Huskermom1
Member
- Joined
- Feb 13, 2011
- Messages
- 15
- Reason
- CALS
- Country
- US
- State
- TX
- City
- Houston
Husband is in testing phase. Doc appt tomorrow to follow up on the 43 blood tests ordered and for the thoracic MRI (which was the last part of the spine to be done since all this started.)
I know the MRI is clean except for encroachment on C6-C7 to which he is being treated. EMG from the past shows nothing. (but he wasn't displaying UMN symptoms at that time, either--he is now)
FYI: He suffered two Grand Mal seizures last week with each one resulting in status epilepticus (more than two in row) It resulted in a change in his medicine and he has been "stable" ever since.
Now my concern: My husband suffered from bronchitis for the first time in his life this past Jan/Feb. He is a smoker and not overweight. Since that time, I feel he hasn't fully recovered. His breathing becomes labored and loud at simple tasks. For example, last night, he walked to the bathroom and back to bed. He was breathing loud, fast, and was attempting to take deep breaths. He, then, coughed a wet cough, and started to slow his breathing down. I have caught him at various times trying to take deep breaths in and he blames it on smoking.
Another concern: Ever since one of his seizure episodes last week, his speech appears to be slurred more than ever. Numerous times on the phone, I have had to ask if he had been drinking and say, "What did you say?" because I couldn't understand him. He blames this on a speech impediment since childhood and because his dad had speech problems. In fact, he's sounding more like his dad. To me, his speech has changed but he denies the difficulty of saying things--but I HEAR it!
I've read that seizures and ALS don't really go hand in hand, so I am assuming that two different things are going on with my husband. However, I have read that seizures can ignite from the same centers of the brain as UMND can. So is it possible that they can be related?
Another question: Is this how ALS affects speaking and breathing or should is it more the mechanics of swallowing?
I know the MRI is clean except for encroachment on C6-C7 to which he is being treated. EMG from the past shows nothing. (but he wasn't displaying UMN symptoms at that time, either--he is now)
FYI: He suffered two Grand Mal seizures last week with each one resulting in status epilepticus (more than two in row) It resulted in a change in his medicine and he has been "stable" ever since.
Now my concern: My husband suffered from bronchitis for the first time in his life this past Jan/Feb. He is a smoker and not overweight. Since that time, I feel he hasn't fully recovered. His breathing becomes labored and loud at simple tasks. For example, last night, he walked to the bathroom and back to bed. He was breathing loud, fast, and was attempting to take deep breaths. He, then, coughed a wet cough, and started to slow his breathing down. I have caught him at various times trying to take deep breaths in and he blames it on smoking.
Another concern: Ever since one of his seizure episodes last week, his speech appears to be slurred more than ever. Numerous times on the phone, I have had to ask if he had been drinking and say, "What did you say?" because I couldn't understand him. He blames this on a speech impediment since childhood and because his dad had speech problems. In fact, he's sounding more like his dad. To me, his speech has changed but he denies the difficulty of saying things--but I HEAR it!
I've read that seizures and ALS don't really go hand in hand, so I am assuming that two different things are going on with my husband. However, I have read that seizures can ignite from the same centers of the brain as UMND can. So is it possible that they can be related?
Another question: Is this how ALS affects speaking and breathing or should is it more the mechanics of swallowing?