Neurology Appointment Outcome

Highlights Only
E

Ernzo88

Active member
Well I am back from my neurology appointment and this is what happened. I explained to her what had been going on and how things had progressed. She then asked a few questions such as if I had other symptoms such as headaches,trouble swallowing etc. I then stripped down to my boxers and she did some tests on my reflexes using that hammer thingy and something which looked like a tuning fork. As far as I could tell/know she did the babisky test but not the clonus test,even though I mentioned it.She said that she did not think that it was that probable it was serious but still thought it was a good idea if I was to have an EMG and EEG in 6 weeks. She also suggested that my meds could be causing some of the problems so I am having to wean myself off of the meds I am taking and introduce a new one. I was also advised to start taking multivitamins.I had the following blood tests done:-B12FolateThyroidHIV (worrying as I can't see any reason this should be needed)CoeliacLyme (Berelia)BorreliaBurgdorferiMineral & VitaminsGlucoseSo now its just a waiting game (Not my strong point) until I find out the results of the blood tests and eventually the EEG & EMG. Hopefully it will not be as bad as I feared,though obviously I will not know for sure until the EMG results come in. So because its 6 weeks away I am going to go the docs and try to get some medication to help relieve the anxiety,get some sleep and something to stop the nausea. I need these as I am often going 2+ days without sleep and the nausea/loss in appetite & possible underlying cause,have caused me to lose around 21lbs in weight. I won't know if there is an underlying cause to the weight loss until I start eating properly/regularly again.Hopefully it will not be anything bad and that whatever IS causing my horrid symptoms can be sorted out,as I don't know how long I could go on feeling as I do.
 
Noodle, good day I would say. Dont worry about the emg, and emg is used to confirm the diagnosis of ALS, any Neuro worth there weight in salt will spot it in the clinical exam. The emg may be for your piece of mind, or looking for a nerve impairment or something else, but I hope you can be a little more at ease. Being convinced you have ALS is an overwelming existence, breath a little easier, your emg will be fine. I was a little harsh in my post to you the other day, I apologize for that, this site is here to support others, it just seemed that you would not entertain any of the many supporting posts you were getting, I started to get the feeling you were just messing with the site. Either way, you are by far one of the most interesting characters I have seen on this site.
 
Noodle,You made it! I told you! For as tough as you've been feeling and all that you have been explaining to us on this forum, there is no way that your neurologist would not have found something on the clinical exam. You are exhausted, you are weak from your lack of sleep and weight loss and you need to get on some good medication that will help you with both! I also agree with the Klonopin. That is what I take and one of the more pleasant side effects is that it does help with the muscle activity. It works to calm the nerves. I lost over 20 pounds when I went through the thick of it. Wish I could have kept a few pounds of it off, but I will take the weight back gladly because it means that I have control again and you will too! Now try to get some rest and relax your mind! StacyDance
 
They are making me wait 6 weeks as that is the way the NHS works. I would hope that if she susepcted something v.bad she would have sent me asap,but knowing this country you can never say. Could quite possibly turn out that there is something wrong. Obviously the 6 week wait is not something I need.I would like to be more at ease but the symptoms have not eased off and some have got worse. I have started getting ache/crampy feelings in my feet (mainly the right) and pins and needles/soreness in my left hand. The most disturbing thing though is the problem I have with eating,nausea and my weight.Over the last week or so I have eaten virtually nothing,as I have felt Nauseous and when food is put in front of me I feel worse. However the most worrying aspect is that I have a couple of mouthfulls and I feel full/sick and I have to stop eating. I did this yesterday and then after I finished the tiny bit of food I ate I developed some horrible sensation in the middle of my abdomen as if something was pushing up underneath my ribs.So as a result I have yet again not been to sleep (it's now 8am) and I am waiting to phone my GP practice in 30 mins to arrange an emergency appointment for today as I need to try and find out why I can't eat. I feel so bad,i am getting to the point where I am just thinking to myself that I wish whatever is wrong would either clear up and go away or just hurry up and finish me off.Tom there may be people who do such things,but I am not one of those and I depise anyone that would do such a thing for a laugh. Illness is never a laughing matter,I have seen more than enough to know how serious it is and can be and the effects it has on everybody concerned.I hope they will be able to do something at the GP practice but the way my luck is going I doubt it. As they say it never rains but it pours.Ciao
 
Raindog, nothing in this world is free, your paying for it, trust me. As far as the US denying medical care to people without insurance, nothing could be farther from the truth, it is against the law to deny people medical care, that is why so many people, mostly illegally in this country do not even bother to attempt to get insurance, they just go to the ER everytime they get a runny nose. Dont get me wrong, I love the Uk, I just do not want your nationalized health insurance program in this country. I would prefer not to have some government yoo yoo would could not run the corner quicky market running the health care system. Just look at Obama, here is a guy who has never been in charge of anything in his life, and now his in charge of the United States of America, is this a great country or what.The less government is in charge of, the better. Anytime they get there hands on something it takes 5 times as along and costs 5 times as much.
 
The thing is both systems have their good and bad points. Yes the NHS is free,but it is run very inefficiently, by inept individuals/departments and when mistakes are made,of which there are many,those responisble never get punished which is criminal. Then you have the US where what level of care you get it dependent on how good your insurance is. This may not be a good thing for those on a very low income,however whatever access to medical care you get,you know that they are going to do their best to treat you as if any mistake is made they will face litigation and be punished.From my own personal view,if I did not have a myriad of illnesses making it hard to get insurance in the first place and I had a decent income,I would definitely get private medical insurance as I would trust them a lot more than a bunch of "Untouchables" who have nothing to lose from bad practices.Anyway I went to my GP and she arranged some further blood tests as well as a test for helicobacter pylori. My epilepsy meds were changed,I have been put on multivitamins and she has given me a small supply of Zopiclone to try and help me get some sleep.Hopefully one of these tests will find what is going on,as I would hate to still be wondering and feeling as bad/worse than I do now when the EMG & EEG come around.My legs just feel horrible all the time. Achey in certain spots (mainly my right quad),weak and fatigued and thats before the twitching starts. Yesterday I had to explain to the Neurologist where & when I was getting the twitches and what they felt like. I then had to explain to her about often not being able to see them with the naked eye,or feel them with my hand but that I could still feel lem going off. Before I even got on the couch I knew that I would lay there and I would not get any and hey presto,not one! Then today when I am going to the docs on the bus,am in the surgery and even tonight they are going off all the time. Its like someone/something is trying to make me look like a looney.My left hand is now sore,achey and I keep getting various strange feelings in/around it. It seems that every few days,some new symptoms are popping up. It's like a lucky dip wherby when I wake in the morning I have no idea of how bad I am going to feel or what new symptom I may start experiencing.
 
Looks like the all clear Noodle! She will do the EMG just to rule out any of the .01% possibility that its the dreaded illness. :LOL: I hope you now know that some of us have been around a while as Basso said and have heard your story several times. Please start living your life with ALS out of your mind. Yes it is something but it's is not ALS. Good luck!
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 1 (members: 0, guests: 1)
Back
Top