← Return to New to neuropathy, terrified and seeking advice from you guys

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@julbpat

I like your comment about connecting the dots. It's so true. I am in that process right now. My sister, who is two years older, has the same issues that I do, although mine seem more debilitating. For that reason, I assume my length dependent SFN is hereditary, as my Dad and Granddad have many of the same issues - again, not as severe as mine. I see each specialist for each problem (gastro, pain doctor), and I now have the SFN diagnosis to share with them. I accept that there is no doctor here who can handle all of my issues. However, my neurologist did order a consult with UAB. I was given an appointment last May, for this December! Seven months of waiting! UAB suggested that I call frequently for cancellations. That trick finally worked, and I am going this week. So a four month wait, instead of seven. Seems ridiculous. But anyway, instead of self-referral, have one of your doctors do the referral. That seems to work better.
There is a SFN clinic at UAB, so hopefully this neurologist can answer my questions, and help "connect the dots" a little better. Then I can share his information with my doctors here.
There is also a Dysautonomia Clinic in Birmingham, which is able to all the testing for Dysautonomia (tilt table, sweat test). With a doctor's referral (sent twice) and a phone message from me, there has been no response. I'm really not as interested in that diagnosis, because I don't see how it will change my treatment, so I haven't pursued it any more.
I'm using Birmingham because it's a less then 2 hour drive from me.

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Replies to "I like your comment about connecting the dots. It's so true. I am in that process..."

@julbpat. I don't have anyone in my family that has had any of what I have. Not even my grandparents. This came out of the blue. I woke up with it which my neurologist said is rare. I have done a lot of reading on Mayo. Just an FYI to anyone John Hopkins has a library with videos about peripheral neuropathy. They have people who have put their stories on the website also. Birmingham is a few hours away from me. Before I go anywhere I will be making notes to ask the Dr. I wasn't really prepared when I went to the cardiologist/electrophysiologist. I do hope you get some answers in Birmingham. I may get another appt. to my neurologist and get him to do a referral. I have some more questions that he may be able to answer.

I guess I liked the TV show “House” so much that I really believed there were dedicated teams at University hospitals to “connect the dots”. I too now accept many of us are much too complicated for the resources needed to do so in our world today. I do have a PCP I’m really impressed with, though as you know they can only connect you to a specialist for one type of system. I’ve had neurologists tell me at an appointment “you need to talk to your GI doc about that… that’s a question for your cardiologist “ etc. But I’ve accepted it now. It’s us, Dr. Google, and this great forum to help us learn maybe what good questions to next ask our doctors, and to learn how to maximize life while dealing with it.