Mental Wellbeing and ALS: My Story

[taylormacmahon]

Been there. Saw a Therapist referred by my neurologist. Excercise every day. Tap my fingers, Walk on my heels/toe, run 5 miles, do 50 pushups, 75 leg lifts for each leg and have had twitching in calves and all over since Sept 03, and in hand and eye lid since 01. More I read the worse it got. Dad had ALS so am probably more psycho than most here. FYI, my 4 year old son is now doing what he thinks are "pushups" because he is copying his dad to try to become strong.

My "psychoness" comes and goes and if I truthfully look back it has waned over time, but there are flare ups when something new strikes like a weird buzzing or some cramps in feet/legs.

So hang in there. At my worst I was in a fetal position on the floor of my bedroom waiting for the neuro to call and tell me that my repeat CPK confirmed my worst fears, but instead he said it was normal, asked why I was home on a work day, and said "Dude, dont slip into a nervous breakdown your fine, destress yourself". I laughed.

 

[joeyate1]

man the fear of als is incredible and since you've seen the devastation first hand its real to you but from what i've read als has a very very small herridiatary factor. its funn y as hell how one twitch can take us to outr knees. a twitch to me has been more devastating than pain in my stomach. i thin k its tyhe idea of being in wheelchair and death that scare sus all. if i go i want to go fast no suffering. truth is youy ahve a better chance of getitng hit by car than getting als its so rare. think of it this way. 30k people with als is like 1//2 a small football stadium compared to this whole huge nation