Another update:
I just received copies of the neurologists notes, and test results today. Some things seem a little different than what he told us in person and my hopes are that some of this information can lead away from ALS and my hope is high after reading over them. I will put in quotes a few things that the report says, typing out the whole report would take me all day and would kill my hand...
The EMG study shows active and chronic neuropathic changes essentially in all muscles tested including the cervical paraspinals muscles at C6. I did needle the right leg and left arm, there is some increased insertional activity but no real acute changes.
This was from first EMG.
EMG revealed normal nerve conduction studies essentially, but poly-radicular active neuropathic denervation.
This was the 2nd EMG, which he conducted only in my legs.
His exam was remarkable for significant atrophy of the right upper extremity, no fascilations. Also noted was significantly increased tone in the lower extremities, hyperreflexia, and some ankle clonus (4 beats) more so on the right.
The fascilations I have now my wife hadn't noticed until several days after the 2nd EMG, but the Dr. hadn't noticed them either which is good. (I think)
The findings in the right upper extremity are poly-radicular, there is no evidence for a significant measurable compressive neuropathy. Motor neuron disease seems less likely, based on the clinical picture and absence of fascilations. The poly-radicular process in the right upper extremity need to be explained.
In discussion notes of first exam.
Reviewed things in detail. The picture is a bit confusing. He has upper motor neuron findings in the lower extremities some increased insertional activity but no fascilations however, which are unequivocably abnormal, and clearly it is important to exclude some sort of a cervical process contributing to that as well.
In discussion notes of second exam.
Those are some of the key things I noticed in the report, but of course I am not in the medical field so much of it I simply do not understand. And can't tell if it is significant. I had blood labs done too but everything is in normal ranges.
So my parting questions on this post are:
Does this information mean it is unlikely that I have ALS?
If not, are there certain things that I can look for in these reports that can help point away from it?