Originally Posted by Wide-O

Well, you asked!

The quotes are because some of the time I'm feeling quite good, and the more I manage my diet and my stress levels, the longer those periods last. But I started out with severe burning, stabbing, feeling like walking on crushed glass, feeling like both feet were broken, someone cutting my soles with a box cutter, and, from time to time, cramps in my toes that make my left foot look like it is going solo and wants a life of its own, big toe bending outwards like it is going to snap off. I can not really "feel" my toes, but when I do it feels like they are encased in cement. I also feel like I just walked 50 miles in bad shoes.

The EMG showed that apart from the suspected PN I also damaged my sural nerves starting a few inches under my knees. (which is part of the poly-neuropathy diagnosis)

The good periods make me feel I should go back to work (I had my own company), the bad ones make it clear I'm not up to it - not even close. I feel a lot better than when I started out, no doubt about it, but that progress stops at some point, which is typical for PN.

So those quotes are doing some heavy lifting.