We all have come here from different ways, and there are hundreds of neuropathies and other causes for the 'numbness'!
Honesty and candor, plus a good sense of humor? Can get you far! And for both of you it has...and will!
Being economically inable to easily get medical help IS a handicap? But if you've a medical teaching college nearby sometimes you can get things done cheap, if you know what I mean? Yes, a guinea pig... Been there even w/insurance in teaching hospitals, myself! Most important thing to do? IS to be totally consistent all the time about what happened ..particularly when you started pain and going down hill. For me? It was an immune reaction to a long 4?months bout of antibiotics for a pneumonia... 3 months after I'd thot I beat that? Then I got this [bigtime]...went into the er, where the er doc found 'references' to it on? The 'Internet'! But I have at times recovered, other times new 'waves' hit me. That's how it goes once your delicate and usually perfectly co-ordinated body systems go off center.
Mrs D's and Echoes' advices are well put, and researched as well, tho they too came here from different causes. They have researched and dug thoroughly into not only their own medical issues but many, many others as well! They are good folks!
Keep faith in yourselves that somethings' wrong? And that there just mite be a way to deal with it! You will be in my heart and mind for a while until you know what all is going on! 's for sure! - j