DgtofTNfan
Senior member
- Joined
- Feb 14, 2009
- Messages
- 566
- Reason
- Learn about ALS
- Country
- US
- State
- KY
- City
- Louisville
My dad is 69yo and has had progressive coughing and swallowing problems for over a year. He has lost a great deal of weight - 20+ pounds. His symptoms have progressed to include slurred speech and poor breath support. His PCP kept treating him for a cold and thought that his history of severe reflux problems were a contributing factor. His GI and PCP told him there was nothing more they could do and he just had to deal with his thickened liquid diet.
I then set him up with a rehab doc I know who likes to dig a little deeper. His physical exam revealed some weakness in his hands and some fasciculations in his tongue and right bicep. The hand weakness impacts fine motor control that dad thought was arthritis. He has had a CT of chest, MRI of the brain, EMG/NCS and was referred to a neuro muscular specialist in Lexington which he is to see this Tues. The EMG/NCS was not "particularly remarkable" however the bulbar aspect of ALS is highly suspected.
We took this info back to PCP and GI and now they have found he needs a G Tube and oxygen at night.
Today he started to have blurred vision. I have been reading about Myasthenia Gravis and given that it has a treatment protocol with good prognosis, I am hoping the specialist will find he has this or some other neuromuscular disorder that is treatable. The blurred vision does not seem to be highlighted in research that I can find as a symptom of ALS but seems it is possible in some cases.
Does anyone have a similar case as his or can you offer any suggestions for questions to the NMD physician at the appointment?
Thanks.
Dana - worried in KY
I then set him up with a rehab doc I know who likes to dig a little deeper. His physical exam revealed some weakness in his hands and some fasciculations in his tongue and right bicep. The hand weakness impacts fine motor control that dad thought was arthritis. He has had a CT of chest, MRI of the brain, EMG/NCS and was referred to a neuro muscular specialist in Lexington which he is to see this Tues. The EMG/NCS was not "particularly remarkable" however the bulbar aspect of ALS is highly suspected.
We took this info back to PCP and GI and now they have found he needs a G Tube and oxygen at night.
Today he started to have blurred vision. I have been reading about Myasthenia Gravis and given that it has a treatment protocol with good prognosis, I am hoping the specialist will find he has this or some other neuromuscular disorder that is treatable. The blurred vision does not seem to be highlighted in research that I can find as a symptom of ALS but seems it is possible in some cases.
Does anyone have a similar case as his or can you offer any suggestions for questions to the NMD physician at the appointment?
Thanks.
Dana - worried in KY