Again - don't mean to be alarmist. The level of C-reactive you put out there is as MrsD says extremely high and signals inflammation.

At this stage, I'd be going into the ER and trying to force an admission so inorder to be seen by a number of specialties. I personally have not heard of swelling such as you describe from neuropathy, although I guess anything's possible.

Sheltiemom

Ok...In September 2009 I spent 5 days in the hospital for a lump on my breast next to the nipple. My doc thought it was MRSA. They drained it. I was very sick and had a fever and was quarentined for those 5 days. It came back in december of 2009. They gave me a high dose of antibiotics and it went away, but came back again in march of 2010. They sent me to a breast specialist over in Columbus she scheduled me to have surgery to remove the lump. Had that done in May of 2010. In June of 2010 it came back (each time in the exact same spot) but this time it was seeping blood and pus from the sergical area. I called the breast specialist and she said to come over now, which we did. She drained the lump once again. There is still a small lump there. I have told my neurologist all about this. I had done research on the CRP and it said that infection could cause the test result to be high. I explained all of this to my neurologist and she did not seem to be concerned...her words "that is not my field of expertise"! My family doc is still insistant that it was MRSA and that i do not have sfn but i have carpel tunnel. The breast specialist said it was not MRSA? I do not know which end is up anymore? I am so confused by it all?

Do you know what antibiotics you were given?

If I were you I'd get to an infectious disease specialist.

Once that mrsa (or any staph for that matter) hits your blood stream, it is very difficult to treat and very dangerous. Fatty tissue in the breast can be isolating it, but you need a very good doctor to determine what is going on there. This infection can spread to your kidneys or worse.

Some of the antibiotics you may be given, may cause PN.

Get all your records and take them to a new doctor. If it were me that is what I would do.

No, I do not remember what they gave me. I have done so much research about all of this. Asked all the drs about Lupus and RA.They say no to lupus because I do not have the mylar rash across my face. I do have strange little blotches on each check but they said that was just acne. My face has always been clear, even as a teenager. But I have so many of the symptoms. Sudden blurred vision, I have always had perfect vision. My hair is falling out. My nails grow funny. My eyes are always dry and my eyelids seem to be twitchy. And anything on my body that bends is sore and swollen. I have sores/rashes in lots of places for no explainable reason. My short-term memory is awful to say the least. I bruise very easy. They said no to ra because the sedrate came back normal.Who knows? Obviously not my doctors?!

going on here!
It could 'be' that your neuropathy is either from your meds or your infections or something else completely!?
It SOUNDS as if your neuro can't be bothered looking at any reports your suregeon mite have sent...if any? If that's the case? I'd call your surgeon[Oncologist?] and get HIM/HER to call your neuro and say PAY ATTENTION! ..if that doesn't work? Get a second neuro appt! It IS after all, your LIFE we are talking about here?
The stress of this all, as well as the past surgeries and follow/up meds? They are essentially an INVASION of your body and add extra stressors. Each Time I've had a surgery? Lost Boodles of hair!- I'm defying fate, as I should be bald! Should you have an infection on top of this? Albeit a somewhat 'subersive' one? Well, yeah! Your hair will fall out! One can and does get blurry vision and just about each and every symptom you've described PLUS! I know, as I've had many of them all at different times.
Mrs D asked earlier? How IS your Thyroid? What are your AUTOIMMUNE thyroid #'s? They mite be key to some of your extra problems... they were for me! After I'd gotten Auto-I neuropathy diagnosis? I then got a Auto-I Thyroid diagnosis [Hashimotos'] And it could explain the hair loss and skin aspects too.
Some neuropathies are Insidious! I can't describe them any other way.
Sometimes, getting second opinions will either kick the current docs into gear or you'll find these second 'O' docs better to communicate with or just work with! I don't know about you? But the more BRAINS I've got working together on MY problems? The better I'm going to be treated!
Don't lose hope of faith in yourself! You KNOW somethings off-balance here, and, It's NOT YOU! Hugs and hope! Do let us know what's going on?
I for one am pulling for you! And I think a lot of other folks are too!
!!!!!'s - j

for all the info and well wishes. Each doctor tells me that the other one was wrong?! I am at my wits end. In the past year and a half or so I have gone from a very healthy person with a good job with great insurance to unemployed and an emotional mess because of all of this. My thyroid was tested twice and came back fine both times, do not remember the # (memory loss at work again). Found all of my reports from all the doctors. The diagnoses the breast specialist gave me was "ruptured epidermal inclusion cyst with surrounding inflammation and fibrosis" yeah like I understand what the heck that means. And I will be sure to post what happens or the finding if any?!

What may have started as an epidermal cyst, obviously became infected....if you have that history of fever, etc.

Once the infection starts, it is a new ball game!

If you have drainage of pus, and blood still after all these months, something is wrong.

Hair will fall out after a trauma, or infection like you had. I lost over 1/3 of my hair after a major surgery from a C-section with exploratory.

Infection puts a huge strain on you... to heal you need good quality protein, and zinc in your diet.

The drugs they gave you? You need to know what those were.
Some of the drugs used can cause neuropathies. Flagyl, Levaquin, Zyvox...are some.

I think you should focus on that infection. Make sure it is GONE.
You need a current renal panel to make sure your kidneys are working correctly, now.

Gabapentin can cause low platelets and also hyponatremia, in some people. Low platelets= bruising.

If you did not have your PN symptoms BEFORE this surgical fiasco, then I would look to that, right now, and get it fixed once and for all. Sit down with pen and paper and write down what you had before the infection. And then the things that came after in another column. Take that to the new doctor, preferably an infectious disease doctor, to see what he/she can find out.

There is a form of breast cancer called inflammatory breast cancer which is confusing to diagnose.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/inf...cancer/DS00632

It is more common in younger women and may resemble an infection. I hope you don't have this.

--c-reactive protein, and inflammation influencing cardiac events, thought I'd reiterate here what I just posted in another thread:

http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/thread143794.html

Frankly, I do think you need to be looked at for lingering infection, and probably need a rheumatological (autoimmunity) work-up as well--you wouldn't be the first person to have an autoimmune cascade concurrent with or following a bacterial or viral infection.

Maybe I did not make myself clear in the earlier post. The lump on my breast never had an open wound, sorry for any misunderstanding. It was draining/seeping from the surgical site that had not yet healed completely. I have had 3 mamograms and 1 sonogram done when this all happened and showed no signs of cancer. I have had a rheumatological work up done, it came back ok. I was being treated for carpal tunnel before the breast lump appeared.

I called my neurologist yesterday to start asking questions about these tests and what they mean exactlly. She did not return my call until this morning. Actually it was the nurse that called me about it, with no answers just more questions for me and she seemed rather annoyed by it all. That was at 8:30 this morning. She said she would have the dr call me back it is now 2:00 and no call. I am so sick of being blown off!