Valerie (@lacy2), Sue Ellen (@SueEllen66),

Only this morning, Valerie, I'm feeling the very feeling you describe. Tomorrow, I've my annual checkup with my PCP. I know she'll begin by asking how I am. In years past, my reply would be a simple one: "Good," or "I have occasional sleepless nights" (something specific). When she asks how I am these days, my inclination is to reply, "How much time have you got?" or "Where shall I begin?" At the same time, I'm fully aware that my PCP has a day-full of patients, and she's on a tight schedule. Besides, she's a PCP, not a specialist.

However, I often have the same Q&A with my specialists: "How are you?" followed by the desire to say, "Where shall I begin?"

For years now, I've had this growing suspicion that I have a "parent" or "Ur" problem over-arching all of my highly localized problems (flat feet, arthritic joints, low red blood cell count, poor balance, unreliable gait, etc.). I had thought that my peripheral neuropathy might be my Ur problem, but now I'm not so sure; now I'm beginning to wonder if my PN is another of my subordinate problems and my Ur or parent problem is yet to be found.

Ray (@ray666)