That is so true. Really inspiring to hear another success story! May you continue to heal. God bless.

Thanks all. I'm very pleased that you see it as a form of inspiration.

In the mean time my results came back, and although they are not as good as I would have liked, they motivate me even more to continue to actively seek a balanced lifestyle.

My insulin level is 13.4 mU/L (range 2.6 - 24.9), which, although it totally falls within the range, is way too high, I now understand. I have no comparison as it's the first time it was tested, but it still points at hyperinsulinemia. My GP told me to not be too disappointed, as it takes time for my "diet" to really kick in. At least I now have a benchmark to judge further progress. (and I was most probably right with cutting the sugar and the effect it had on my PN). I want to get that down to 5, so still a long way to go.

D3 had also dropped from 40.1 to 34.7. I had stopped taking D3 two weeks ago, and apparently that was too soon, so I'm back on that as well.

We'll get there in the end.

That is great you are feeling better and I agree it helps with motivation to keep doing the things you can to help yourself. Some things you can't control but some you can etc.

A small update: I am now routinely working outside every day for up to 10 hours. Things like gardening, fixing the pond, painting the outside of the house... They may look small, but they are a massive improvement over where I was back in March.

My weight has gone down to... well, let's just say my wife bought me a new belt. I'm now down to a body fat percentage of 14% just by eating healthily. I cook most days, do the shopping etc.

The swelling in my ankles (oedema), which was quite bad in the last few years, and is normally worsened by standing a lot and by warm weather, has completely disappeared. I take from this that circulation in/to my feet has improved too. I still apply some lotion (magnesium) every evening to inspect my feet.

After 10 hours of running around I do still feel some pain, and I may take a painkiller depending on the day, but mostly I can get by without them. Most important is that as long as I keep moving/working, I am no longer bothered by my PN. In fact, I don't think about it most of the day, and it's only when I sit down for dinner that I might notice pain. However, that might also partly be normal muscle/joint pain.

I still take B12, B1, R-ALA, and biotin daily (and will restart D3 in September or October). I also take what most would consider a ridiculous dose of DHA/EPA. I won't bother you with my "diet", but what's important is that it's mostly cooked with olive oil, reduced or eliminated most starches and grains, and garlic, ginger, turmeric (all fresh) are used in abundance. I also started taking half of a baby aspirin (about 40 mg) a day.

Looking back, I might not have chosen the word "heal" in the thread title. My EMG clearly showed that there are still problems with my nerves (and those would still be classed as polyneuropathy), and this may take a long time still to heal - and it may not. I do think however that I'm doing the right things to manage vitamins/inflammation/circulation which has drastically reduced the resulting pain, so much so that I'm no longer debilitated by it.

I am very happy for you and your updates are very helpful
For others coming here to read.

Your results echo mine over the years. That is why
I donate my time here to encourage those PNers who
Can benefit from some lifestyle changes.

Proper diet and less sugar is always a good idea and I am glad it is working to help. My internist also has me off alcohol and liver tests have improved. My condition has not been any worse or any better with the B12 supplements, time may tell.

Another month and time for a small update. I am over the moon. Yes Mrs. D., that lifestyle... since I started to eat sensibly (cutting the sugar was the first step) I have lost 29 kg (63 pounds) in about 4 months. Weight loss was not the goal (although I thought it would help with the arthritis in the knee), it comes as a bonus benefit.

Arthritis still totally gone. PN pain is mostly absent. It occasionally becomes more prominent, but it's the sort of pain like you have walked 30 miles. And in a way, that's what I'm doing, as I'm now working in the garden/around the house 10 to 15 hours every single day. The good food gives me more energy/makes me lose weight/makes me want to be active/rince & repeat. As Stacey mentioned somewhere, the constant moving about probably improves the blood flow to the nerves, and I think that's a very good thing.

Edema: gone. Arthritis in the fingers: gone. Arthritis in the knees: gone. Current weight: 99 kg for 201 cm (coming from 128). Acid reflux: totally gone. Hair loss: stopped. Hyperventilation: 95% gone (It still happens a little bit when I'm driving my car and get worked up).

Not bad for a lifestyle change.

Again, I'm not posting all this to make you feel bad about yourself. I'm just very very lucky, and I seem to be doing the right things. My diet is mostly geared towards 1) combating inflammation and 2) to get as many good nutrients inside in a natural way. The garlic, the turmeric, the ginger... no, it will not cure PN, but the whole lifestyle change is currently making it a minor nuisance. Oh, and my skin is looking a lot healthier and smoother.

Currently still take R-ALA and B12, occasionally biotin, 50mg of aspirin, and 9 grams of EPA/DHA. Starting D3 again, and should also start magnesium again.

Oh, and needless to say: not a drop of alcohol.

Anyway, off to see my music hero* in concert, and what's more, he just sent me a message that I'm on his guest list! Sometimes life doesn't suck.

* He's also the man who's book inspired me to finally get off the booze...

Not-so-Wide-O-anymore-O...

That's fan-freakin'-tastic. You don't make me feel bad about myself—I'm inspired ...and envious. I WISH I could lose that much. Sounds like the level of activity (and perhaps some genetics) make a difference.

