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

[Freedom]

I am glad he called back to say he is at the ER. It does sound scary, but I am praying there is a simple cause. I have heard people getting flu this year getting weird weakness symptoms, as someone above already said. So maybe that's it. Not that the flu is 'fun,' but heck, better than what you are imagining, wondering and waiting!

[Pam]

I have no suggestions either but can share the worrying with you. I am glad he is seeking medical treatment. Prayers that it is something easily fixed. (((hugs))) By the way, from your avatar I would never guess that you had a 40 year old son.

[cassiesmom]

Hummm... both of your son's forearms and hands, Medusa? Did he say if they were equally weak, or is one side different from the other? How are his neck and shoulders?

[Felicia's Mom]

Your son will be in my prayers!

[Medusa]

Hummm... both of your son's forearms and hands, Medusa? Did he say if they were equally weak, or is one side different from the other? How are his neck and shoulders?

He said both of his forearms are weak. He said he has no pain there or elsewhere. He said "Mom, I'm afraid I'm going to be paralyzed" which is why I looked up Guillain-Barre Syndrome but it says that it usually begins in the legs and works its way up the body plus the patient has pain and he has no pain whatsoever. I'm thinking now that he may have pinched a nerve in his neck or maybe have a herniated disc or something like that.

[Medusa]

from your avatar I would never guess that you had a 40 year old son.

Yes, I tell people that my son and I are the same age now.

[Rachel]

I don't have any knowledge to shed on this, but the weight lifting may be something the doctors will key onto. You know how macho guys can get and he may just have tried to do too much. Whatever it turns out to be he had the smarts to go to the ER. Time and the body may be able to heal itself.

[Lizzie]

I had something similar when I was doing a lot of weights and hard landscaping alone (pick-axing and moving boulders, etc.) but it was in one leg. I could barely feel my hand when I touched it, it felt weak, etc. Scare the heck out of me. Turned out that I'd hurt my back, so hopefully this is the problem your son has also. Best wishes to both of you.

[Medusa]

He just called me and said that they started an IV on him and are doing blood work now. He said that he's weak all over now and couldn't even sit up from the exam table on his own; he had to be helped up. He still says he has no pain, just weakness. I asked him tons of questions: are you having vision or speech problems? No. Are you having pain in your shoulders or upper arms? No. He said that his abdomen feels like he's done 80,000 sit-ups but he didn't do any sit-ups during his workout because he was already feeling weak. His hands are beginning to swell, too, now.

[gini]

Goodness sakes, you must be scared out of your wits for him. Let's just pray that it is a bad case of the flu - and he can recover completely.

My prayers will be offered for you and your son.

[Argranade]

He probably pulled a nerve or something that's making his arm weak.

What ever you do don't read things on the internet, they'll freak you out.

Yes they sound true but a doctor is the way too go.

I'm sure he'll be ok.

[phesina]

Dear Mary, saying prayers for you and your son for his good health and rapid recovery from whatever is going on here. I'm glad he is getting medical care. I'm wondering too if perhaps he pushed himself a bit too far with the weight-lifting; seems to me I've heard of other such cases.

Love, Purrs, and Hugs,
Peony, Sydney, Poppy, Elmer, Pat, and Priscilla Angel

[caseysmom]

Still praying for your son.

[Catty1]

HUGS.

Have a look at cataplexy here. It's often associated with narcolepsy, but not always:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cataplexy

Wikipedia is a pretty conservative board, so this shouldn't sound any alarms.

But the swelling! Holy cow, I pray they get to the bottom of this soon!