Seeking Positive Support for Injury Recovery

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MadamShiva

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Hi, ( looking for some positive encouragement).Yesterday I went to the doc because 1 month ago I hurt my left knee. I walked with a cane for 3 weeks so I didn't use my left leg much. Its been 5 days that I don't use a cane anymore because my knee is better. The doc measured my left upper leg and its 2cm smaller than my right one. Also, when I comtract the leg, you see continuous fasiculations ( like a ripple effect ).I am terrified that this comfirms my fears of ***. He referred me to a neuro but the wait is about 4 month.In the meantime, I will die of fear and anxiety.Can anybody please give some some words encouragement.In a very dark place :(
 
2 cm difference in upper leg circumpherence - and what the doctor said?natural difference in the upper leg (one of the biggest muscle in the body usually) could be well about 1-2 inches in the adult people. In the person who did not used his leg too much for the last three weeks, it would be expected to have something like that or even more.As for the ripples, suppose your doctor had referred you to neuro due to that symptome, but most probably it would be a spinal issue not ALS.Did the doctor said something to confirm your fears - I mean not your own ideas (they are well biased to ALS already), but what the doctor said referring you to neurologist? Stay stick on that, not on what you believe may happen to your body.Sorry for sounding a bit rude, but this si a safety rule for people like me and you. We can deliberately imagine even most crazy diagnoses and be sure about them, and this finally only makes a treatment less efficient and a cure becomes a real trial for the one who believes he or she is deadly sick.
 
Enzoli,You should see the differences between my left and right leg, more than 2 cm differences in circumference, You can see the difference even with a simple look at it. I also twitch a lot in that leg. Once I was in a state total panic after it started twitching non-stop like a machine gun for 12 hours at the exact place of the atrophy. In my case the atrophy is due to a knee injury 8 years ago. My leg never really recovered. My left leg is also weaker than the right one but it's non progressive, means it didn't change in months. So plz stop worrying. Your doctor doesn't seem to know a lot regarding neurological issues. Median age of ALS is 55 not 30. Maybe you should see another GP to be reassured...
 
really strange doctor :( 1 cm difference is really nothing, 2 cm too... I read Oliver Saks "A leg to stand on", and he reported that after he had his tigh muscle torn (and nerve also damaged), in few days he had 6 inches of circumpherence decrease - 6 INCHES, almost 15 cm is what I call a difference and atrophy!As for ALS, it hits people of all ages, except small childern who have their own lethal MND's, but for 20-30 years old people so called SMA (spinal muscle atrophy) seem to be more common case of MND, MS also strikes people around 30, ALS could be an issue at 40 BUT ABSOLUTE MAXIMUM is around 60-70 years old.There is still unclear connection between ALS (or similar disease) and young athletes (boxers, football and baseball players) but unless you are not a pro sportsmen, then your risk is very low.I am 44 by the way :)
 
1. You've twitched for 15 years.2. You have a historic fear of ALS.3. Your ALS 'symptoms' (note inverted commas!!) are in a leg that is recovering from a recent injury.Lots of reasons to believe that your fear and whatever is going on in your leg have led your anxious mind to conclude that something incredibly unlikely is a real possibility.Your doctor doesn't sound great and the wait for the neuro is unpleasant (to say the least!). I would go and see another doc, one who does a better job of explaining all the other reasons that you may have these symptoms and with whom you are very clear about the impact that the anxiety has had / is having on your life.Best of luck. GlowGreen
 

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