Thank you for your input. Yes, over the last two years I have had numerous blood workups, MRI's, spinal taps, anigiographs, body scans, including brain, and a dozen other tests. They all have ruled out Lymes, ALS, MS, Parkinson's, etc. My neurologist, who is a specialist in myelopathy at Mayo Clinic, has labeled me and my case as an anomaly, as he has never had a patient with my exact symptoms (no pain, but 24/7 numbness from lower back down to lower extremities, with a lesion on the spine. The lesion has not increased or decreased in size, but my symptoms have gotten worse over time: unsteady gait, balance issues, numbness and stiffness in thighs, knees, legs, and feet.) He did suggest the possibility of submitting my case to NIH of Unsolved Medical Conditions in Bethesda, MD. The NIH and the hospital rankings you listed above are all possibilities at this point, but travel, expenses, and insurance will have a large part to play in where I turn to next. Obviously, flying and car travel to these places from our hometown in northern Wisconsin presents a tremendous challenge. Throw in the ongoing pandemic we are all experiencing and you are (literally) risking your life trying to find an answer to a medical situation that has upended your life.

Is there such a thing as seeking a second opinion within the same department (neurology) at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester? Or will the doctors all support one another in my doctor's already established diagnosis?