Weather Or Climate Change

One of my friends refers to my ALS as being like the "weather versus climate change" conflict. Simply put, any individual change in weather does not imply a climate change. Weather change is a localized concept; climate change is a systemic concept. What he is saying is that some of my aches and pains are like the weather; normal, expected with aging and life. Others of my aches and pains are like climate change; systemic, caused by ALS.

I've been dealing with loss of strength in my left arm and shoulder for a while now. This is clearly ALS related. It's long lasting and progressive. I am getting persistently weaker in my left arm, and my left shoulder is in consistent pain from overuse. My deltoid, trapezoid, tricep and bicep muscles are all fully engaged with ALS. There is no doubt; this is climate change, a systemic issue.

On the other hand, the muscles in the side of my neck have been sore and tired for the last week or so. The major muscle is the levator scapulae. These are the muscles which hold my head upright. I've noticed that later in the day it really helps to rest my head, either on my couch while slumped deep into the cushion, or while in bed with a pillow neath my head. The soreness and sense of overwork in the muscles in my neck starts as soon as I get up, and stays with me all day.

I don't know for a certainty that these muscles are weakened due to ALS or if some other process is at work. My money, as always, is on the big beast. If not today, if these muscle aches are something else, if this is just weather and not climate change, then eventually it will become ALS. All I have to do is wait. That's just the way it is.