Life With ALS.com
+ Diagnosed Aug 2005
+ Bipap March 2007
+ PEG July 2007
+ Trache and Vent July 2008
Still Living, Loving & Laughing
Here are a few other things I have experienced that are not necessarily ALS related but could be because other PALS I correspond with have experienced them as well.
My attention span is a lot shorter than it was before. I lose concentration quickly and this is very different than what used to happen. I was always a multi-tasker, but not anymore.
This is a real and aggravating problem for most PALS, especially once we are immobile. I don’t know if it is a symptom of diminishing muscles and we can’t push any longer, but I personally think this is a major part of it. The problem is further compounded by inactivity.
It requires taking a stool softener like Milk of Magnesia.
Learning New Things
It is also really hard to learn new things and this is weird for me. It does not seem to affect what I already know, but to learn new things is a real challenge and very exhausting.
Smells were overwhelming and I had to leave the room. Just about any cooking smell made me nauseous and I had to leave the room, it was very disturbing and inconvenient. This passed once I got my trache and vent.
There is a lot of confusion regarding twitching - whether it is a sign of ALS or not.
Let me say this as clearly as possible. NO, it is NOT.
If you have ALS you will likely have twitching, but just because you have some twitching does not mean you have ALS or ever will. Everyone has twitching and not everyone has ALS! Twitching is not used in diagnosing ALS. (More)
A lot of us have experienced excessive yawning. It happens at the most inappropriate times and can’t be stopped. One yawn after another for an extended period of time before it does stop.
