioned a doctor's opinion. I don't want to upset him or a doctor but we do have the right to ask questions, don't we?
Panicking here I'm afraid, any help or guidance would be greatly appreciated.
JMH
Managed to get an appointment for my Dad on August 1st in Winnipeg with a specialist. I'm really nervous because I told Dad I thought it was important for him to go and see this Dr. I'm scared too. The outcome is going to mean that he (Dad) and we (his family) are going to have to make decisions, ask questions and come to an acceptance. I'm not sure how to go about asking questions of my own. Since the neurologist has made a diagnosis of Familial ALS without an EMG, family background, etc. what am I going to ask this doctor? I guess I am wondering how or if I should question a neurologists' diagnosis. Everyone in the forum seems to have seen doctor after doctor and some have spent years getting a diagnosis. Can a neurologist diagnose ALS just by looking closely at a patient? I don't want to sound dense but I guess it's still hard to understand after all I've read on how difficult it is to diagnose this disease. The last CAT scan showed that there are signs of spinal stenosis. Dad has trouble walking (uses a walker), is very fatigued, is weak, has trouble sleeping and has problems with constipation and urinary incontinence. He has also lost a lot of weight, yet eats well. This has all been noticeable since Mom passed away in November and has progressed rapidly since January/February.
Dad is 77 and has never questioned a doctor's opinion. I don't want to upset him or a doctor but we do have the right to ask questions, don't we?
Panicking here I'm afraid, any help or guidance would be greatly appreciated.
JMH