Hi Rick @rickhood, Reading your story kind of feels little like my own story. My wife always told me I walked like an old man even when I was in my 50s and thinking I was still young which is when I first noticed my neuropathy numbness 🙃. Now in my late 70s, I still have the numbness but am still doing relatively OK. I posted my story in the Member Neuropathy Journey Stories: What's Yours? discussion here https://connect.mayoclinic.org/comment/310341/.

My diagnosis in 2016 through the Rochester Mayo Clinic neurologist was idiopathic small fiber peripheral neuropathy but since I also have no pain and just the numbness I wasn't too happy being told that there are no real answers or treatments to help with numbness. This was what brought me to Connect. If I wasn't confident in my diagnosis, I think I might try seeking help at a major teaching hospital or health facility like MGH or Mayo.

I've been overweight most of my adult life until the past few years when I got serious and knew I had to make some changes. I've also been told by all of my primary care docs that I have prediabetes. Really didn't believe them but I have started seeing the light a little more after doing some research into the Metabolic Syndrome. Here are some references if you want to do a little digging.

-- Diagnosis and Management of the Metabolic Syndrome: https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/circulationaha.105.169404
-- The metabolic syndrome – What is it and how should it be managed?:
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/2047487319886404
-- A comprehensive definition for metabolic syndrome: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2675814/
-- The Metabolic Syndrome and Neuropathy: Therapeutic Challenges and Opportunities: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3881591/
-- Metabolic syndrome as a risk factor for neurological disorders: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21997383/

Since you mentioned you are also working on your weight which I think is an important piece of the puzzle, you might also want to join in the following discussion.
-- Low-carb healthy fat living. Intermittent fasting. What’s your why?: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/low-carb-healthy-fat-living-intermittent-fasting-whats-your-why/