[St George 2013]

I've been waiting to post this hoping I'd get better.....My SFN is changing. I'm up to 2400 mg a day of gabapentin and will start my last increase on Tues to 2700 mg a day.

For the last 2 or so weeks my symptoms have gotten worse and the pain has spread up both legs and to my hands. My legs also tremble when I stand in place and my balance is way off. My slightly swollen left ankle and outside of the same foot is still there and now my toes on that foot are swelling. I've noticed a tightness in the skin of both feet...worse in my left. The swelling started at the end of Sept....I went to PCP who sent me to orthopedic dr who did x-rays and said bones were fine in both feet and ankles. Thought it might be tendonitis (he saw me before the toes started swelling)...gave me a big black boot to wear..which I can't because it makes the pain in that foot worse.....and told me to go to my neuro and see if he wanted to give me any type of meds for it....went to my neuro and he said neuropathy does not cause swelling and he doesn't treat swelling.....that was Nov 5th and I just gave up trying to get a diagnosis on the foot.

I'm really concerned about the swelling and why I have it now. The pain on the outside of my left foot is extreme. Even when I'm off the foot it hurts....both feet hurt but the left is much worse. I've had heart ablation due to high PVC's...it helped but the chemo has increased them again. I've got all these thoughts running around in my head about what it could be and of course none of them are 'great'.

I do have an appointment with a new onocologist on Tues. My GYN was livid when she found out I've been 'searching' for answers on my own and no dr is actually helping and tracking my progress. She says the onco I have now will not work with her or anyone outside of Emory. She's been my dr for over 20 years and cares for her patients very much. The dr she's sending me to works closely with her and she said between both of them they should be able to help me get a good combination of dr's to help me with the SFN and stay on top of my cancer checkup's.....I've only had 2 so far since chemo ended in March and I have a long way to go before they mark me as a 'success'.

This new dr has all my records and will read them prior to my visit on Tues. I've heard wonderful things about him so I truly hope this will go well for me and I'll finally have the dr support that I so badly need.

Just feeling very down with all these unknowns on my shoulders. I'm usually very upbeat but I feel beaten down today.

Thanks for listening my friends.

And get this.....my last onco visit was on Nov 18th....I've been seeing this man since Dec of last year and he oversaw all my chemo treatments. I did go to him when this SFN 'hit' me in May to see if the chemo contributed to this and he brushed it off. Also told him I had filed for disability and he wrote that I was unable to work, shop, clean etc......he asked on this recent visit if I was any better and I told him no and that I was working with a neuro. I thought he was a nice man and always talked with me and my husband about fishing and stuff while we were in there. I mentioned that my daughter and son in law were taking us to FL after Christmas for our Christmas and anniversary presents.....when I got his records from that conversation he said.....still unable to work, shop, clean but looking forward to her trip to FL in Dec.....he didn't bother to ask how I was going to make it down there........which will be in the back of our Rav4 with lots of pillows and blankets......and I may never get to leave the house when we get down there. I have absolutely no idea how I'll do. We're taking a wheelchair that was given to me in case I feel like going anywhere. I was so angry with him and myself...why can't I keep my mouth shut ? Why do I think they are all nice and caring ? Maybe I took what he wrote the wrong way but it ticked me off good and plenty.

Ok....now I'm done....if I've repeated myself from other threads pls forgive me

Debi from Georgia