Living with Neuropathy - Welcome to the group

@david33 Laura, you and your husband have clearly had more than a normal person's share of heartache and grief. I am so sorry to know all of this, believe me.

I would organize the medical history in a very orderly way:

1. Make it chronological, start with your first medical issues & doctor visits to the next, next, next and finally the most recent
2. For each medical issue list just the symptoms you had at that time, not ones that came earlier or later
3. For each doctor visit include doc name and speciality, symptoms he/she treated you for, medications that were prescribed
4. after starting the prescriptions, describe the results of taking them and how long you were on them

Put in important details, leave out anything that is not relevant, as well as personal issues and feelings. You want it to be concise and clear for others to be able to glean info from.

You probably want to do this on a computer so you can edit, I am sure there will be lots of edits needed as you go along. The result of completing this is it will serve as a reference for you as well as any docs going forward about your history. As you are writing it, or afterward, you might begin to notice patterns and things you didn't notice before; your journals may turn out to be very valuable to you because of doing this.

I know losing your home and all of your beloved pets in the fire had to be an extreme trauma for you. Do you have someone to talk to about all of this? Have you seen any therapists? It sounds like you do need some mental health therapy, but that is not always easy to find or get. I would recommend using this forum, Mayo Connect, a lot. But when you post, you will get the most helpful advice if you can think before you write about precisely what you would like to have input about. Try to help others to understand your main dilemma and problem so that they can give you better advice. This is a tool for getting ideas for yourself.

I hope maybe this might be helpful to you Laura. My heart goes out to both you and David. Hank

What are the treatments for neuropathy in feet and hands? is Alpha Lipoic Acid help?

@steeldove

I had a Burst DR spinal cord stimulator implant in June of 2017, and enjoyed a year of 75-80% pain reduction. After the first year, well that's more than I have time or energy to write about. I wrote about it in the discussion "Member Neuropathy Journeys".

Jim

Hi @campana, Welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. You will notice that we merged your post with an existing discussion in the Neuropathy Group - Living with Neuropathy - Welcome to the group! If you click the VIEW & REPLY button at the bottom of the email notification it will take you to the discussion where you can meet other members discussing their neuropathy symptoms and what helps them.

While there is no cure for neuropathy there are treatments that have helped reduce or eliminate the pain and discomfort associated with neuropathy. There are many discussions in the Neuropathy group where members have shared what helps them. Many of us take Alpha Lipoic Acid as one of the many different supplements that can help neuropathy symptoms. Here are some other discussions you may find helpful.

Member Neuropathy Journey Stories: What's Yours?: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/member-neuoropathy-journey-stories-whats-yours/
Neuropathy and Brain Neuroplasticity: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/barry-sheales-australia/
Supplement recommendations: What can help neuropathy?: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/supplement-recommendations-can-help/

Have you been diagnosed with peripheral neuropathy? Can you share a little more about the symptoms you are having?

Hi Toni @avmcbellar, The yogurt maker I bought came with 8 six oz jars with snap on lids. I've since purchased 8 more six oz jars with screw on lids so that I can make a new batch when needed. My wife and I usually get 2 servings with each jar and top it with fresh fruit/berries. Also I've messed up a few batches by cooking too long or too high temp where it got a little sour and more like cottage cheese and some liquid separation (whey/protein I think). That's when my wife made some homemade cranberry sauce that probably has too much sugar in it but makes the bad batch palatable and it still has the gut bacteria.

I followed the recipe on @LeeAase's Best Yogurt Ever blog (https://social-media-university-global.org/2020/05/best-yogurt-ever/) which has links to the yogurt maker, the BioGaia tablets, which contain the bacteria, and the inulin powder as a source of prebiotic fiber on which they feed. I didn't watch my first batch and it was the worst because the yogurt maker Lee has wasn't available at the time I bought mine and the one I got I think the temperature control may not be as accurate but I'm not sure. He made his at 104° for 36 hours. When I used those settings mine turned out like cottage cheese and more liquid. I've found mine to work best at 104° for 14-17 hours. Then it turns out thicker like shown in his video. The last batch I made had one jar that was more liquid but the rest have been fairly thick but not quite like Lee's so I'm going to set it for 17 hours and check it each hour starting at 14. It takes 10 of the BioGaia tablets to make the first batch and afterwards you can use a couple of spoons of the yogurt as a starter for the next batch along with some more inulin powder.

What's nice about using a yogurt maker is the automation. I can mix all the ingredients and pour the liquid in the jars in about 10 minutes then all I have to do is pour the liquid in the jars and set the time/temperature. I've seen recipes for InstaPots but then you would have to scoop it out and into jars. With the yogurt maker you just have to take the jars out, wipe them off to get the water off of the outside and stick them in the refrigerator.

Thank you for your reply. Yes I was diagnosed 2019 with neuropathy. Numbness,tingling & burning in feet and hands. Presently taking acupuncture (6 sessions) which is giving me slight relief. Also taking supplements and Alpha Lipoic Acid 600 mg.
Do you have any experience with Osito foot stimulator with tens unit? Lilly

Hi John, you got me interested in making my own plain yogurt again! I find the store brands to be too sour. My husband and I make low carb desserts or snacks using yogurt and fresh fruit. For a low carb crunch I sprinkle sunflower seeds on top. Thanks for the tips. Toni