[MelodyL]

Hi. Sorry I don't come here that much. I take care of Alan and that uses up all my energy.

Anyway, I wanted to update you on what has happened. Especially today.

There is a medical building around the corner and they have a physical therapist/acupuncturist there. We went there, had an interview, the therapist started asking Alan questions (we had been given a medical form and Alan checked off all his illnesses and the guy went OMG, you have all these things?" And I said "Well, yes, but we are here mostly for neuropathy and if you can help THAT, that would be wonderful because he's had it for over 20 years and no one ever found out why and he has had all the tests, etc. etc." The guy looked at me and said this:

"Have you ever had a virus a long time ago?" I looked at Alan, he looked at me and I blurted out "Why yes, when he was 33 or so, he was hospitalized (in isolation, because they didn't know what he had), and ultimately he was diagnosed as having a Fever of Unknown Origin and was sent home (kind of like a mono thing) and he stayed home for 2 months until he got better and went back to work'. When I finished saying this, the guy said "Yup, that's the reason, the virus got into his body and damaged the peripheral nerves later on". I have often thought this but since no one actually knows, no one has ever said this to us UNTIL TODAY.

So I said "So years later, there was a trigger and he got neuropathy?" The guy said "In my honest opinion, yes". He also said "you have very bad genetics (when Alan told him what the other people in his family have"

He took him in the room, he attached electrodes to his back for over 30 minutes. Then he attached needles to the electrodes, and he also put needles in other parts of his body. Alan was in heaven. Then he did massage on Alan. More heaven. Then he had him on his back and I walked into the little cubicle to see Alan lying on his back with his back arched into the air. I never thought he could do that. He had Alan arch his back slowly 15 times. The guy then said: "He must do this 15 times in the morning and again at night" I said "you got it'. Then he bent his body like a pretzel and Alan was going OMG OMG. (The former chiropractor used to do this). made a world of difference. Then he told me Alan has to walk every day.

He told me 'Even if he says "I can't do this, I'm tired", you MUST get him up and walking and moving"

So, we walked 5 blocks total today. He came home and we both went to sleep. So we go back next Saturday because this all needs to get authorized by his insurance and that takes time and Thursday we go into NYC for the monthly Neuropathy support group meeting. I asked the guy "When all this gets approved, how many times must he come here for this?" The guy said: "Three times a week".

Oh, here is where it gets interesting. I was listening to the man asking Alan questions as he was putting in the needles and he asked Alan if his feet were hurting and Alan said "YES". Then whatever the man did with the needles (tweeking them or whatever it is that acupuncturists do!!!), Alan said "oh that's better"

So thank god it's around the corner. Tonight he did the arching of his body 15 times and went to bed at 9:30 because he was exhausted.

Just wanted to update all of you. Don't know what will happen from now on, but it's right around the corner, Alan doesn't have to take Access a ride or cabs there and he will be getting out a bit more. Alan now calls me his exercise nazi. I am also his food nazi but I don't care. He's losing a bit of weight and I will get him to do whatever the acupuncturist says he needs to do.

Just wanted to share and update you all.

Melody