Hi Emma,
Welcome to NT!
Your symptoms, as described, seem quite disconcerting to you. I think it would be tough to live with these symptoms day in and day out?
I agree with your aunt, please do pursue a neurological consultation, if possible.
What type of physical activities do you engage in daily? Do you use your arms/legs a lot or are you more sedentary?
So you sit often and for prolonged periods?
As for your left arm, I strongly suggest you work on your arm as often as possible, at least several times a day. I am specifically suggesting you massage your entire arm with lotion or oil, whatever you find comforting.
Consider massaging your left arm completely, from shoulder down through finger tips, as often as possible. If this is difficult for you, please ask someone to help you with this. It's important to see if stimulating feedback from your arm to your brain will help to create/reinforce pathways in which your limb may not feel so foreign to you. I have also gone a bit further and have used textures, even a washcloth, a textured pot scrubbing pad (the green flat style, not the brillo pads or the metal types, which may do some skin damage). Some people have good luck with soft brushes and/or light sandpaper, for example. The idea is just to offer some varying stimuli to your arm/hand, with the messages going to your brain. If possible, you might eventually add some vibration to the stimulation, via a massaging tool or other means.
This may or may not be helpful to you, in the longer run. It isn't an approach that will cause serious side-effects. It's a very benign approach, as far as side-effects or interactions are concerned. I also think any neurologist or other physician might be pleased you have tried such an approach and will be interested in your specific approach along with your reports on the outcome, and progress if any. All information is important in their overall assessment.
Are you aware of some of the theories around "neuroplasticity?"
You might look into this topic a bit if it interests you.
If we change the sensations/message to the brain, sometimes we get an amazing response, the brain may better recognize the limb (which otherwise feels "disowned") and we regain a better sense of limb sensory integration.
I feel it may be helpful for your own right hand/arm to feel your left arm and hand, as you massage the left and add in some additional sensory stimulation (texture and/or vibration). This may help with a sense of overall sensory integration.
If/when this becomes too much work, or tiring, please include a friend, a family member and keep working on the left arm/hand, creating stimuli which sends messages to your brain. Many state it helps to talk to the limb, giving welcoming, loving messages to the limb at the same time. Some report this can be done silently, within one's own mind, or out loud -- whichever is most comfortable for you.
I hear you and understand you are also experiencing memory/cognitive issues. Sometimes people report memory issues, when they really have concentration issues. With poor concentration, information is not encoded, therefore it's difficult to then retrieve the information, as the info was never entered into the brain's "computer." With pure memory issues, the information was encoded and entered, yet cannot be retrieved. I also see you are experiencing some misinterpretation of numbers/letters.
Sounds frustrating and possibly anxiety-producing? I might feel a bit anxious and frustrated if I was experiencing all of the signs/symptoms you have been dealing with.
I hope you can work on some massage and feedback to your brain as you also work on obtaining consults.
Please join in on any forums of interest to you!
Again, welcome!
Warmly,
DejaVu