Tag Archives: EMG

3 Hours of Tests Today

Day by Day with a Movement Disorder Posted on by 4

The Bradykinesia (slow walking) continues, so today I went to UAB in Birmingham and had a Nerve Conduction Velocity Test, a complete Jolly’s Test, and an EMG (Electromyogram). It took 3 hours to complete all the testing, and that involved some fairly uncomfortable electrical stimulation in the Nerve Conduction Test and some very uncomfortable electrical shocks during the Jolly Test. The EMG is mildly uncomfortable, but they did that last, and by then I was so stressed and tired that it was not pleasant, either.

I’ve had variations of these tests before, so at least I knew about what to expect. I’m glad I didn’t realize ahead of time that I was having the Jolly Test, as it was extremely painful last time. It still wasn’t easy, but it wasn’t as bad as it was the first time I had it done. This test was more complete than the other Jolly Test I had, testing the eyelid muscles, the neck muscles, as well as the hand and arm muscles. The NCVT was done on my right leg and arm, as was the EMG.

A technician did the NCVT and Jolly Test, but two doctors did the EMG. They said the NCVT and Jolly Test looked normal, but the EMG showed signs of polyphasia. I tried researching that, but couldn’t tell much about what that meant, and of course they didn’t elaborate. They said it would be up to the Neuromuscular Specialist to decide if I needed a muscle biopsy, based on the results of these tests.

So, we still don’t know anything, but maybe in a couple of weeks we’ll get some indication of what the specialist thinks might be going on. We sure hope so.

The Long Awaited Appointment

Day by Day with a Movement Disorder Posted on by 10

We’ve waited several months for an appointment to see the Neuromuscular Specialist at UAB, and I finally saw him Friday. We had spent the better part of a week going from doctor to doctor collecting every medical record we could to either FAX to them or bring with us. I had updated all my own medical history information that I keep on my computer and took that with me, too. All the paperwork made a stack over an inch high.

The doctor was very pleasant, but his English was difficult to understand, and at times I think he was having difficulty understanding me. He asked a lot of questions, did a very brief test of muscle strength, walking, and balance abilities. He gave me a prescription for Lyrica, which he said would help with the muscle weakness and fatigue. And he ordered an EMG. That’s the test where they put needles in your legs and measure the electrical signal between the needles to see if the muscles are working properly. I’ve had that test done twice – one was abnormal and one was normal – but that was some years ago. He also mentioned I might need a muscle biopsy. 

And that was it.

We left feeling like nothing had been accomplished. I have to wait on them to mail me the appointment time for the EMG, so I don’t know how long it will be before that’s done. And the doctor’s office won’t decide when to see me again until the EMG has been analyzed, so that’s up in the air, too.

And now I’m taking the Lyrica, which is leaving me so looped that you would think I was drunk! I’ll give it a few more days to see if these initial side effects wear off, but there’s no way I can take it if this continues. It’s an anti-seizure medicine, just as my Primidone was, but I’m not having the Myoclonic jerks any more. I told the doctor that several times, but each time he would say that it would help with the weakness and fatigue. 

I wish I could say I had confidence in him at this time, but I don’t right now. Very frustrating, as I’m sure he’s a top notch doctor – he wouldn’t be at UAB if he weren’t. It’s the language situation that makes me feel doubtful. 

So I continue to walk slowly and awkwardly, and now I’m drunk to boot! LOL!! And disappointed, although I knew they would want to do more tests – they always do. It’s just been a long year of doctor visits and tests and more tests, and we’re no closer to finding out what’s going on with me than we were back in April.

Been to the Physiatrist and I’m Still Very Busy

Day by Day with a Movement Disorder Posted on by 9

I saw the Physiatrist yesterday. He’s the doctor who had to review my records before he would agree to even see me. As it turns out, oddly enough, he is the person who did my original EMG and Nerve Velocity Tests.

I was extremely pleased that he did a complete checkup, rather than just asking about my neck. He went through a complete neurological exam, but didn’t venture much as to what he thought was wrong, other than to say Dr. Watts was the one who would be able to say what is going on. He did say he was sure I had some kind of Movement Disorder, but he didn’t think it was Parkinson’s, either.

He went over some options for the neck pain that has persisted since November. We agreed to try the least possible first, particularly since I will see Dr. Watts in less than three weeks. It’s hard to imagine that something I’ve waited so long for is almost here! Anyway, the Physiatrist gave me a prescription for Lidoderm patches that I cut and apply to the trigger points of this pain. They are basically Novacaine that goes through the skin to the muscle. He felt like I would not have any stomach problems by doing it that way.

I put half on the top of my shoulder near the neck and the other half just below the shoulder blade, next to the spine. Those are the spots that really scream if I sit or stand unsupported for very long. Even the time to wash a full sink of dishes or eat a meal at the table is usually enough to set it off, and sitting on the church pews has been very uncomfortable.

I felt a little bit light headed soon after putting the patch on, but that could have been for any number of reasons, as I had not eaten breakfast yet. I am hurting now, but maybe not as bad as usual. Obviously, one day’s use can’t calm down this spasm, so I will just have to see how I do. The prescription is for 3 months worth, and thank goodness I have Medicare and good insurance, as it was listed at over $500!

I’ve been going around in circles lately trying to get a whole lot of things accomplished all at once, and not getting much finished at all. We have started on our taxes, but there are some parts that I must work on before the exact number can go in the form. I’ve been doing them with software for years, but this time my hubby sat down next to me and we went over each part together. That helped me stay calm, plus he needs to know how it’s done.

