Good afternoon @robtlhughes and @colleenyoung Welcome to the neuropathy group and all of its many neuropathy versions, sensitivities, and treatment efforts. I hope we don't leave you in the dust......come on and join us. The main question seems to be: "what good is a neurologist when you are fighting a condition that has no known cure”?What's the difference?

My first visit was to a trusted orthopedic surgeon who had helped me with a total knee replacement, my thumb mess, and four shoulder surgeries including a reverse shoulder replacement. He also removed a small bone spur on my hip as it became more and more worrisome and took me to another orthopedic surgeon who ended up doing the thoracic and cerebral surgeries. He is the one who first told me "it's the fascia, Chris". He also referred me to a rheumatologist to rule out autoimmune issues.

When I decided I had gone through enough surgeries and fusions, I opened sourcebooks and found my neurologist. He was head of that division at Eisenhower in Palm Springs.

He was attentive and got to the tests on day 1. He was the first one to understand my day and offered known medications. First, gabapentin at night only. It worked for sleeping. Then he made up the compound ingredients for the lidocaine based topical. He ordered lots of tests and X-rays including MRIs. After all of those procedures, he did the punch biopsy and had it analyzed. The conclusion was Small Fiber Poly Neuropathy. SFN. He prescribed Nortriptyline as an antidepressant which did help. I have since replaced it with duloxetine because I needed more help with anxiety.

So......in my mind, this neurologist did the diagnosis and moved my journey along with stage-appropriate medications and treatments. About that time, my massage therapist was practicing Myofascial Pain Release, MFR, and I began to see her every week. And I found a coach for my medical cannabis which soon became my best and most trusted pain relief source.

I have an active and participating PCP. We absolutely share decision making and select medications very carefully. I have a dermatologist for neuropathic itch and a new hitch in the get-along........squamous cell cancer. And I have an endocrinologist for osteoporosis.

That's enough right now.......the neurologist did just what he is supposed to do. The other clinicians have stepped in and stepped it up. My PCP and I recently talked about the possibility of including a neurologist at this stage and we both agreed that everything that can be done is being done.

May you soon be free of suffering and the causes of suffering.
Chris

And as a PS, it might be helpful to read the neuropathy stories already in one block.
Member Neuropathy Journey Stories: What's Yours?:

Do you fit in there anywhere......are your symptoms progressing in intensity? What are you using now for pain relief?

What are you most worried about.......missing a test, being excluded from a new treatment?

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