The fact that how nerves regrow? 'Feels' sort of the same as when they die.
Oh yeah! How encouraging? NOT! The differences are for me at least are that...Nerves dying are persistent, constant, painful, plaintive pains? Then, just the humm of incomplete 'connections' ALWAYS.
Regrowing nerves are at first a bit more well, assertive? THEY SHOUT I AM HERE! With very agressive 'outreach' electrical impulses trying to find something to connect to! When they take your breathe away? And you gasp with a huge OH! MY!? they often abate then start over, how often, is about how fast your key nerves want to 'HEAL'? Luckily for me? They usually last about 15- minutes to an hour.... Fun? Not.
That is the 'living with it' part?
Now, I don't know where you all live or what docs you see? But I too was 'written off' with generic idiopathic PN for almost a year? But, the crud kept progressing... from mid legs to above knees? And wrists to almost elbows. From purely the butt muscles to above? Yes it was PROGRESSING!
After learning to read such boards as this? I learned, that I BETTER GO GET A DIAGNOSIS BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE? Took me 3 neuros, a heap of tests and not to mention? Lots of anxieties? It really does feel good to get those 'second opinons'? And that you can more or less stop beating your head against all sorts of walls and other things.
Learn what you can? Learn how to ask your questions to docs? And then learn not to be a doormat! Also learn just to relate the 'facts' as they happened and not give details...let the medical testings do that for you. Tests usually SHOW 'something is off' somewhere, and it's possibly key to you getting diagnosed! Be sure to get copies of TESTS! ALL TESTS! Other docs mite want to see these tests? But It's good exercises in learning about blood tests, nerve conduction testing, x-ray mri and cat tests then the whole immune testing menus...they are all well, squirrelley and ultimately designed for us, mere mortals to NOT understand! You must learn to understand in SELF-DEFENCE! Then, learn to use it 'tactfully'.
I'm hoping for you and more! May you get as lucky as I did with my latter choice of docs! 's - J

PS? I just hope against hope that your 'second opinon' docs aren't jerks! Too many folks here have experienced them! I didn't know who from what when I'd started? I just followed my common sense and instinct as to where I should go and why one doc was better than another. Call it that 'gut' feeling? Just follow it! You've not much to lose by trying. - J