I’m also trying really hard to get as many of our toys in our online catalog as I possibly can, and I have run into several road blocks I had not anticipated. I had to learn how to use a Shopping Cart program, upload and download files to Google and our ISP to make a searchable data base, and I have been driven half crazy trying to get the catalog to show up properly in Google Base. OK, I know if you are not using the programs yourself that was just a bunch of gobbledygook – but they were very confusing to me, too, and I am definitely not learning new things as quickly as I once did.

I’ve had printer problems and had to buy a new one yesterday, so I couldn’t mail out some orders today, because I hadn’t figured out how to set up the network part of it. That actually worked pretty well, once I did understand the directions, and it even has an answering machine and fax included in it! I feel like I have my own home office now.

Our Search Service is keeping me extremely busy, too, and we have made a few sales from it, as well as helping several very happy parents find the lovie they needed, whether we made the sale or someone else did. I am pretty much caught up with answering the initial request, but I am miserably behind at getting the ones I could not find turned into blog posts.

I feel bad about that, as some of these parents sound so desperate, but hubby is still computer phobic, and that leaves this part of the business entirely up to me. He’s great at scouring the yard sales and thrift stores several times a week when he goes out on his own, and we thoroughly enjoy our Friday Date Day, and he helps a lot with the packing. He takes everything to the Post Office, too, and he has a lot of input about how to do the business side of selling. He just doesn’t want anything to do with the computer part.

Well, enough about all that. It just goes to show that I am staying busy with lots of different parts of my life – and our messy house proves it. Something had to give – so…..

Hopefully it won’t be so long before I post again.

Diagnosis is Taking Too Loooooong!!!

Day by Day with a Movement Disorder Posted on by  

I went to the Neurologist again yesterday, and was disappointed with the visit, to tell the truth. I know he’s a busy man, because we purposefully picked the very best Neurologist we could get. But I feel like he’s so busy that this whole process of diagnosing is dragging on interminably, because the appointments are so far apart, and so little seems to be accomplished each time I see him. It’s that last part that has me disappointed.

He wanted us to get the full study from the doctor who did the EMG, so he could read through it. If his nurse had called us prior to yesterday’s visit, we could already have gotten it, and he could have had that already done. As it is, he still doesn’t know if he will want me to undergo that test again, so I’m feeling very frustrated. We went and got the report and brought it straight back to Dr. S’s office, and I have another appointment in two weeks.

He did say, after looking at the MRI that we had taken to him of my last lumbar vertebrae series, that he now agrees with the Orthopedic doctor that my Peripheral Neuropathy was not caused by my Degenerative Disk Disease. So, it’s not my brain, and it’s not my back.

He had a lot of blood tests done, and I have to do a 24 hour urine catch on Sunday/Monday and return the jug to the lab Monday. That’s to test for heavy metals, since we do live within a quarter of a mile of an EPA toxic waste site that’s cleaned up now, but we lived here many of the years the factory was in operation.

It’s looking more and more like he thinks I have Parkinson’s, even though I’m not exhibiting a lot of the typical symptoms.

Of course, I’m still holding out that it’s just from all the stress I’ve been under and still am under. I’m writing this post from my 101 year old Daddy’s house. He usually stays by himself, and I come in to fix breakfast and supper. Meals on Wheels brings lunch. We call him during the day, and that is usually enough, but he was awfully weak this morning and hurting in his back, so I’ve stayed with him today, and I’ll spend the night here.

This whole business of every step feeling like I was dragging my feet through molasses started sometime last October, but our DD was in the hospital then, and I was staying with her, so I put off doing anything about it until March. The epidurals the Orthopedic Dr. prescribed did a great job of getting rid of the pain, but the walking did not improve. So here I am, and it’s September, almost a year later, and I’m still wading through mud with every step. Let’s just say my patience is wearing pretty thin.

A Personal Journal

Day by Day with a Movement Disorder Posted on by  

I’ve been waiting for six weeks to see Dr. S to find out what he thinks is wrong with my legs. I tried to remember everything I could that he might possibly need to know about my past history. I still forgot to tell him about the Bolt Factory and the functional dysphonia diagnosis I had before I quit teaching. I also forgot to tell him that I taught Chemistry for a few years, but I really don’t think that has anything to do with it at all. I did give his nurse my notes about that when we took the old back films to them. But I’m still forgetting to tell them about Uncle Bill!!

He did the kinds of hammering around that I expected and said that I definitely had diminished responses in my legs, but the upper body responses seemed normal. He was sorry that the EMG I had already had did not include any tests of the upper body and wants to repeat that test. He watched me walk, asked DH if I were that slow with everything I did, which I’m not. I did tell him I feel the shakes at times with my hands. I definitely have trouble handling pills and money, and my memory is not as good as it used to be, either, but then I’m not as young as I used to be, either.

I told him about the MRI Dr. Stan had done years ago that showed increased CSF pressure and the negative Babinski test, so he wants a repeat of the brain MRI.

He showed us what a Parkinson’s walk typically looks like, and that’s not what I’m doing. I’m not walking like the typical Peripheral Neuropathy either, so that’s the puzzle of it. I told him about my concerns that it might be psychosomatic from worrying about DD so much and being with her through all her PN hospitalizations. He said that would be the diagnosis of last resort, if I understood him correctly.

Anyway, now I’m trying to be patient while HealthSpring takes their beaurocratic time processing the request for a brain MRI and a repeat of the EMG to include the upper body as well. He wants to do a series of blood tests, too, to check for B12 deficiency and toxic metals I’m guessing.

I liked him and I have confidence in him.