IainC
New member
- Joined
- Oct 25, 2013
- Messages
- 2
- Reason
- Learn about ALS
- Country
- UK
- State
- Kent
- City
- Margate
Hi,
My wife is experiencing a number of the symptoms associated with ALS.
- She has a weak right hand (she finds it difficult to hold tweezers and scissors)
- She has difficulty walking as her right foot drops (both do this, but the left doesn't seem to be an issue)
- She says she has twitches all over her body - particularly her back. These don't seem to happen all the time and usually after she has been to the physio
- The physio has noticed wasting in her right shoulder muscle and her right hand (we can see the right hand, but the shoulder is obvious)
- Today she told me her lip feels numb a bit like when you visit the dentist and she sometimes has to think about how she says things. I haven't noticed any difference in her speah though.
She also has Reynards syndrome and we have noticed her spine and vertebrae in her neck are pronounced (which we hadn't seen before).
We visited a neurologist (a very good one as it happens). He did a lot of tests and said her reflexes were all normal and symetrical, her strength was OK and symetrical (although in the last week we think there is a difference) and her MRI on her brain was normal (she hasn't had one on her spine. The Bablinski Effect was not present. She could walk heel to toe, but not on tip toes or her heels.
He suggested she return to the physio as he didn't think the condition was neurological...the physio suggested we go back again as he thinks it is. We are trying to do this at the moment.
She is now playing the piano, so there is some dexterity in her hands.
The symptoms probably started in June / July but were so subtle we didn't notice until September.
I guess I am wondering if I am putting too much emphasis on the normal and symetrical reflexes and the lack of the Bablinski sign - the neurologist tested just about every one.
My wife is experiencing a number of the symptoms associated with ALS.
- She has a weak right hand (she finds it difficult to hold tweezers and scissors)
- She has difficulty walking as her right foot drops (both do this, but the left doesn't seem to be an issue)
- She says she has twitches all over her body - particularly her back. These don't seem to happen all the time and usually after she has been to the physio
- The physio has noticed wasting in her right shoulder muscle and her right hand (we can see the right hand, but the shoulder is obvious)
- Today she told me her lip feels numb a bit like when you visit the dentist and she sometimes has to think about how she says things. I haven't noticed any difference in her speah though.
She also has Reynards syndrome and we have noticed her spine and vertebrae in her neck are pronounced (which we hadn't seen before).
We visited a neurologist (a very good one as it happens). He did a lot of tests and said her reflexes were all normal and symetrical, her strength was OK and symetrical (although in the last week we think there is a difference) and her MRI on her brain was normal (she hasn't had one on her spine. The Bablinski Effect was not present. She could walk heel to toe, but not on tip toes or her heels.
He suggested she return to the physio as he didn't think the condition was neurological...the physio suggested we go back again as he thinks it is. We are trying to do this at the moment.
She is now playing the piano, so there is some dexterity in her hands.
The symptoms probably started in June / July but were so subtle we didn't notice until September.
I guess I am wondering if I am putting too much emphasis on the normal and symetrical reflexes and the lack of the Bablinski sign - the neurologist tested just about every one.