picmike77
New member
- Joined
- Sep 18, 2020
- Messages
- 4
- Reason
- Learn about ALS
- Diagnosis
- 00/0000
- Country
- US
- State
- IL
- City
- Chicago
Hello,
I've been lurking on this website for a while as my my symptoms progressed. I am a 27 y/o male with no family history.
Basically about 2.5 months ago I noticed some decreased fine motor skills in my left hand that manifested as difficulty picking up and maneuvering small objects in that hand. Around the same time I noticed decreased power in my left quad when pushing off. A few weeks later it spread to my right side. It is more difficult to lift my right foot than it used to and my right quad seems weaker. I can still walk mostly normal, walk on my heels and toes (although it is more difficult on my right foot), and I'm not tripping or falling. My right hand has gotten weaker as well and it's more difficult doing things like typing, brushing my teeth, shaving etc with my right hand. It's not impossible to do these things in fairness just noticeably more difficult. I've also noticed some minor difficulty in swallowing and shortness of breath but no discernible language changes. I also have widespread fasciculations that are more common on my right side but are all over that started a few weeks after symptom onset. My right arm has seemed to slowly get slightly weaker as well over the last month or so. This mainly manifests itself as objects feeling heavier and it getting tired much more quickly.
I went to the neuro, who is a neuromuscular specialist who has dealt with als patients before, in late September and he didn't seem very concerned and couldn't detect any clinical weakness. I felt at the time like my reflexes were brisk but he felt they were normal so I would have to defer to his judgement on that. I got an emg on both arms that came back clean also in late September.
After the appointments I felt better, mentally, and assumed it was probably just in my head but the symptoms seem to continue progressing and I am concerned. I can still do everything that I would normally do it's just more difficult and seems to be getting worse.
Sometimes I worry I've gone insane given what the neuro said and the emg but it's hard to ignore the symptoms.
Please let me know your thoughts and thank you so much to anyone who takes the time to read this. I am very scared.
I've been lurking on this website for a while as my my symptoms progressed. I am a 27 y/o male with no family history.
Basically about 2.5 months ago I noticed some decreased fine motor skills in my left hand that manifested as difficulty picking up and maneuvering small objects in that hand. Around the same time I noticed decreased power in my left quad when pushing off. A few weeks later it spread to my right side. It is more difficult to lift my right foot than it used to and my right quad seems weaker. I can still walk mostly normal, walk on my heels and toes (although it is more difficult on my right foot), and I'm not tripping or falling. My right hand has gotten weaker as well and it's more difficult doing things like typing, brushing my teeth, shaving etc with my right hand. It's not impossible to do these things in fairness just noticeably more difficult. I've also noticed some minor difficulty in swallowing and shortness of breath but no discernible language changes. I also have widespread fasciculations that are more common on my right side but are all over that started a few weeks after symptom onset. My right arm has seemed to slowly get slightly weaker as well over the last month or so. This mainly manifests itself as objects feeling heavier and it getting tired much more quickly.
I went to the neuro, who is a neuromuscular specialist who has dealt with als patients before, in late September and he didn't seem very concerned and couldn't detect any clinical weakness. I felt at the time like my reflexes were brisk but he felt they were normal so I would have to defer to his judgement on that. I got an emg on both arms that came back clean also in late September.
After the appointments I felt better, mentally, and assumed it was probably just in my head but the symptoms seem to continue progressing and I am concerned. I can still do everything that I would normally do it's just more difficult and seems to be getting worse.
Sometimes I worry I've gone insane given what the neuro said and the emg but it's hard to ignore the symptoms.
Please let me know your thoughts and thank you so much to anyone who takes the time to read this. I am very scared.