It has been 7 months since my official diagnosis (and a year since the preliminary diagnosis) and I thought I would post an ALS update.
To date, the only issue I can detect is the loss of a larger percentage of my fine motor skills in my left (non-dominant) hand. Everything else appears normal, or a reasonable facsimile thereof. I have been asked several times what that means, exactly. Well, the best way to describe the loss of my fine motor skills would be to have you put on a heavy winter glove on your non-dominant hand and try to do simple things like button a shirt, zip a zipper, open and close a zipper baggie, tie your shoes, or fasten your jeans. It can be done but you will have some difficulty. Since I cannot manipulate small objects, I have to adjust, which is like learning to do it all over again.
I have ZERO pinch strength in my left hand causing me a lot of issues when I have to grip things with both hands (like a zipper baggie, or tear open a bag of chips). I tend to use my teeth as a substitute for my left hand when I can (sorry Dr. Weyandt) which speeds things up but if what I am doing is for someone else, they probably should do the opening. Also using my left hand for washing is cumbersome and awkward without the coordination I used to have
My hand grip is limited but is still useful with the aid of multi-tools/pliers which are quickly becoming my friends.
Typing has been reduced to a lot of improper form but fortunately I don't have to type a large amount each day.
All that being said, I feel good overall. My sleep schedule has been altered but that is only because our new dog wants to go use the bathroom at 3 or 4 in the morning and since I get up at 5, it really does not pay to try to go back to sleep. I end up getting pretty sleepy by 9 PM and rarely do I stay up past 10.
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