Whats my future?

Posted by petr @petr, Jun 4 9:30am

I am 76 years old. Have PN in feet and legs for a number of years. Have tried several "cures and symptom relievers" which, as we all know, don't help much. PCP and Neurologist won't much say about my future. Whats ahead?

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@johnbishop

Hi Andy @andyjustin, I'm not sure I understand what diagnosis you have causing the extreme pain. I haven't heard of tri myalgia but I think I have something similar - polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) but it's currently in remission. When it is active and flaring up the pain can be incredible like you mentioned. My second time around with it I made some lifestyle changes like you what you are doing now with diet and exercise which I feel does help keep it in remission.

Do you see a rheumatologist? Just wondering if they have some suggestions or treatment to help with the pain.

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John try trigeminal neuralgia, looks like it’s also known as tic douloureux. Or Delarue.

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@njed

@ray666 Ray -- The title "What's my future" really does play into each of us in different ways and sorry to hear that you have decided not to continue with the lease of the cabin. These decisions are not easy. They are part of having PN. I had to give up my boating for 60 years. I try to replace that experience with an alternative, so we are doing a cruise in the fall. I'm going from a 25-foot boat to one 985 feet anticipating the bigger boat a/k/a cruise ship will not impact my poor balance. On rocky days, I will use my cane and stay put on deck 11 enjoying the views of the ocean....like I did with my own boat. On this bigger boat, my wife and I won't be fishing from it, but we will be there only in a different way. I'd rather be in my own boat, but I've decided to let someone else captain the ship. All part of having PN ... doing things in different ways. Ed

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Hi, Ed (@njed). I’ll write a bit more later, but just now, I’m awaiting the arrival of one of my homecare nurses. Yes, giving up the cabin was tough, and my partner and I, too, will create a few alternatives in the coming months. Something I have to be on guard for: Is making a life change due to my PN or sepsis? Honestly? Most, if not all, of my recent life changes are due to my sepsis. Sepsis has truly been a blight on my life, far more than my PN ever was. Fortunately, my doctors tell me that I will get over my sepsis (at least my foot wound will heal), and I should be able to restore a good deal of the life I’m currently setting aside. PN, unlike sepsis, is for keeps. Things I’ve set aside because of my PN will probably have to remain set aside. // A bit more later, Ed. Here’s wishing you a fine day and a fine weekend! –Ray (@ray666)

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@ray666

Hi, Ed (@njed). I’ll write a bit more later, but just now, I’m awaiting the arrival of one of my homecare nurses. Yes, giving up the cabin was tough, and my partner and I, too, will create a few alternatives in the coming months. Something I have to be on guard for: Is making a life change due to my PN or sepsis? Honestly? Most, if not all, of my recent life changes are due to my sepsis. Sepsis has truly been a blight on my life, far more than my PN ever was. Fortunately, my doctors tell me that I will get over my sepsis (at least my foot wound will heal), and I should be able to restore a good deal of the life I’m currently setting aside. PN, unlike sepsis, is for keeps. Things I’ve set aside because of my PN will probably have to remain set aside. // A bit more later, Ed. Here’s wishing you a fine day and a fine weekend! –Ray (@ray666)

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NJ Ed | @njed | Reading over what I said earlier about MY sepsis, not MY neuropathy, being the Great Kill Joy of my life, I see that I had said what I had intended to say. What I might have gone on to say––to emphasize––is MY sepsis and MY neuropathy. I have come to see that the two terms are vast umbrellas beneath which reside multitudes of sepsis variations and neuropathy variations. My sepsis is no more a match for the next person’s sepsis than my neuropathy (idiopathic polyneuropathy: no pain, no dizziness, but lots of balance and gait woes) is a match for the next person’s neuropathy. That’s something I have to remember whenever I’m speaking with another PN sufferer. Whereas I may have no pain or dizziness, she may suffer excruciating pain. I must be cautious in tossing about terms like neuropathy and sepsis. // How’s the weather where you are, Ed? It’s a coolish day here today, unlike the days recently. My partner and I sure wish we had that cabin to flee to. ––Ray (@ray666)

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@ray666 - Being tangled up with the normal struggles of PN and the sepsis situation is a double whammy both involving feet. The sepsis is the real issue at hand right now and from your posts, looks like you will win the war. Might take time but major health issues take time. The PN will be there when the sepsis is gone, and I hope you can recover real soon. At our age, we often face multiple health issues simultaneously which makes it difficult but perhaps not unusual. Keep improving, keep moving.

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Good morning, Ed (@njed)

I can always rely on you to understand what I’m trying to say, even when my words are an absolute trainwreck of sense. I hadn’t noted––but you have, and now I do, too––that both my maladies have their battlefield headquarters in my feet: my PN is personified by weakened sensory activity, and my sepsis by an 8”x1”x1” wound of the sort you might expect had your foot been struck by broadsword. (I shouldn’t be writing this before breakfast.)

