I've been reading these forums for weeks now and it feels so good to finally post something and see responses from people! I have so much respect for everyone who suffers from this condition-- none of my friends are truly grasp the intensity of PN and the anxieties its onset has caused me. Having some voices to talk back is really helpful, so thank you to everyone who has replied! I hope you are all able to enjoy your day today.

Diabetics-- I mentioned Dr. Bernstein before, and his approach (which seems to have worked for him and for many of his patients) is to do such intensive insulin therapy and diet restriction so as to lower a1c to nondiabetic levels. He uses insulin therapy for type 2s as well as type 1s and he wants his patients' average blood sugar to be 83(!). I'm not trying to do that at this hectic stage of my life but it's worth thinking about-- he claims that diabetic complications show up in people with "good control" because our definition of good control is well out of non-diabetic ranges. He suffered from diabetic neuropathy (in all its glorious forms) for twenty years before getting his a1c <5, at which point they cleared up after a few years. His story always gives me hope.

I'm not trying to do what he does, but for those of you who are willing and able to give his approach a try, I thought I'd offer that tidbit of info. I do eat low carb now.

glenntaj, thank you for those links! I have also read those reports and though they are few and far between, they do give me hope. (They also remind me of the chapter in the second Harry Potter book where Harry has to regrow all the bones in his arm with something called "Skele-gro." He wakes up in the middle of the night, in the hospital wing, describing some pretty bad peripheral neuropathy!) My mother tells me (frequently) that since there are no definitive answers for me right now I might as well believe the best option-- that I am in fact healing. I even have evidence to back that one up, as the numb patch on my left big toe has almost returned to normal!

And I understand everyone's frustration with doctors! For years and years I was medicated for depression not knowing the horrible effect blood sugar has on my mental health. I know that they are all doing their best for the most part, but the first person to really suggest that depression was, if not caused, at least worsened by my a1c of 9 was my therapist, a social worker, with no formal medical background outside of therapeutic skills!

And then there's the endo, who claims that because she sees teens with a1cs of 10 who never get neuropathy, my neuropathy must not be diabetes related. It's basically just a way of shunting me aside in her last few months before retirement.

Thank you everyone for the encouragement. I really needed it after last night! I go back to school on Thursday and I really want to stay on track with everything!