Dahlek:

You said: "ALAN will need to be VERY CLEAR reading on his own what the pros and cons are regarding such a REALLY INVASIVE procedure, should the biopsy be a seural one. Especially if other test results indicate actual or borderline CIDP.

Think long and hard about this, please! "


Believe me, I'M NOT THE ONE WHO HAS TO DO THE THINKING!!! Alan already knows how I feel about these biopsies. I heard such terrible things.

But the thing that confuses me is the need or a biopsy versus the going on IVIG. Isn't it simpler (before they put you on IVIG, to say, Let's give you a nerve biopsy, it's an in and out thing, then we'll biopsy it, let you know AND THEN YOU WILL PROBABLY KNOW EXACTLY WHAT YOU HAVE"

Maybe I'm mistaken, but tht sure beats a 5 day stay in a hospital away from your wife, doesn't it??

The way the doctor put it, it's no big deal, (Dr.Goldfarb says this guy is the best in town) and Alan says he was just like Dr. fred). So if Alan (who used to be a private detective), is comfortable with someone, believe me, I'll be comfortable with this man.

But the doctor definitely told Alan, "if you are in the 70 our of the 100 that I can help, we can fix this." This is what confuses me. How can they fix it when (to my knowledge, the only treatment is what Alan is undergoing now).

It's not like "oh, we'll definitely know you have CIDP and there's SOMETHING ELSE WE CAN DO FOR YOU". Is there another treatment besides IVIG?
This is what Alan told me last night and believe me, HE BELIEVES THE FOLLOWING: "Maybe they will see something in the nerve, they'll know what nerve it is, and maybe they can block it and stop the pain". I countered with "Alan, you have PN in both feet (between the toes)." Alan said "So they'll biopsy both feet".


Oh My Lord. That's all I can say.
I'm getting more facts, that I can tell you. And we'll be discussing the whole thing with Dr. Goldfarb (and our lovely Dr. Fred).

this 18 year journey with the PN will either be resolved, relieved or I'll shoot myself.

mel