Psychological effects of living with neuropathy

Do your 'helper' friends just gripe to be griping, but maybe aren't really annoyed at helping? Maybe it's the timing/day/hour that irks them, but not the helping. Tell them you will help them with whatever as reciprocation. You never know. 🙂

I don't have any family or friends now and I makes my condition worse because of the sadness.

I cannot help anyone with anything. I barely can take care of myself. I hire a housecleaner who does deep cleaning and laundry. I cannot drive, but not from this condition. I have a lovely car.

Hello,

This may not be of help to anyone in particular as each of our circumstances is different, permitting some people to do certain things while making it impossible for others to do those same things. Such is the perplexity, and oftentimes the tragedy, of life. I have a friend––not a close friend but one who's close enough I visit and we speak on the phone from time to time. I mention her because she is paralyzed from chest level on down. For several months after her accident she was deeply depressed, at a total loss as to how to remain engaged with people. Today she keeps a 3-ring binder beside her phone that she calls "Outreach." Inside are 30 pages; on each page she has written the names of 2 or 3 family members or friends and each day she calls those family members or friends. She says that at first she was the one who had to do all the phoning, but that now others are phoning her. Her "Outreach" binder has made a huge difference in her life. I know this sort of thing will not work for everyone, but it might work for one or two.

Ray (@ray666)

I have to rely on grocery shopping services such as instacart and they haven't assigned a shopper yet. Once I had to wait three days and I cancelled it. This is NOT about neuropathy, it is whether you have someone to help you!!!!
I have no one to help me.!!!!!!!!!!!

Two days ago I had my first visit with a neurologist. I was referred by my family doctor (who is actually a PA) because I was having some memory issues which I hadn’t been bothered with up until a year or so ago. I’m sure glad I saw the neurologist because she gave me a lot of advice and
knowledge that were certainly new to me. She had me do a series of tests to ascertain my memory level and I have to admit those tests were quite tough. The neurologist told me that my memory was not a serious situation and any difficulties I have had in the memory arena were caused by things not directly related to my brain. She felt that Alzheimer’s might not end up any sort of major problem for me. For many years I have had a severe chronic illness called Panhypopituitarism which means that there is no working pituitary gland in one’s head. All one’s endocrine hormones must be taken via pill or injection. The neurologist told me that my memory issues were basically related to the medication’s side effects and since I will have to take the meds forever, some memory issues will always be part of me. She actually felt my memory wasn’t such a big deal, mainly because I’m very much fascinated by anything to do with words and learning. For instance, solving puzzles, especially crosswords are a big part of my spare time and I probably solve twenty or thirty New York Times crosswords every day. She made me promise to never stop doing those puzzles as they are a big part of keeping the memory issues at bay. Thanks for so patiently reading this slice of my personal history.