hi kimmie im sory to hear about ur father ,im having some weird symptoms my self and wondering what symptoms ur father first noticed ive been geeting short of breath like my lungs are tired and burning tickling feeling in 1 leg thank u and good luck
kimmie,
Regarding doctor, my experence is that some are very narrow focused. Dont be shy (as you were not) in asking questions and demanding tests. ALS in a rule out diesese, so proper procedure for a Dr. would be to have a battery of tests done before any conclusions. You should get mri's of brain and spine as well as blood tests, amoung others.
Also, do your best to stay positive. I know this is easier said than done. I've been under this cloud for 2 1/2 years and no one who has not experenced it can truly know what its like.
But I can tell you the better my attitude is the better I feel, and I mean physically.
Best of Luck
Sorry you lost your father.
Symptoms do NOT improve when you have ALS, so the likelihood is that you dont have the disease.