Scared for my son. Please help w/comments *Update 4/16*

[cyber-sibes]

Just reading this now, you & your son will be in my prayers. i hope he continues to improve and gets his health fully back soon.
I can sympathize with how helpless you feel being so far away - we're all from OH, and when I was in IL, my sons were in CA...now they're back in OH & I had to move to RI. Frustrating! I think about what I would do if one of them became seriously ill. Thank God prayers know no boundaries!

[Medusa]

As I mentioned earlier, my son's girlfriend is a nurse and she has spoken to another nurse who served in Iraq and this nurse said that she saw this type of illness there frequently and that it was temporary. My son's girlfriend also spoke to 4 doctors, all of whom said that they're surprised that the ER dr. gave the diagnosis of myositis so quickly. So now my son is really angry because he feels like the doctors don't know what they're doing. I'm trying to get him to understand that his symptoms could be a host of things but that isn't helping his state of mind any. He's on his way to the walk-in clinic now and they told him to prepare for a long day, possibly he'll get an MRI and maybe an EMG. I guess I'll know more later but it probably won't be until tonight. So I wait. This is agonizing.

[moosmom]

Mary,

You and your son are in my prayers, honey. If you need to talk, call me on my cellphone. I'll PM you with it. I can call you back cuz I've got tons minutes on it.

[Pam]

This seems like it might be taking a turn. I don't know if that is good or bad but the "unknowing" must be unnerving. I know that being so far away must be driving you crazy. (((hugs)))

Thank God prayers know no boundaries!

Isn't that the truth! God is everywhere. He is with your son and you at the same time. I have often prayed when I am concerned about a loved one far away "I know I can't be there but you can."

[shepgirl]

I'm so glad things seem to be looking brighter for you. Hope your son keeps on improving every day.
Don't worry too much about the diabetes thing...sounds like your son is on prednisone for short term therapy. 6 tablets of 10mg daily is the usual dosage , I was on it a few times myself and my doc said not to worry about the diabetes thing since it was only short term. My dad was on for years and he never had a problem . If your son had a history of diabetes it might be different but not in this case probably. He could ask the doc so he could reassure you. Wishing you and your son best of luck beating this thing.

[freckles1]

sorry,

my first reply got cut short. Anyhow, did your sons symptoms start during or after working out with weights? Has he injured himself in any way? You said he is not having any pain, numbness, or tingling, Is that right? Are both arms equally weak? When you say "weak" what do you mean? Can he still perform daily activities? If he is losing his ability to perform daily activities than that is more serious. If he were injured in some way he could have something damaged in his spine that is affecting his spinal cord and nerves. If his weakness is due to an illness than he could just be feeling weak, but still able to move and feel everything normally. If his symptoms persist or get worse than he could get a CT and MRI to rule out any spinal damage or nerve damage. Usually with nerve damage the patient will feel numbness, tingling, and often describes a burning type pain. If your son worked his muscles out to ohard he could be having weakness in his muscles and may describe his weakness as a rubbery feeling in the affected limbs. If that is the case it will improve over the next several days.

I am sure the ER will address those questions and if not help, refer your son to where he can get help. Hope that helps a little.

Freckles1

[Freedom]

Seems like now it is just a matter of him sitting back and patiently waiting fo rhis body to heal itself. Sounds like he isn't big on the 'patience' part! Glad to hear things are on the road to recovery, even if it SI at a snail's pace, and he woud prefer to be in an Indy car!

[Medusa]

Yes, patience is not his strong suit, believe me. He's got a heart of gold and will help anyone at any time. He's been there for everyone and now he's giving everyone else a hard time when they want to be there for him.

I just spoke to my dr. who is also a family friend and he told me that, judging just from what I've told him, that it indeed does sound like "viral" myositis and, if that's the case, it will have to run its course and treatment may take a while. Well, my son is self supporting and doesn't have a wife or live in girlfriend to pick up the slack w/finances, so that's part of his impatience. He wants to get back to work. If this drags out much longer, I may have to go to LA and help him out. But I'm closing one of my offices and I need to have my furniture out, so I've been moving things that I can carry and/or put in my car so that on moving day we'll only have the big pieces to move and it should go smoothly. (Lord willin' and the creek don't rise.)

I'll know more late tonight or tomorrow and I can report how he's feeling and what the dr/s. had to say.

[Medusa]

did your sons symptoms start during or after working out with weights? You said he is not having any pain, numbness, or tingling, Is that right? Are both arms equally weak? When you say "weak" what do you mean? Can he still perform daily activities?

The weakness in his forearms started after working out w/weights. He said they felt "really pumped" but not weak, just strange. It wasn't until the next morning that he said they felt weak. Both arms were equally weak but tonight he said the left one is weaker. He has difficulty plugging something into a socket, taking caps off bottles, peeling a banana, washing his hair, etc. No strength. He has no problems w/breathing or swallowing, no pain, no numbness or tingling, just weakness ie. lack of strength.

He sees a neurologist tomorrow at 9 AM Los Angeles time. His anger is absolutely out of control. He's so frustrated because he can't work. He has an opportunity to go to Sweden next month for his work and he's convinced that this is going to blow it. I'm stressed to the max because he no longer talks, he just screams.

[cassiesmom]

Medusa, how is your son today? How did his neurologist appt. go? I hope the prednisone is starting to help.

[gini]

I keep hoping we have good news from your son - even a bit of improvement would lift his spirits.

[Medusa]

I haven't heard anything yet today. He called me last night after midnight Ohio time and he was just hysterical. The dr. who filled in for the specialist was saying that it "could be" this and it "could be" that. He yelled at her and said "You're not helping me. Stop freaking me out." To top it all off, his cell phone broke because he had difficulty plugging it in to charge it due to his lack of control of his hands and he has so many calls waiting for him and to make but he had to be at the hospital at 9:00 AM, so he couldn't go to Verizon first. I told him to ask his girlfriend or one of his friends to go to Verizon and get him a new phone. He was just shrieking last night, he was so scared. I didn't get to sleep until nearly 5:00 AM and I haven't been able to eat or even go to the bathroom, I'm so stressed. I'm able to distant healings for other people and for my son, nothing. I can't calm down.

[Grace]

It sounds as though he needs emotional as well as physical help right now. Would he consent to see a Psychologist?

[Medusa]

Anything I say to him right now isn't helping. The dr. who speculated shouldn't have done that when she saw he was in such an agitated state. She only made it worse. It's the sense of helplessness that has him so upset.

[Grace]

I'm just wondering if one is feeding off the other right now. He has the weakness, then agitates about it, probably magnifying the symptoms. He's in a vicious circle.

Are you able to talk with his girlfriend without him hearing? Possibly she might be able to get him to someone who can help?