You’re so right, too, when you say that we shouldn’t expect our illnesses and injuries to arrive one-by-one at our age. To paraphrase Hamlet’s uncle Claudius: “When aches and pains come to those of us of a ‘certain age’, they come not single woes but in battalions.”

Generally, however, we always have the options you cite, such as “Keep improving, keep moving.” Why don’t we exercise those options, Ed? What do you say?

Have a glorious weekend!

Cheers!
Ray (@ray666)

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@ray666

Good morning, Ed (@njed)

I can always rely on you to understand what I’m trying to say, even when my words are an absolute trainwreck of sense. I hadn’t noted––but you have, and now I do, too––that both my maladies have their battlefield headquarters in my feet: my PN is personified by weakened sensory activity, and my sepsis by an 8”x1”x1” wound of the sort you might expect had your foot been struck by broadsword. (I shouldn’t be writing this before breakfast.)

You’re so right, too, when you say that we shouldn’t expect our illnesses and injuries to arrive one-by-one at our age. To paraphrase Hamlet’s uncle Claudius: “When aches and pains come to those of us of a ‘certain age’, they come not single woes but in battalions.”

Generally, however, we always have the options you cite, such as “Keep improving, keep moving.” Why don’t we exercise those options, Ed? What do you say?

Have a glorious weekend!

Cheers!
Ray (@ray666)

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@ray666 - Love the Shakespeare quote...how I wish I knew his works well enough to pull quotes when they are so apopos! In fact, a few days ago I was thinking how much fun it would be to take a course on his works now that I'm of an age to actually appreciate them.
Have a good (if warm) Sunday ~
Barb

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@ray666 - Rqy ---- the very first neuro doc I went to around 2014 or 2015 was actually a 70 year old neurosurgeon as I have L-3 to S-1 issues and I figured he'd fix me up, get rid of the numbness and like a tooth issue, it would be gone in a few days. Yea...right! He said my back has issues but not causing the neuropathy. He did refer to me a neurologist familiar with neuropathy. But as I had my hand on the door to his office ready to leave, he said let me give you one piece of advice. He said keep moving. Won't forget it and he was right.

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@julbpat

Have you heard of Botox injections for this? You might do some research on that. Because my neuropathy is progressing, I was having trouble lifting my eyebrows, and I had a permanent scowl. I had Botox injections done between my eyebrows . I could actually feel that tight brow area relax. I look better, but a bonus is the release of tension in my brow. I did some reading then about Botox as a treatment for neuropathy. You might look into it.

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I use Botox for piriformis syndrome along with dystonis (severe muscle spams). My neurologist did them. The muscles in my calf, shoulders and neck.

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@andyjustin

Try myalgia aka tic de la rue, anyway, yeah, I’m a mess. My voice is croaking Muscles my neck Muscles are dropping AKA turkey neck but I have a great attitude just taking it as it comes all of these new symptoms croaking and Delarue suck a lot of doctors reality or my reality. I’ve been told this is just the way it’s gonna be. I am sure I take medicine for pain, even though the pain sometimes cuts through so I take more medicine gabapentin but eventually, they’re gonna move onto opiates when the gabapentin doesn’t quite do it and have to say with some of this facial pain gabapentin doesn’t do it in the last week. I’ve had over 12 episodes. My jaw goes from being numb to Feeling like a sledgehammer is hitting the side of my head anyway I’m just Venting a little bit today and I’m sure like everybody else. I don’t think you know more than an hour without thinking about it even when it doesn’t hurt so much I’ll leave it at that everybody have a great day.

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The neurologist Botox’s the muscles in the front and back of my neck. Makes it easier to talk, swallow and eat.

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@njed

@ray666 - Rqy ---- the very first neuro doc I went to around 2014 or 2015 was actually a 70 year old neurosurgeon as I have L-3 to S-1 issues and I figured he'd fix me up, get rid of the numbness and like a tooth issue, it would be gone in a few days. Yea...right! He said my back has issues but not causing the neuropathy. He did refer to me a neurologist familiar with neuropathy. But as I had my hand on the door to his office ready to leave, he said let me give you one piece of advice. He said keep moving. Won't forget it and he was right.

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A wise piece of advice. Yes, keep moving if at all possible. I have difficulty moving with the pain that has returned with a vengeance. I am determined to ride my bike each day possible in our development. Yes, my pain will ramp up, but it will settle down. I will continue until I can't any more.I am 76 right now. Did not expect to be in such a condition in my "golden years". Unfortunately, these are more like "heavy metal years"...silver in my hair, gold in my teeth, and lead in my bottom and feet.

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