SupportivePartner
Active member
- Joined
- Feb 9, 2017
- Messages
- 32
- Reason
- CALS
- Diagnosis
- 03/2017
- Country
- US
- State
- CA
- City
- Glendale
Hello,
In December of 2016, I got engaged to the love of my life. Just prior to that (around August or September of 2016), he reported that he had a "funny feeling" in his left ring finger, then slowly started having difficulty moving it. In December, he had a nerve conduction study done, and it was determined at that point that he had nerve damage in both arms and hands. He also has muscle atrophy in his left hand, which is visible. Since then, he has lost even more movement in his left hand, as well as muscle mass in his left arm, and is experiencing weakness in his right arm as well. His speech also appears to be slurred, and I notice that he occasionally has twitches in his right arm, left arm, and chest.
Over the course of the last month, he has also experienced 4 falls. 2 on ice (which I initially wasn't as concerned about, as I found it to be slippery as well), however, the third fall was on a flat surface and he said that his knee just gave out. The fourth fall happened earlier today, and he said it was a result of his shoe getting stuck in mud.
He has had 4 MRIs done (elbow, shoulder, neck, and brain), and they all came back clear (no tumors or compressed nerves). He has also been tested for HIV and arthritis, which came back negative. He has been referred to a neurologist at a local University, who he will meet with on March 1st for additional tests.
I am terrified that these are the initial signs and symptoms of ALS. Do these symptoms sound typical of someone in the initial stages of ALS? Are there any other tests I should ask the neurologist to run prior to diagnosis?
Thank you, in advance, for the support.
In December of 2016, I got engaged to the love of my life. Just prior to that (around August or September of 2016), he reported that he had a "funny feeling" in his left ring finger, then slowly started having difficulty moving it. In December, he had a nerve conduction study done, and it was determined at that point that he had nerve damage in both arms and hands. He also has muscle atrophy in his left hand, which is visible. Since then, he has lost even more movement in his left hand, as well as muscle mass in his left arm, and is experiencing weakness in his right arm as well. His speech also appears to be slurred, and I notice that he occasionally has twitches in his right arm, left arm, and chest.
Over the course of the last month, he has also experienced 4 falls. 2 on ice (which I initially wasn't as concerned about, as I found it to be slippery as well), however, the third fall was on a flat surface and he said that his knee just gave out. The fourth fall happened earlier today, and he said it was a result of his shoe getting stuck in mud.
He has had 4 MRIs done (elbow, shoulder, neck, and brain), and they all came back clear (no tumors or compressed nerves). He has also been tested for HIV and arthritis, which came back negative. He has been referred to a neurologist at a local University, who he will meet with on March 1st for additional tests.
I am terrified that these are the initial signs and symptoms of ALS. Do these symptoms sound typical of someone in the initial stages of ALS? Are there any other tests I should ask the neurologist to run prior to diagnosis?
Thank you, in advance, for the support.