Re: ALS fear - struggling
Please read THIS...
Positive thoughts
Re: ALS fear - struggling
Hi Fishman
Thank you loads for your reply. I've seen you're a very reassuring presence on this forum.
I did see that post actually. However, I've still managed to convince myself I've got ALS. I just hate how much control this is having.
Has anybody else with this fear experienced heaviness in their forearm? Is there anyway strength can be tested at home that would point away from ALS?
Sorry about this. I've lost a lot of sleep freaking out about the possibility I only have a couple of years left, erghhh.
Thanks again
Re: ALS fear - struggling
Again... perhaps you need to read this part over and over... Everything you speak of is about feeling....
Clinical Weakness—ALS is about failing, not feeling.
ALS is about failure—falling down, being unable to stand on your toes, being unable to button your shirt, being unable to lift your hand, etc. It is not about these things becoming more difficult. It is about these things being impossible… no matter how hard you try. If you can do normal things, but it is more difficult, you do not have ALS. If you used to be able to do 100 curls and now one arm can only do 50; that is not ALS. If you used to run 2 miles and now you can only run 1; that is not ALS. If you used to run 2 miles and now you can’t lift up one of your feet, you may have clinical weakness.
It really does happen that something stops working all of a sudden. It is generally one muscle so it will not be a whole limb but the movement done by that muscle is suddenly gone. An example is a calf raise. It won't happen. Think of it like your wifi signal. You are surfing the net, then signal is lost and you can't do anything online no matter how hard you try or how long you wait for a page to load. This is what happens to a muscle in beginning ALS it has lost the signal from the nervous system that tells it to work
Positive thoughts
Re: ALS fear - struggling
Thanks again Fishman.
I try and hold onto this piece of information as reassurance that I may not have ALS. However, I have read of stories where people have only experienced cramps or gradual weakness which has me concerned.
Sorry, I don't mean to sound negative, I'm just hating how much this is affecting me right now. I wish I could escape this hell hole.
Re: ALS fear - struggling
You don't have ALS but I do hope you feel better soon.
FMP
Re: ALS fear - struggling
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Worried_91
Thanks again Fishman.
I try and hold onto this piece of information as reassurance that I may not have ALS. However, I have read of stories where people have only experienced cramps or gradual weakness which has me concerned.
Your HA mind will not hold onto what Fish has told you. You will have forgotten that altogether in a few days (or even hours)
There will always be stories like this, some first hand, some second or third hand but you don't know if they are true and even if they are - you don't have all the facts.
Quote:
I wish I could escape this hell hole.
You can escape, but you need to first understand that it's you who is keeping you in this hell hole.
Re: ALS fear - struggling
This is very true, thank you Nora.
Just wondering, I've been having odd sensations in my left arm. If it were als how long would it take to go from one arm to another?
Re: ALS fear - struggling
You don't have ALS so you don't need to wonder about these things.
Are you getting any help for the HA?
Re: ALS fear - struggling
I'm experience what feels like nerve pain in my left arm, it's so frustrating!
I am taking citalopram 20mg. I was seeing a therapist but my HA had calmed a lot buy now its in high gear