--right before my acute onset, body-wide, burning neuropathy hit--my wife has just undergone surgery to remove a melanoma, my work schedule was impossible . . .

I suspect for those of us whose neuropathy might be traceable to an infectious, or post-infectious autoimmune process, the hormonal and immune system changes that bodily stress can cause may make us more prone to "catching a bug". Of course, there are other factors at work--many people just catch the bug, while in our cases, the bug has more wide-ranging effects, including setting off the cascade that leads to nerve damage.

I also suspect it's not the KIND of stress, just the amount and how well we are handling it, that may make us vulnerable. Happy circumstances, such as a marriage or big promotion, can be just as life-disrupting as negative occurrences.