I hope someone can help me. This is about me now, not my Alan.

I was diagnosed with the beginnings of Diabetic Neuropathy last year at Cornell. They were examining my feet, they put the tuning fork on the tips of my toes, I didn't feel some of it and they declared "Okay, you have neuropathy". Of couse, having taken care of Alan for 18 years (he is not diabetic), I know about neuropathy. But I had absolutely no symtoms and I have good control over my blood sugar and health matters.

So over the past few months, ONCE IN A WHILE when the weather changes dramatically, I would get a slight buzzing. I said to myself "oh oh, my neuropathy is acting up". It would go away. I exercise every day,eat my fish, take my B vitamins and go to my doctors religiously. I have read up on diabetic neuropathy but since I never actually felt what Alan felt, I had no idea exactly what neuropathy felt like.

So fast forward to yesterday. We both go and see our podiatrist Dr. Baird. I was being measured for a pair of diabetic shoes (my insurance covers it). So I'm sitting in the chair and he's doing my nails and stuff. I had an ingrown toenail so for three seconds he took to get it out, I jumped, but he was good and it was over. So far so good. I was talking to him about the fact that one in a while I get the buzzing. He said to me "that's vibratory". I had never heard of that. But yesterday (before the appointment), I was just fine.

Well, after he finishes my nails, he takes vibrating took that smooths off the nails and I almost jumped out of the chair. I DIDN'T LIKE IT AT ALL!!! I think I scared Alan because everytime he put that tool over my nail tips to file them down, it tickled and affected my toes. Can't explain it any other way. He did my calluses and the bottoms of my feet and made everything smooth.

When I got home, there was an extreme dip in the weather. We have been having 70 degree days and it dipped to 50. Well, last night, my feet were on fire. I have never had this in my whole life. They were buzzing and on fire. I was beside myself. I said "Holy *****, is this what diabetic neuropathy is about". My poor Alan!!!! He's had this for 18 years???????".

I asked him and he shook his head and said "Melody, I had to go on the fentanyl patch, the buzzing is nothing, I had stabbing besides the burning.".

I just looked at him. I took a hot bath because it was cold in my house. The hot water did not help. Didn't make it worse, but while it helped my arthritic joints, the burning in my feet stayed. I took my sleeping pill and went to sleep at 10 p.m. I was really afraid to wake up because I didn't know if they would burn again. I got up and there was no burning, but there was slight buzzing. I had an idea. Maybe, when the doctor did that vibrating tool thing, could he have woken up some nerves in my feet that started to do the burning thing. This never happened before. And it's the only clue I have.

Today, there is no burning, but my feet are cold. It's nice outside but in my home, it's very cold. I had to go on the front porch and look at the sun to warm up. The weather is changing extremely as of late.

So here's my question. Because I know I have Diabetic Neuropathy, could the vibrating tool have affected my neuropathy and made it worse for that one evening.

While it's much better today, I am hesitant to be hopeful because I know that you can't regenerate nerves (well, as far as doctors are concerned). I'm going to start taking Alpha Lipoic Acid because as we all know, DOCTOR'S DON'T KNOW EVERYTHING, RIGHT??

I've looked up Diabetic Neuropathy on the internet and there are different kinds and the one that stood out for me was the one that says "it can present as numbness or it can present as heightened sensations". I never heard of that and I said to myself "jeez, that must be what I have".

The doctor kept saying "good good, when I said "I'm feeling everything you are doing". I know that they don't want your feet to be numb because you can't feel stuff, you might get an infection and this can lead to amputation. I now this. But this heightened feeling. Well, what does one do about this (except to control one's blood sugar, which I have done).

My doctors at Cornell once told me "melody, you are a diabetic, you can control your blood sugar to the best of your ability, but never forget YOU ARE A DIABETIC, you will get high readings sometimes.

This has happened twice in two years (the high readings). For no reason at all. I do not eat what I am not supposed to eat. But I do have diabetes, I know the facts.

And I know that the gold standard is the emg and nerve conduction tests. I've had two of those and don't care to have another, I almost punched out the nurse the last time. And the emg wasn't on my feet either of these times. First emg was my wrist (carpal tunnel), second emg was my arm (that's when I jumped off the table and almost punched the nurse). I don't care to have this repeated. I know I have diabetic neuropathy. What on earth would having an emg tell me? The kind of neuropathy, axon, focal, small fiber, large fiber??? I mean, if I know these things, does it make any difference??? It's neuopathy. Alan has had it for 18 years. I know all about lyrica, neurontin, super blue stuff, capsacin, I KNOW THE INFO!!! If having an emg would be a way for them to say to me "oh, now we know, we can give you this, we can fix it", well, that's different. But it's diabetic neuropathy, and the only way to TRY and do something is to keep a tight control on my blood sugar. This I do every day, believe me.

As I type this, my feet are not giving me any problems. Let's hope they stay that way.

So if anybody out there has an opinion if the vibrating tool thing jump started the buzzing and the burning feet, I'd sure like your opionion.

Thanks,
Melody