Living with Neuropathy - Welcome to the group

@avmcbellar
Thank you,
I just read more about the various stages of neuropathy here they are.

Stage One: Numbness and Pain
Stage Two: More Regular Symptoms.
Stage Three: The Pain Reaches Its High Point.
Stage Four: Constant Numbness.
Stage Five: Total Loss of Feeling
No longer any nerves capable of
sending signals to your brain.
Thanks again,
Jake

@lacy2 . Thankyou, Lacy, for your lovely post. It feels good to receive your kind of understanding. I'm not that good at singing, though.
When I lived in Winnipeg, Canada, my Grade Six music teacher bent her ear to each of us to listen to whether we could sing on key or not. Winnipeg had a huge annual music festival for school children and I REALLY wanted to participate with all my singer friends. The decision was, through my tears, that I could ATTEND the festival, but I was only allowed to move my lips, and not spoil the chance of our class to win in the choir competition.
WELL, I fooled them. I burst into song with the rest of 'em!! And we WON!
HA!!! lol
Warmest regards.
Laurie

@jakedduck1 you’re welcome! All those stages are no picnic. Don’t know which is worse, pain or no pain? I believe I presently have the first stage with symptoms of pains being sharp and burning along with numbness. Since my neuropathy developed from surgery, I hope it does not progress. I recently( 1 1/2 months ago) started an exercise routine existing of an hour or more 3 times a week. So far I have not noticed it making a significant difference but I do plan to continue. I believe exercise has many benefits including reducing stress. Trouble is neuropathy limits which activities we can do with our imbalance issues. Wish you well. Toni

@avmcbellar
For me no pain is a zillion times better. My balance is horrible but it was horrible before so no big deal and I do weave all over the place when I walk and fall quite a bit but I don't mind falling as long as it's not off the roof, out of a tree, off a latter or down the stairs. Been there done that. I avoid those places now. I’ve done a lot of very stupid things.
Take car,
Jake

@straightway22
I just edited my earlier post. Sorry it was such a mess.
Take it easy,
Jake

@jakedduck1 Those can be some nasty falls. I am glad you learned how to handle them. I can say from experience by making my limbs and torso stronger through exercise, I can break a fall or use my arms to quickly get back into balance to avoid a fall. I use my quad cane often outside for the backyard which has a decline. I also weave all over the place and walk like a drunk. I haven’t had a fall in years, maybe a near fall. That's another reason for following an exercise routine. Who wouldn’t want to decrease potential injury from a fall? You pay either way, doing exercises or suffering from a fall. I would rather do exercises. It has helped me tremendously with avoiding physical harm and staying away from hospitals. Although careful, I have gotten a few cuts. Nothing I couldn’t handle. I need several first aid kits to keep up with my husband who many times doesn’t realize his cuts and bruises. It has become a joke. All the bandages have been for him so far, lol, and he has no balance issues. Best to you. Toni

I too have lichen planus everywhere. Does anyone have anything they use for numbing your mouth so you can enjoy normal food every once in a while?

@jakedduck1 . Please don't get rid of your beloved piano. It's a proud symbol to gently remind you of something very special and important that you were skilled at doing. I haven't gotten rid of all my artist paraphernalia. It's an integral part of who I am. True, it's hidden away in a closet for now because it's a bit painful to look at. I've got three huge paintings of mine hanging in my apartment though, and it makes me feel kinda' good to know that once upon a time....
Maybe if you'll tinkle a few keys and I put some paint on a brush, something magical might happen. Maybe at our joint birthday party, when you're 108 years old and I'm 145 . 🙂
Warm and fuzzy thoughts coming your way. Laurie

OMG @bustrbrwn22! It's SO good to hear from you. I thought I was the only one in the world suffering with lichen planus. I've had it since mid-December and having a terrible time finding things I can eat, or finding something to ease the pain.
I've been experimenting with applying CBD Oil (30/1 cbd.thc) directly to the lesions and I'm finding the pain is lessened and the lesion heals a bit faster. Of course, more lesions keep appearing. It's so frustrating. I've used Orajel, to numb before eating. I just researched that article about Turmeric capsules, so I've bought some today and will start that regime tomorrow. My son read about swishing the mouth with organic Sesame Oil, so I also bought that today to try. If I sound desperate, it's because I am!
Do you also have GCA like I do? These are both autoimmune diseases. Just what we needed, right?
Take care. Thinking of you.
Laurie

@artist01
Haha, me with a paintbrush. Now that's funny.
A speech pathologist was at my house one day and he said I want you to draw a portrait of yourself. Oh yeah right sure. I said are you sure they'll have room in the Louvre maybe next to the Mona Lisa?
Well, I started on my masterpiece. He didn’t believe me when I said I couldn’t draw. But he forced my hand so I started drawing my stick figure portrait.
He wasn’t really interested in what it would look like he was interested in what it contained, mouth, nose hair, shoes, pants shirt & attempted to draw a woman's purse in his hand. He asked what the square and curved line was, I said he's a purse snatcher.
So I guess right now you know that a paintbrush in my hand would be a major disaster. Maybe I could paint a canvas solid black and just say it's midnight.
To be honest I think that would look better than some of the paintings I see hanging in art galleries. I think the way people describe paintings and wine is hilarious. I saw a guy and he was talking about wine and he said it has an earthy flavor, does that mean it tastes like dirt?
I took a calligraphy class with a friend and we had to draw the lines. The class was three hours long and at the end of the class I was still trying to draw my lines believe it or not. And then the teacher says to put our work on the board oh yeah right sure like that’s gonna happen. My friends work was beautiful but needless to say I never went back.Still to this day I can’t draw a straight line. you’re probably sick of people asking you this, I think you said that but anyway I wish I had a painting of my favorite mountain Mount Shasta in California painted by you.
Take it easy,
Jake