Naked Science Forum

Life Sciences => Physiology & Medicine => Topic started by: Pseudoscience-is-malarkey on 30/11/2023 15:27:56

Title: Does my mother possibly have ALS?
Post by: Pseudoscience-is-malarkey on 30/11/2023 15:27:56

Last February my 74-year-old mother got surgery for her severe spinal stenosis and her recovery has not been great. She still feels weak and stuff walking around, and uses the walker her mom (my grandmother) used during the last few years of her life. Today she is getting an electromyography to rule out ALS. I explained to her how rare motor neurone disease is and that worrying about it has no benefit whatsoever. My mother, as her mother before her, lived a very active life and looks much younger than she actually is. So, you can see how awful it is for someone like her to have mobility problems..
ALS used to be a relatively unheard of disease until a decade ago with the the wave of viral Ice Bucket Challenge videos on YouTube. Now (for better or worse) almost everyone knows about this incurable menace and worry about having it or not. This, and the fact that my mom's partner died of ALS 13 years ago, will naturally produce these fears in one's mind.

Title: Re: Does my mother possibly have ALS?
Post by: paul cotter on 30/11/2023 15:59:39

While I sympathise with your difficult family situation nobody here can answer your question. As far as I know one of our contributors is a medic but diagnosis online is simply not possible. Wishing your mom all the best.

Title: Re: Does my mother possibly have ALS?
Post by: Pseudoscience-is-malarkey on 30/11/2023 17:26:48

If I had known that electromyography results are instant, I would have not posted this question. Anywho, she is fine. ALS has been ruled out.

Title: Re: Does my mother possibly have ALS?
Post by: paul cotter on 30/11/2023 19:10:50

Glad to hear that, mnd in it's various forms is a dire diagnosis.