:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ::::::::::::

On several points:

Before I got PN, I already had anxiety issues from certain things in my life. Locally, I'm a popular artist and writer of horror and science fiction and when I felt too anxious, I could get some relief by doing my art-thing.

I noticed that my best days are when I am not letting the worry get to me and just go about my life. I genuinely agree so much that worrying does not help in any way. I seen a saying recently that I decided to remember:

"Worrying about tomorrow only ruins today's peace!"

Man, there is so much truth in that adage. But it's hard for me. Being as how I had an anxiety condition before my PN, this only made my situation worse. But I do quite well, most of the time.

For me, I feel that I did get the right diagnosis. 3 different doctors from different hospitals believe I got my PN from Cipro. This probably because they seen this before and they were E.R doctors, untied to certain formalities. (1 was a young neurologist).

He was so accurate about it, that it seems he predicted my symptoms over the next year in their very order. (He is the one that believes I'll be "close-to-Normal" within another year.) I hope that is true, I did get so much better within the last year. Thank God.

They say I got PN from being prescribed Cipro along with Alieve (Naproxen), while I was taking Clonazepam (an anxiety Benzo). Apparently, this is well known in the medical community as a lethal mix for the CNS system. So much so, it can even be seen now on Wikipedia along with many, many other webs sites.

This brings me back to what I meant when I said; "I see more ads and commercials about PN."

I seen them on television, not the net. They even have a phone number to call listed below it. I don't know if you've seen this yet, but it's the only one that I've seen thus far that is not about fibromyalgia, diabetic PN drugs, or lyrica. It's the first one I seen that addresses Neuropathy.

I can only imagine that this is unfortunately compounded by more and more people getting "Floxed" by harmful drugs.

However, perhaps there is a positive side to such sad circumstances. That would be that scientists/researchers will have to pay more attention and time in providing treatments and additional research in curing or creating products to relieve PN and its pain.

As for the impact and change it makes in our lives: My wife/girlfriend expects me to act the same as I did before I got PN, and that is the main problem with us. She does not understand the condition, and worse, simply does not want to. (I've tried to explain it several times.) So, I just have to keep pretending to be the same, which is not fooling anyone.

Still, she is right about not wanting to get sucked in by it. I love her and my family, so I don't want them to be affected by this madness - it already destroyed my life so much, I do not want it affecting them.

The other day, 2 gang-bangers threatened to rob me near Food-For-Less. I put down my groceries and got into a fighting stance. They looked at me strange and just walked away laughing. Funny for them, I'm sure - but I'm certain had I let out my full fury over a year's worth of PN pain on them it wouldn't have been so funny!

Before, I would have been upset or frightened by this - but I was not. What could they do to me compared to PN? A part of me truly wants to be killed. I'm not saying I'm always depressed, I'm quite alright most of the time. But I think there might be a part in all of us that's just a tad bit suicidal. So ordinary threats like that seem to loose its power on people like us.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::