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infiniti23

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Moderators, please merge this to my previous thread if necessary, but thought this outline could help others who have health anxiety and how it can spiral out of control quickly. Here's my story:

1. Late June - severe muscle pain all over, admitted to hospital, CPK 3700, all bloodwork and MRI/CT scan fine.
2. Given prednisone and symptoms went away. Diagnosed with viral myositis. ALS never crossed my mind.
3. Went home, symptoms resolved, still worried about myositis. Maybe it's not acute, maybe it's polymyositis or dermatomyositis. I start noticing every sore feeling in my body worried it's coming back. Still no ALS fear.
4. Start reading about myositis disorders. About 25% of people with these have cancer that triggered it.
5. Worried I have cancer.
6. Go camping, drink no water for 4 days, only sodas and junk. Body is sore two days later. Anxiety creeps in. Go back to Neuro.
7. Neuro draws blood and prescribes high dose prednisone. Pain goes away. Prednisone symptoms appear. Anxious over facial swelling (like that matters).
8. Start further researching polymyositis.
9. Read paper about 7 patients diagnosed with polymyositis WHO DID NOT RESPOND TO PREDNISONE. Later diagnosed with ALS.
10. Oh crap, what if I have ALS? See the irrational fear considering I responded to pred.
11. Read ALS symptoms. One sympton is faciculations.
12. Faciculations begin the next day.
13. Left hand is sore, could be ALS right? Start looking at left hand. Muscles are slightly smaller than on dominant right hand. Oh crap, I might have ALS.
14. Start looking at left arm. Forearm muscles look noticably different than right arm. Must be atrophy.
15. Start measuring left forearm versus right. Oh goodness, left forearm is roughy 0.5" smaller diameter from the wrist all the way to bicep. Must be atrophy.
16. Start looking at old photos to see differences. Inconclusive.
17. Back to neuro, CPK is normal - confirms initial viral myositis diagnosis. Declines to run EMG.
18. Start working out. No noticable loss of strength, except I can do a rep or two less on left side than dominant side when I get deep into workout. Must be weakness.
19. Wake up the next day after the workout, my left arm is sorer than the right arm. Again, must be weakness. Certainly, it could be ALS right?
20. Starting coming off the prednisone and my emotional instability started to wane. I'm rational once again.

And I realize how stupid this anxiety has been. The fear can be crippling. Then I realize that ALS is TRULY CRIPPLING and I need to move on.

The mind/body connection is fascinating. Think less and live more.

Could I possibly have ALS? Maybe, but what's the value in worrying. IIWII.
 
I hope you took the time to read the stickies.

A right-handed person will have a larger and stronger right hand/arm.
 
"Think less and live more.
Could I possibly have ALS? Maybe, but what's the value in worrying. IIWII."

Congratulations on your journey back to mental stability. It is absolutely amazing how once the internet plants a thought, that thought can just grow and grow. As a psychiatrist told me about 50 years ago, "That which you fear most, you cause to happen." Scary hw powerful the mind is...

Once again, congratulations. Now just make sure you don't forget this lesson.
 
>Congratulations on your journey back to mental stability.

yes, congrats!
 
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