My name is Billy, and after nearly eight months of being misdiagnosed, I just recently learned I have neuropathy! I've read many people's stories here, and I know their stories helped me, and hope mine will help one of you! Please forgive my spelling and my obsession with using the explanation mark!

My story starts in September of 2012 when I got an abscess or boil on my buttocks cheek! I really don't know if this is related to my neuropathy or not, but I think it's worth mentioning! The abscess got about the size of a golf ball, so my dr put me on an salve to try and get it to pop, or go away... In just a few days of being on the salve I became unable to hardly walk without being in excruciating pain, I had chills and I believe I was going into shock!

I got my wife to take me to the local urgent care right away, where the doctor half *** lanced it... (No pun intended) he cut a small slit, and pushed out quite a bit of infection, I was sent home with an antibiotic! From my (half assed) lancing comment... You might have guessed that it didn't work, in less than a week the abscess got bigger, much bigger, but now I know the infection is bad, because I became unable to even pee or urinate!

Don't laugh, but I had my wife drive me to the "emergency room" where I had to ride in the back seat laying on my stomach! Finally the ER lanced it and got the core! I was put on an IV for a bit and again I'm sent home with a stronger antibiotic! The infection drained for like three weeks, and I was on several pain pills... Worst month of my entire life... Or so I thought!

I only bring up the above part of the story because I remember the dr/nurse mentioned that he was scared to lance the abscess because it was located near a main nerve! I barely remember him saying that over me yelling... CUT IT! CUT IT NOW!

Shortly after the above ordeal, I started getting tingling in my left foot! Mostly after a full day of work or after walking a bunch, then shortly after that if I had to walk more than a hundred feet at a time, my hips would hurt, and I'd have to stop and rest a few seconds! This went on for about four months... Even tho I was worried, I didn't go to the dr!

Then one night I was walking up a steep hill and I pulled something in my calf... OUCH! The very next morning the bottom of my foot was completely numb, and I was getting what can only be described as pin pricks in the side of my foot, and shin... Same spots every time! Some nights I'd get some relief and I wouldn't get the pin pricks... But the bottom of my foot stayed numb as if I was walking on a dead stump!

After weeks of waiting for this to go away... I went to see my DR! (I had already been on google researching this, and learned a tad bit about neuropathy... Enough where I was going to ask her if this is what I had!) so before I could even discuss if I had neuropathy, she insisted I did not have neuropathy... She was absolutely sure I had a pinched nerve at L4 and L5! I was put on a steroid pack and again... Sent home!

Weeks and weeks went by, and it wasn't getting better! I was now at the point where I couldn't sleep, and was in unbearable pain if one foot even touched the other foot! If I was to drive, or sit... Under my leg would hurt like maybe a main nerve or something? Made me think about my abscess... You know? That nerve the dr was scared he might cut?

Still believing I had a pinched nerve... A friend mentioned to me that I should go see a chiropractor, So I did! 6 weeks of nothing! I was told by the chiropractor that I had a pinched nerve, and planters fascitous, and I needed an arch support, and I had acheles tendon... Blah blah blah! Waste of money and time!

I did more research, and the more I read... The more I was sure it was neuropathy! I called a local orthopedic and scheduled an appointment for a EMG (electromyogram) test! Six months have past, I've been a human volleyball for six months... My EMG showed I had neuropathy in my left foot and a tad bit in my right toes!

So after I get the results... I go back to my dr! She now believes me, puts me on gabapentin, well... She gave me a prescription for lyrica first, but I couldn't afford it, so I'm on 600 mg of gabapentin three times a day and 500 mg of metforman twice a day for starters until I went to get my blood work done!

I take those meds thinking they'd help get me feeling better before I go get my blood work done... And it did, a little, maybe! About a month passed with little relief... So I go get the blood work done!

Last Monday I get my results... My A1C was a 9.8, my colestoral was high, my protein in my urine was off the charts, vitamin D was low, blood pressure was ok... But basically falling apart! She increased my metforman to 1000 mg twice a day, she put me on cholesterol meds that I only took for two days (after reading about it here on the forum) she put me on a pill for my protein called Lisinopril... And I asked her to put me on Victoza!

First thing I did was cut the fat, and sugars, and just started eating better! I've been a food nazi since! Anyway... The first two days I thought something was wrong... I was hurting worse than I had in months! I stopped the colestoral meds, and started taking 2000 mg of Vitamin D, 5mg of Vitamin B12, and 400mg of CoQ10 after reading the forums! The past two days have been really good... I actually feel a cool sensation in my feet and lower leg, and I can feel hot water, the cold floor, I rubbed lotion on my foot, and I swear I can feel my hands! I even felt itching on the bottom of my foot! Yesterday was the best day I've had in 8 months! I'm praying to God that I'm on to something!