Wishing you continued success/victory!

Doc

Thanks! Yes, it might be partly genetics. I sometimes thought (in hindsight) that I should have been "fatter" with the amounts of soft drinks and chocolate I was consuming. Although we did eat reasonably healthy (as much cooking at home as possible, very little junk food, olive oil), we didn't really know about the whole "fast glucose" thing that happens with potatoes, pasta, rice, white bread etc. The 29 extra kilograms didn't really look bad on me because of my length, but I can sure feel (and see) the difference.

Still, as you probably already know, there's genetics and epi-genetics. It seems possible to turn on "genes"/re-balance your hormones by eating the right stuff. I certainly have not gone "fundamentalist" on food, and still have my once a week french fries "debauchery", which did not hinder the weight loss one bit. (in fact, it made it easier to keep up)

I feel "full" very early on during meals (stomachs don't shrink, again, it's all hormones), and have learned to recognize that feeling, and stop eating (empty plate or not). No one can starve themselves thin; "eat less and exercise more" sounds logical, but it is much more complicated than that. Ghrelin, insulin, endo-canabinoids, leptin, cortisol (and others); they all play their part and work better with a balanced diet. And I know that's not just theory, as I can "feel" it.

The level of activity only could go up once a) the pain became much less and b) the food gave me energy. I don't remember who said it, but activity has never been a cure if you don't change the diet first. After a couple of weeks I just didn't get hungry between or after meals, so no snacking what so ever.

I started very very conservatively on my home-trainer (overdoing it causes inflammation too...) and that was a good choice it seems. It probably does help that I did a lot of sports as a kid/teenager/twin. I'm not sure if there is such a thing as "muscle-memory", but my body does recognize/responds to being active.

It may also have helped that it was (and still is) more about "getting rid of the pain and get healthy again" than it was/is about looking good in my bikini.

So yeah, "wide-o" ... it was a name given to me by two very good friends from Scotland. I'm not sure there is an equivalent in US-English. "Thick uneducated person", something like that.

Now, for other people reading this: I do not knock the "sugar binge" I had when I was just recovering from alcohol abuse. It really helped with "cravings", it made it possible to persist. I could not have done this in a million years just after I quit drinking. Quitting was the crucial part of recovery, almost the only thing that mattered, and that allowed me to start to watch my diet when I was ready for it. (about 9 months in). I enjoyed food & snacks again after I got sober (replacing the approx. 2200 calories daily from alcohol ), and that helped staying on course.

Five months ago, I was ready to accept a wheelchair as a useful aid. I didn't really feel sad about it, it was just the way it was, until I could recover later on. Yesterday evening, I danced for 90 minutes during the show. OK, I was exhausted afterwards, and my feet were killing me, but the feeling was just incredible.

This forum not only helped me to find the right supplements to correct shortages, it also pointed me towards people/books that really helped. Robert Lustig, Barry Sears, Robb Wolf, Michael Pollan, Gary Taubes, Christopher Gardner (and others); they all have very useful things to say when you want to eat proper food and/or want to control PN. The science seems to be out there.

Monthly update: I'm continuing to realize that PN is something you "manage", not heal. And yes, life style choices have a very big impact.

I lost more weight (without really trying) and am now down to 212 lbs (6'7"). I can see my ribs now...

Last week I completely redecorated our main living room, which included ripping out the old floor and put in a new one, repair walls, painting in different colors, new doors, curtains, cleaning, etc...

I spent about 12 hours a day on it, and had to force myself to sit down from time to time. Yes, my feet hurt afterwards, but they (almost) don't while I'm busy. For me, being busy is absolutely therapeutic. Also: painting. I have always loved doing that. You don't need to think too much, but you still have to concentrate, and you see instant results. Love it! I sometimes catch myself with holding my tongue between my lips like a toddler.

My wife was away for 8 days and came back to a shiny new, modern & clean room - needless to say she appreciated that. As a bonus, I now have the space (and her permission...) to install a grand piano (well, a baby grand) in that room. A dream of 4 decades coming true.

I still use the Zaldiar medication (tramadol/paracetamol combination), when needed, to manage pain - especially when I'm winding down after a day's work. So the PN is not "gone" or "healed", but it doesn't really bother me anymore. I live with it, I'm OK with it.

Like mentioned in other threads: I don't complain about it to my wife. Pain is hard to understand by others, and if I'm honest with myself, I would not want to hear me go on about it myself either! I'm proud of what I achieved in the garden & the new room, and with the weight loss. My knees have to carry 70 pounds less now - which means I can get up from my bed (mattress on ground level) without having to use my arms; back in April, that took me 5 minutes, use of arms, door handle to pull at, and a *lot* of pain.

I'll be going for a blood test shortly - my doc expects me - and I'm curious about my cholesterol levels. (even though I don't put too much value in the whole cholesterol thing, but that's another story). I still take 9 grams of fish oil per day FWIW, and may slowly start to cut that back to the recommended 3 grams. B12, B1, RLA and vitD. are also still on the menu.

That it for now.