Connect
NEUROPATHY 101! Learn with my past recovery and reinjure!
Ok guys! Thank you for reading! I want to express my wholeheartedly prayers to everyone who is enduring nerve damage and neuropathy! It's changed my life drastically. I hope this helps many people! I'll start off with what happened and how my recovery went. I had a lower back injury in my spine in 2018. It's still undiagnosed what happened. I have had all tests you can imagine with no findings. But it left me with leg weakness, leg and feet numbness! I sadly layed in bed for alottle over 2 years. Depression and excepting the way my body had become were also major factors with why it took so long to recover. Along with poor nutrition and lack or any exercise. But it slowly still healed. I began to regain feeling in buttocks then upper legs down to calfs until finally I could feel my feet. Now I lived 4 years after leaving where I was staying. It was amazing! Life was beautiful. I moved on! Now I will never be 100% like I was. I never regained full leg strength. I had limitations with lifting. Couldn't stand for long periods. This I accepted with time. I knew my body's limits. I never pushed past them until recently. I tried going to school and it completely blew out my back and reinjured my nerves. Sadly. I am right back where I was in 2018. With numbness in buttocks all the way down into feet. It's frustrating. Yet I am not consumed this time by fear or sadness. It recovered once. I can do it again. I wish to share with you what I am doing NOW compared to what happened my first time around. I deeply feel if I implemented these things I would have recovered faster. So I am grateful I can share this with everyone. And I'll continue to post on my road to recovery once again.
Nutrition! I was not eating anything! The bare minimum. Depression was a huge reason. Along side I had little to no income. This time I am eating an anti inflammatory diet! So Omega 3(Fish), Avocado, nuts, Seeds, leafy greens,Eggs, As much clean healthy protein as I can. I feel stronger and healthy already. I am only into my first month since I reinjured myself. But it's a drastic difference from back in 2018. Next is Excerise! I literally layed in bed for 5 months. Before getting up and moving. Now I lost all my leg strength. I also lost muscle. Atrophy in both legs. Standing and walking was a constant struggle. This time I am moving! As much as I can! It's sucks! I am in pain and I can't feel my feet. But I know moving is going to help heal these nerves faster. And my mental health is much better because of it. Supplements will be next on our list. I am taking everything you can research on. All the b vitamins, all the herbal, mushroom, algae, teas. Everything. I took nothing last time. Maybe some magnesium every once and awhile. But I already feel like its helping tremendously. And lastly on my list would be your MENTAL. How you view and react to the situation you are going through. This is the toughest thing in my personal opinion. I Sadly suffered from depression and anger back in 2018. Took me those 2 1/2 years to truly expect this is the way life is. But this time. I already know life goes on! I recovered and i lived the best life possible. It was remarkable and it's a huge reason I am staying as strong as I am now with all this yet again.
I have been staying Positive. Which I understand to some near impossible.
I have been there. But you can do this!
I hope this has helped someone struggling out there. If you wanna ask me any questions or leave a response. Feel free please. I am.gonna post each month and update everyone!!!
NUTRITION
EXERCISE
SUPPLEMENTS/VITIMANS
YOUR MENTAL HEALTH
These are the keys to Recovery.
Stay Strong Everyone! God Bless
Talk to you soon!
Like
Helpful
HugInterested in more discussions like this? Go to the Neuropathy Support Group.
Connect
Amazing perseverance! You must remain positive and keep taking care of yourself. And if I might suggest, prayer has always been helpful to me. So I'll pray for you to keep strong in your resolve and that you heal and get to enjoy a wonderful and full life! God Bless you!!!
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
3 Reactions@bennettrory
What does your MRI of your lumbar spine and pelvis/hips show? Do you have compressed spinal cord/nerve roots? Your symptoms sound like mine (spinal stenosis, disc issues, neurogenic claudication).
Did you have a neurologist do a EMG/nerve conduction study of your limbs to check neuromuscular health?
Did you ever get a MRI of your cervical spine? Compression in your neck can affect strength in lower body.
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
1 Reaction@bennettrory
The MRI of your hips/pelvis can show if you have soft tissue injury to tendons/muscles (I have bilateral gluteal tendinopathy and bilateral hamstring tears).
Have you tried physical therapy and spinal injections for pain? Have you tried acupuncture or massage?
Are you being treated with medication and therapy for depression?
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
1 Reaction@bennettrory, So great to read your story and hear the positivity flowing outward. Thanks for sharing. Another great source of helpful information is the Foundation for Peripheral Neuropathy. This is but one of their helpful resource pages - https://www.foundationforpn.org/lifestyles/.
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
3 ReactionsHello,
Indeed, the emotional aspect is the toughest with our condition. It hinders our progress towards better living with what we're going thru. As long as we're still alive, we need to keep up our spirits and fight hard to keep moving forward and not backward. And you're definitely on your best path yet with your perseverance paying off. keep up what you're doing and your new emotional state will continue to help you. Best wishes.
Remember the saying: "What doesn't kill us will only make us stronger".
Take care and have a serene weekend,
gus
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
2 ReactionsYou are a breath of fresh air and I am following in your footsteps. Homeopathy is the way to go. I am also very aware of what I am eating and am trying exercise but must be careful not to overdo it as I did yesterday with leg lunges with weights. The stress aspect is difficult as I live alone and find myself ruminating on my situation too often. Perhaps I need some kind of talk therapy. Antidepressants will not do for me--plus these medicines create new issues with their side effects. Since you are cheering us on, I must register my support for you as well.
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
4 ReactionsWatch b-6 vitamins they can cause neuropathy.
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
3 ReactionsHow exactly did going back to school cause you to "blow out your back"?
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
1 ReactionYour suggestions are similar to Dr. Terry Wahls who treated her MS and was able to rise from a wheel chair to bike riding. Your positive attitude is very inspiring to me. I am dealing with neuropathy--doctors are doing rule outs and have not given me a diagnosis. I am trying a healthier diet--trying for unprocessed foods and less sugar. I, too, exercise but now must know my limits. So today you provided me with some hope and determination instead of stressing.
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
2 ReactionsNo where in your story do you talk about a confirmed diagnosis of neuropathy by a neurologist. The emg/nerve conduction testing or the small fiber diagnosis by a punch biopsy. You do not discuss the severe nerve pain in the feet. The pain in your leg can be caused by your back the sciatic nerve. I injured my back and had to have a laminectomy. It was the sciatic nerve that runs down your buttocks to your heal and hurts like hockey sticks. No pain medication made it better. As an RN we are taught nerves do not regenerate. You are taught that in college in anatomy and physiology. Currently, cutting out certain foods can make it better but it doesn’t go away. You cut out sugar and caffeine because caffeine stimulates the nerves.
Neurologist will tell you nerves do not regenerate and there is no cure for neuropathy. Interesting story. Did you self diagnose your neuropathy? Back problems normal have lumbar radiculopathy.
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/22564-radiculopathy