fleish
New member
- Joined
- Mar 26, 2020
- Messages
- 2
- Reason
- Learn about ALS
- Diagnosis
- 00/0000
- Country
- US
- State
- OK
- City
- Tulsa
Hello to you all. First off, I must thank you who allow this forum to exist, and for the sympathetic ear to at the very least listen and inform.
As I am posting in a sub-forum that doesn't tolerate hysteria, I would like to preface my story by saying I am simply wanting clarity. Of course, that's a silly thing to say here, because we're all wanting clarity in our lives. Nevertheless I will continue:
On 2/22 I noticed my left foot was weaker on the push off when walking. In typing "floppy foot" in google, I of course gazed into the abyss of neuromuscular self-diagnosis, and certainly didn't like what I saw. I also noticed weaker ring and pinky fingers on my left hand the next day, and a strange sensation of a lump in my throat. Being a pragmatist, I visited my PCP that week and asked for a referral to a neurologist as to help remove my fears. I was referred (after he and I talking the the ALS association of Oklahoma) to the one neuro in Tulsa that specialized in diagnosing neuro-muscular conditions. I was scheduled and visited him about 2 weeks later, and on initial exam (pushing, pulling, looking for asymmatry, etc), he said he couldn't find any signs of anything. He also had me give blood for various tests he wanted conducted, just to rule anything out. He then scheduled an NSC and EMG for me the next week.
He conducted the NSC and EMG on my left leg and left arm, and found nothing out of the ordinary at all (he was very good at conducting these tests, in that he explained to me each area he placed the patches and needles, what the sounds (or lack thereof) meant, and how each area mattered. Needless to say I was very happy with the results! Apologies, I don't mean to sound too excited on that part, as I know there are those less fortunate than I.
So, why am I even here is the question you will surely ask.
Well, since this exam and EMG, I keep noticing some things on my throat that I'm wondering about. I will bullet these for time:
- Slight tightness around voicebox
- Not a difficulty swallowing either water nor food, but the focus on the swallowing that I never had before. Of course, that could be because I'm focused on the throat in general
- For a couple of days, I had a sensation in my left salivary gland below my tongue (by the bottom of my jawbone) that felt as if it was producing more saliva, but yet I never had anymore than normal come out. For one of those days there was an ache in that area.
- A feeling of a lump in my throat that would come and go. By come and go, it would stay for half a day, then leave for a little bit, then come back.
- Much more frequent burping!
- A sometimes slurring of my “s’s” that I notice, but no one else I talk to seems to notice.
- Just yesterday my gag reflex, which is highly sensitive (don't get me started on dental x-rays) seemed even more sensitive. I gagged at the end of drinking my morning breakfast smoothie, and when saying "ahhh" to examine my palate I would commence gagging at around 5-6 seconds. Hell, probably thinking about gagging and looking it up today has triggered the sensation of a more sensitive gag.
- No tongue twitching, and I can push my tongue on either side of my cheeks with good force.
Well, typing these "peculiarities" out I can see they might not add up to much. I've certainly been quite anxious in the time from the foot weakness and having my EMG, so some of this might have happened because of my anxiety.
My question (finally!), is should I get another examination of my bulbar area by my neuro? Would bulbar symptoms show up in an EMG conducted on the left arm and leg? I want to be sure so I can forge a new path towards evaluations and treatment of these throat symptoms.
Feel free to critique, provide insight, wonder aloud, or whatever you'd like. I'll take my answer off the air.
Thank you. This is probably just for my piece of mind, but I'd sure like that piece back.
Evan
As I am posting in a sub-forum that doesn't tolerate hysteria, I would like to preface my story by saying I am simply wanting clarity. Of course, that's a silly thing to say here, because we're all wanting clarity in our lives. Nevertheless I will continue:
On 2/22 I noticed my left foot was weaker on the push off when walking. In typing "floppy foot" in google, I of course gazed into the abyss of neuromuscular self-diagnosis, and certainly didn't like what I saw. I also noticed weaker ring and pinky fingers on my left hand the next day, and a strange sensation of a lump in my throat. Being a pragmatist, I visited my PCP that week and asked for a referral to a neurologist as to help remove my fears. I was referred (after he and I talking the the ALS association of Oklahoma) to the one neuro in Tulsa that specialized in diagnosing neuro-muscular conditions. I was scheduled and visited him about 2 weeks later, and on initial exam (pushing, pulling, looking for asymmatry, etc), he said he couldn't find any signs of anything. He also had me give blood for various tests he wanted conducted, just to rule anything out. He then scheduled an NSC and EMG for me the next week.
He conducted the NSC and EMG on my left leg and left arm, and found nothing out of the ordinary at all (he was very good at conducting these tests, in that he explained to me each area he placed the patches and needles, what the sounds (or lack thereof) meant, and how each area mattered. Needless to say I was very happy with the results! Apologies, I don't mean to sound too excited on that part, as I know there are those less fortunate than I.
So, why am I even here is the question you will surely ask.
Well, since this exam and EMG, I keep noticing some things on my throat that I'm wondering about. I will bullet these for time:
- Slight tightness around voicebox
- Not a difficulty swallowing either water nor food, but the focus on the swallowing that I never had before. Of course, that could be because I'm focused on the throat in general
- For a couple of days, I had a sensation in my left salivary gland below my tongue (by the bottom of my jawbone) that felt as if it was producing more saliva, but yet I never had anymore than normal come out. For one of those days there was an ache in that area.
- A feeling of a lump in my throat that would come and go. By come and go, it would stay for half a day, then leave for a little bit, then come back.
- Much more frequent burping!
- A sometimes slurring of my “s’s” that I notice, but no one else I talk to seems to notice.
- Just yesterday my gag reflex, which is highly sensitive (don't get me started on dental x-rays) seemed even more sensitive. I gagged at the end of drinking my morning breakfast smoothie, and when saying "ahhh" to examine my palate I would commence gagging at around 5-6 seconds. Hell, probably thinking about gagging and looking it up today has triggered the sensation of a more sensitive gag.
- No tongue twitching, and I can push my tongue on either side of my cheeks with good force.
Well, typing these "peculiarities" out I can see they might not add up to much. I've certainly been quite anxious in the time from the foot weakness and having my EMG, so some of this might have happened because of my anxiety.
My question (finally!), is should I get another examination of my bulbar area by my neuro? Would bulbar symptoms show up in an EMG conducted on the left arm and leg? I want to be sure so I can forge a new path towards evaluations and treatment of these throat symptoms.
Feel free to critique, provide insight, wonder aloud, or whatever you'd like. I'll take my answer off the air.
Thank you. This is probably just for my piece of mind, but I'd sure like that piece back.
Evan
