Increasingly Difficult to Accept Peripheral Neuropathy

Hi @fisbo. I'm so impressed and moved by the honest, heartfelt posts from members regarding difficulty of acceptance. It truly is a process that's unique for each person with a timeline that can not be predicted. Taking small steps each day to ensure that you will get there is a great place to start, and even if those small steps don't feel like they're getting you anywhere, they do build up and get you there.

When I first arrived on Connect I was in flat out denial of my small fiber neuropathy diagnosis. It wasn't until I caught on to how the central nervous system functions and the importance of the mind/body connection. How by identifying ourselves as "having value" and not just by our condition or disease, brought significant value towards achieving acceptance. Reminding ourselves that although the picture of what we once thought life would look like has changed, it does not mean that we still can not enjoy life.

Hurting and being in denial leads to many cognitive errors. For instance, filtering out the good and focusing on the bad and letting negative thoughts and comments outweigh positivity. Catastrophizing, over generalizing and personalizing are all joy robbers. Some of the small steps that helped me while I was struggling to find acceptance, was to focus on finding small joys and small wins again. I began a daily gratitude journal so I could physically see in print what I was grateful for and shift focus away from negativity. I began working on "catch and correct" - catching myself being negative or having sad thoughts and correcting by replacing negative thoughts with positive thoughts. It also helped to realize that I deserved the same positive encouragement and advice that I would offer someone I loved and cared about.

Please keep your chin up and know that each day is a new day to start over and keep trying. Maybe work on writing down your worries when you feel panicked to release them from your mind. Remind yourself that you've gotten this far in life and survived 100% percent of what you've been through in the past and you'll survive this too. Rooting for you!

Hi @fisbo. I'm so impressed and moved by the honest, heartfelt posts from members regarding difficulty of acceptance. It truly is a process that's unique for each person with a timeline that can not be predicted. Taking small steps each day to ensure that you will get there is a great place to start, and even if those small steps don't feel like they're getting you anywhere, they do build up and get you there.

When I first arrived on Connect I was in flat out denial of my small fiber neuropathy diagnosis. It wasn't until I caught on to how the central nervous system functions and the importance of the mind/body connection. How by identifying ourselves as "having value" and not just by our condition or disease, brought significant value towards achieving acceptance. Reminding ourselves that although the picture of what we once thought life would look like has changed, it does not mean that we still can not enjoy life.

Hurting and being in denial leads to many cognitive errors. For instance, filtering out the good and focusing on the bad and letting negative thoughts and comments outweigh positivity. Catastrophizing, over generalizing and personalizing are all joy robbers. Some of the small steps that helped me while I was struggling to find acceptance, was to focus on finding small joys and small wins again. I began a daily gratitude journal so I could physically see in print what I was grateful for and shift focus away from negativity. I began working on "catch and correct" - catching myself being negative or having sad thoughts and correcting by replacing negative thoughts with positive thoughts. It also helped to realize that I deserved the same positive encouragement and advice that I would offer someone I loved and cared about.

Please keep your chin up and know that each day is a new day to start over and keep trying. Maybe work on writing down your worries when you feel panicked to release them from your mind. Remind yourself that you've gotten this far in life and survived 100% percent of what you've been through in the past and you'll survive this too. Rooting for you!

I recently realized one of the big changes this illness has caused - my self-confidence is badly damaged. I’ve always been a leader, doer, expert in my professional field. All that is gone.
I told one of my long time friends recently “ the old Julie is gone. This is the new Julie”. Because I don’t complain, they don’t understand. And maybe they don’t want to see what could happen to any of them. Maybe they think I’m exaggerating.
But … not to further depress you, fisbo. In spite of this, life is pretty good. And I can always find someone with worse problems, right?
But it sounds like you are not at the acceptance stage, and that’s okay. Don’t give up - you don’t have to live in terrible pain. You just haven’t been given the right treatment yet.

Hi @fisbo. I'm so impressed and moved by the honest, heartfelt posts from members regarding difficulty of acceptance. It truly is a process that's unique for each person with a timeline that can not be predicted. Taking small steps each day to ensure that you will get there is a great place to start, and even if those small steps don't feel like they're getting you anywhere, they do build up and get you there.

When I first arrived on Connect I was in flat out denial of my small fiber neuropathy diagnosis. It wasn't until I caught on to how the central nervous system functions and the importance of the mind/body connection. How by identifying ourselves as "having value" and not just by our condition or disease, brought significant value towards achieving acceptance. Reminding ourselves that although the picture of what we once thought life would look like has changed, it does not mean that we still can not enjoy life.

Hurting and being in denial leads to many cognitive errors. For instance, filtering out the good and focusing on the bad and letting negative thoughts and comments outweigh positivity. Catastrophizing, over generalizing and personalizing are all joy robbers. Some of the small steps that helped me while I was struggling to find acceptance, was to focus on finding small joys and small wins again. I began a daily gratitude journal so I could physically see in print what I was grateful for and shift focus away from negativity. I began working on "catch and correct" - catching myself being negative or having sad thoughts and correcting by replacing negative thoughts with positive thoughts. It also helped to realize that I deserved the same positive encouragement and advice that I would offer someone I loved and cared about.

Please keep your chin up and know that each day is a new day to start over and keep trying. Maybe work on writing down your worries when you feel panicked to release them from your mind. Remind yourself that you've gotten this far in life and survived 100% percent of what you've been through in the past and you'll survive this too. Rooting for you!

Thank you for this. I am more confused now though because the neurologist says it is not pn I'd small nerve fibre neuropathy in my feet and legs . One said it was the latter but ith no conclusive tests save the nerve conduction one which was negative they dont know. Instead acting a DAT scan to test for Parkinsons Disease This is a lengthy procedure all day at the hospital. It has made me feel ill with worry I told him I was highly anxious. The scan is to be done urgently but my appointment to get results will be in two months.I really do find this difficult to cope with.

These posts are a big inspiration for me. We are NEVER alone in feeling lonely or sad. I find I can get "down in the dumps" easily these days. If I don't feel bad for myself, I feel bad for someone else. Soon, I am going to visit my daughter who has cancer. Best I enlarge my positivity so I can show some hope and acceptance of a bad situation. Yep, we all know things can get worse, so keep let's keep finding the good. (Spread the word)