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Hi I just found out recently I had neuropathy
Neuropathy | Last Active: Jun 16 1:07pm | Replies (51)Comment receiving replies
Hi, justbob (@justbob)
" … what tests you endured before they gave up apparently and considered it idiopathic?"
No time at all! "Idiopathic" was mentioned by my neurologist at the conclusion of my first-ever EMG in August 2022. Before that, there'd been not a whisper of "idiopathic" or "peripheral neuropathy," for that matter. If there'd been any delay, it was only a matter of 2-3 minutes –– 2-3 minutes I found very strange and a bit alarming. When the neurologist had taken his last reading and snapped off his machine, instead of coming straight to him to share the results, he drifted away and stood by the window, watching, I thought, the evening rain. When he finally came back to me, that's when he said, "I've good news and bad news, Ray. The good news is you haven't got something more serious. The bad news is that what you do have is serious but less so. What you've got –– because we can't point to a cause –– we call 'idiopathic peripheral neuropathy'." So, you see, justbob, I got all the discouraging news in one fell swoop. 🙂
Ray (@ray666)
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Hi Ray,
Thanks for getting back. Thus far, my "numb/no pain" feet (large fiber peripheral neuropathy) have drawn a diagnosis of diabetic neuropathy. The conclusion was fairly promptly reached based upon an EMG and a blood glucose test. However, given an A1C of just 6.0 (slightly pre-diabetic as are about 50% of the US population over 65), not at all overweight, cholesterol good, blood work so far ok, I am not yet convinced. Curiously, if one were to use the World Heath Organization's standard of 6.1 instead of the CDC's 5.7 as the beginning basis for pre-diabetes, I wouldn't qualify.
Maybe in denial, but I gotta be 110% convinced that the diagnosis is correct if I have to live with this forever. So, down the rabbit hole I go looking for answers that may never truly come. Given that they say there can be over 100 causes for neuropathy, it may surely be an insurmountable endeavor.
Regards.
Bob