lrock
New member
- Joined
- Sep 25, 2013
- Messages
- 6
- Reason
- Learn about ALS
- Country
- US
- State
- Texas
- City
- Groves
I am a 47 year old woman who is on a low dose thyroid medicine and a hormone patch for menopause symptoms. It has been a very stressful summer for me with some health issues, had to redo mammogram to make sure everything was ok and have to have another look at my ovary in October. I have also had the stress of being with my mother in law when she passed away in August. When knew the time was getting close but I have never been through anything of this sort before.
My symptoms started with the following: September 10- My tongue felt very heavy in my mouth when I answered the phone at work. It only lasted a second but I kept saying my name to see if I was saying it weird.
That weekend when looked up tongue felt heavy what pops up but ALS. I tried to ignore this but the next day at church my left arm felt a little tingly. It has done this before and I though it was either my bra being too tight or it could be me holding my nook with my left hand at night and reading exclusively with that arm. That night went to say social and said soshal.
Monday Sept. 16 very conscious of speech. Felt like I was talking weird and trying to be very precise. Looked on ALS websites at work a little. Did not get much sleep.
Tuesday the 17 of September- Had a doctors appointment and looked on ALS forums here all day and by the time I got to doctor I was shaking and my voice was raspy. She talked to me about everything, told me she thinks I have postnasal drip causing the raspyness and some allergies, though I don't every remember suffering with them before. Told me she thinks nothing is wrong but she is sending me to neurologist to make sure and ease my anxiety.
Monday morning the 22 of September I went to say sausage and said saushage. I corrected it immediately. I correct every time I say something as I hear or feel it.
I have spent the past few days constantly checking my tongue, opening and closing my mouth, wondering if my tongue deviates or shakes. I have so much anxiety it is unreal. I am still raspy a week later and have a lot of mucus that I spit out or swallow. I have opened my jaw so much that my TMJ started again and my right jaw popped very loudly. The only other symptom I have is my thighs ache at night and have for a long time. Not always but some nights I take a tylenol.
Went to neurologist today and he listened to me talk for about 30 minutes, go through all of my symptoms and told me that I was too anxious and that I have to calm down. I told him that since I saw ALS I have been this crazy. We talked about my symptoms, he tested my reflexes, raise eyebrows, touch finger to nose etc. Said all of that was good looked ok. I asked if he needed to look in my mouth and he said no. He said he is going to do an EMG and that will tell him whatever he needs to know. He said he heard no slurring. There was actually a man talking in the waiting room and I could very distinctly hear him slurring words.
I told him I felt crazy and he then went through an extensive talk to me about women and stress and how he feels that from mid 40's to age 55 women start to really worry about their health and that at about 55 it appears to lessen. He thinks it may be hormonal as the body is changing so much and we are more focused on ourselves. He also told me he is going to do these tests and that hopefully tests rule out me being sick but that once this is done I have to try to find a way to calm myself so I can get to 55 and have the worries be over. He kind of laughed when he said this and so did I. He is going to do an MRI to make sure no stroke. And I went and did bloodwork for Myesthenia Gravis as he said this can cause hoarseness. Although he said mine is coming and going. I asked him if stress and anxiety can make your tongue feel heavy and he said anxiety can kill you, cause heart attacks etc. I go Tuesday for the EMG. He said he was going to do just the arms. I said not the tongue and he said well the arms will tell me what I need to know about the tongue. But he said he would stick the needle in the tongue or anywhere else I asked if it makes me not worry about ALS. That made me really laugh! He did tell me that he though I was quite young for ALS. I told him that the websites say 40 or middle age. He said he has had 2 and they were both older 70 and 80 something.
I liked him and I am going to wait for Tuesday and hope for the best. I just wish I could have the EMG tomorrow.
My symptoms started with the following: September 10- My tongue felt very heavy in my mouth when I answered the phone at work. It only lasted a second but I kept saying my name to see if I was saying it weird.
That weekend when looked up tongue felt heavy what pops up but ALS. I tried to ignore this but the next day at church my left arm felt a little tingly. It has done this before and I though it was either my bra being too tight or it could be me holding my nook with my left hand at night and reading exclusively with that arm. That night went to say social and said soshal.
Monday Sept. 16 very conscious of speech. Felt like I was talking weird and trying to be very precise. Looked on ALS websites at work a little. Did not get much sleep.
Tuesday the 17 of September- Had a doctors appointment and looked on ALS forums here all day and by the time I got to doctor I was shaking and my voice was raspy. She talked to me about everything, told me she thinks I have postnasal drip causing the raspyness and some allergies, though I don't every remember suffering with them before. Told me she thinks nothing is wrong but she is sending me to neurologist to make sure and ease my anxiety.
Monday morning the 22 of September I went to say sausage and said saushage. I corrected it immediately. I correct every time I say something as I hear or feel it.
I have spent the past few days constantly checking my tongue, opening and closing my mouth, wondering if my tongue deviates or shakes. I have so much anxiety it is unreal. I am still raspy a week later and have a lot of mucus that I spit out or swallow. I have opened my jaw so much that my TMJ started again and my right jaw popped very loudly. The only other symptom I have is my thighs ache at night and have for a long time. Not always but some nights I take a tylenol.
Went to neurologist today and he listened to me talk for about 30 minutes, go through all of my symptoms and told me that I was too anxious and that I have to calm down. I told him that since I saw ALS I have been this crazy. We talked about my symptoms, he tested my reflexes, raise eyebrows, touch finger to nose etc. Said all of that was good looked ok. I asked if he needed to look in my mouth and he said no. He said he is going to do an EMG and that will tell him whatever he needs to know. He said he heard no slurring. There was actually a man talking in the waiting room and I could very distinctly hear him slurring words.
I told him I felt crazy and he then went through an extensive talk to me about women and stress and how he feels that from mid 40's to age 55 women start to really worry about their health and that at about 55 it appears to lessen. He thinks it may be hormonal as the body is changing so much and we are more focused on ourselves. He also told me he is going to do these tests and that hopefully tests rule out me being sick but that once this is done I have to try to find a way to calm myself so I can get to 55 and have the worries be over. He kind of laughed when he said this and so did I. He is going to do an MRI to make sure no stroke. And I went and did bloodwork for Myesthenia Gravis as he said this can cause hoarseness. Although he said mine is coming and going. I asked him if stress and anxiety can make your tongue feel heavy and he said anxiety can kill you, cause heart attacks etc. I go Tuesday for the EMG. He said he was going to do just the arms. I said not the tongue and he said well the arms will tell me what I need to know about the tongue. But he said he would stick the needle in the tongue or anywhere else I asked if it makes me not worry about ALS. That made me really laugh! He did tell me that he though I was quite young for ALS. I told him that the websites say 40 or middle age. He said he has had 2 and they were both older 70 and 80 something.
I liked him and I am going to wait for Tuesday and hope for the best. I just wish I could have the EMG tomorrow.
