[kevink]

Good evening all. I am moved by what I have read so far as it certainly sounds like my symptom trail. I have been diagnosed with Neuropathy but not specified. Would appreciate engaging with you folks as this is all new to me and I want to understand what is happening and what I can do about it.

I have been a binge drinker for several years so in my honesty with my Doc led him to believe it might be self induced.
However out of 4 living males I being the second youngest at 53 am the only one with these symptoms. I am an intelligent, engaged ,family committed business owner who still works out every other day for an hour and see myself as being in better shape than most my age.
I am told I have a disc that is shot in my lower back but they are asking me to take blood test already sent off to Athena Diagnostics.
Athena says that they are the only company who does the test ordered by my Doc. It is coded in their system as Test Code 287 which looks at Guillain-Barré Syndrome, Hu paraneoplastic syndrome, Anti-GM1 motor neuropathy, Anti-MAG neuropathy, Sulfatide neuropathy, GALOP neuropathy.
Are these test worth the 3K out of pocket and or should I push the back issue more? I am not buying the alcohol thing and not as denial of abuse but rather I am not an every day get the shakes drinker.
One other thing that strikes me with the infection hypothesis being the source, I did contract MYRSA prior to my symptoms is that something you all have seen or heard about in relation to the disease? Sorry for rambling just part of my nature to control my environment.....My wife hates it.....LOL

I still wanted to believe it was my back but am leaning towards