Hi, Wright ... I don't think of not being able to turn a key or lift a kettle as a "major symptom," especially since I manage to do them all with a little ingenuity. I had no clue that I was getting weaker until I found that I could no longer do a few minor things like that.
What would be an interim sign that you would expect to see? I'm very curious about that. Since I have no sensations of weakness, what would you consider a red flag that would let me know that I'm losing strength in my hands? Would my knuckles turn purple? Would I grow hair on my palms? I just hate the thought that I'm not obsessing enough about my symptoms to meet this forum's standards of high anxiety.
Actually, as far as major and minor go, I consider losing the ability to speak to be a major symptom, not struggling to turn a key in a lock. And I consider losing lip seal, frequent drooling, my mouth drooping open and jaw hanging down, choking and aspirating liquids, respiratory failure requiring hospitalization and entubation, to be "major" symptoms.
This is just a crazy hunch, Wright, but I bet if you woke up tomorrow and discovered you couldn't speak coherently, and knew that you wouldn't ever be able to speak coherently again for the rest of your life, you might reevaluate what constitute "major" and "minor" symptoms. In my experience, losing speech and swallowing is a real impediment to daily life, no pun intended
. I have yet to figure out a way to accomplish them by other means, as I can with keys and locks and kettles.
Since I'm still functioning ... driving, shopping, working in my studio, housekeeping, cooking, doing Pilates, yardwork, and caring for my very ill husband ... and the only thing that is really affecting my lifestyle is my loss of speech and swallowing, I just deal with minor problems as they occur. If I have trouble turning a key, I figure out some other way to do it. If I can't lift a kettle, I make it lighter. Duh. Just trying to stay alive and do what I have to do. What a dummy !
Anyway, please give me a list of all the interim symptoms of impending weakness I have missed, and I'll schedule 15 minutes a day to look for them in the future, and pencil in another 5 minutes for intense worrying.
Hope that helps.