[Ragtop262]

Hi guys, I just wanted to check in - I haven't really posted much in the past month or so. The kids were home from college, and I got some home winemaking equipment for Christmas (a new hobby that has taken my mind off my SFN issues for a while).

Well, the kids went back to school yesterday and the wine is aging - so not much to do on that front.......... My SFN symptoms continue to be stable. (After a 6 month "acute onset" period, my symptoms haven't gotten any worse for the past year. And, certain aspects have gotten better over that time.)

My neuro appointment last month was same old, same old. "Keep taking the gabapentin and come back to see me in 6 months. Call me if you want to up the dosage." Actually, I'm trying to taper down my gabapentin dosage - very slowly. I've gone from 1800 to 1500/day with no major change in symptoms. I'll probably drop to 1200/day over the next couple weeks to see how that will affect me.

Overall, my attitude toward life is much better now since I'm starting to believe that maybe this disease won't completely kick my butt after all. A year ago, I didn't think I would be working much longer based on how quickly my symptoms were progressing. Now, I'm hopeful that I can keep going for quite a while. Of course, I'm still aware that something could always happen to flare this thing back up at any time - but as time goes on, I think that's getting a little less likely.

And, I just wanted to thank everyone again for their support and suggestions. Although I'll never know for sure, I think the use of supplements as recommended here - along with cutting down on sugar, getting some exercise and reducing stress has made a big difference in how I feel.

I continue to hope and pray that everyone else here will find some peace and relief from their symptoms as well.