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Member Neuropathy Journey Stories: What's Yours?

Neuropathy | Last Active: Nov 23 5:30pm | Replies (573)

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@jessz

My journey started over 5 years ago. (Currently not diagnosed, waiting on biopsy). It started with tingling in my left arm that went to my whole left side in one day. ER visit gave no insight other than high blood pressure. Hard pill to swallow since I was only about 39. My tingling went away in a day or so. Many months later I experienced tingling much more severe limited to my forearms and hands. Some pain included. I thought it was due to the work I was doing at the time. That lasted months. It eventually went away for quite some time. In 2020 I started experiencing pain in my hands. Doctors ruled out arthritis and carpal tunnel. Pain continued but then came the tingling again. I started seeing a neurologist after no luck with my primary doctor. By then it had been a year and the tingling also went to my legs. I have had tingling every day, in varying intensities in my arms, legs, hands, feet, and sometimes face for almost two years straight now. My neurologist ordered an MRI to rule out MS. At the time I got the results for that I was also diagnosed with Melanoma. My MRI showed a large mass in my neck so my neurology journey was put on hold. I ended up with an oncologist, pulmonologist for spots in my lungs, and an endocrinologist and surgeon. Turned out the mass was just ectopic thyroid, completely unrelated to my melanoma or neurology journey, and the lung spots magically disappeared! I’m now back at the neurologist and have been waiting months for a biopsy for small nerve neuropathy. I’m being told they can’t get the lidocaine so I can’t get the test. I have an appointment with a different neurologist in October in hopes to finally get the biopsy. I stumbled upon this thread and read @kyc117 story and was shocked how similar her story is to mine. Like her, I also keep busy because the more I move, the less I feel it. I feel it most when I’m at rest. I don’t know if my pain is related to my tingling. Or if my tingling even is small nerve neuropathy. Neuropathy seems so different for everyone. I have had EMG testing which all came back normal. I feel like a completely healthy human otherwise and my blood work suggests that as well. I don’t want my tingling to be neuropathy since there is no cure, but I do wish I could have a diagnosis as it is complicating life to live with tingling with some pain and not know why. I have been following these posts for awhile and figured it was time to share my story up to this point. I will be sure to follow up after I get the biopsy.

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Replies to "My journey started over 5 years ago. (Currently not diagnosed, waiting on biopsy). It started with..."

Welcome @jessz, Thanks for sharing your story. It can be frustrating to say the least when you are struggling to get a diagnosis. Neuropathy can have so many causes and . I'm happy to see that you can relate to @kyc117 and the story she shared. Hopefully your doctors can rule out neuropathy and figure out a treatment plan that helps.

It sounds like you have been doing your research. It is always helpful to learn more about your condition, if for nothing else it can help ask better questions of your doctors. Here are a few sites you might find helpful:

-- Neuropathy Commons: https://neuropathycommons.org/
-- Foundation for Peripheral Neuropathy: https://www.foundationforpn.org/

You mentioned you have an appointment in October with a new neurologist. There is another good site that has some tips on planning your conversation with a doctor - The Patient Revolution: https://patientrevolution.org/visit-tools.

Do you normally take a list of questions along with you to doctor's appointments?