[midori]

Hello, Everyone--
I've been navigating a sea of ever-changing neuro symptoms for over a year and still don't have a diagnosis. Since my "new member" post on 2/7/2016, I've had two MRIs, and x-ray, nerve conduction studies, EMG, enough blood work to make decent progress on my Liza Jane spreadsheets and two twenty-four hour urine tests.

Yesterday (huge thanks to Summerfun and the Oaklander video posted here on 4/29), I concluded I have SFPN, probably NLD as my face is becoming involved as well as my hands, feet and trunk. I've experienced at least 17 of the 34 symptoms listed in the video, and it was quite satisfying to see my daily companion "internal vibrations" listed along with the others, even if was toward the end of the list.

Time will tell if my diagnosis is correct.

The last things I'm supposed to get done before I see my very kind and patient neuro on 6/20 is a lumbar puncture and a redraw of my B12 level, which was 320 in December, and for which I've been taking 5000 ug methylCbl each day.

I've been thinking about skipping the lumbar puncture and asking to head straight to skin biopsy. My neuro was planning to send my spinal fluid to Mayo clinic for an autoimmune panel. (My ANA was negative.)

Can any of you tell me if the LP can add useful information in the differential diagnosis of SFPN? And would I even need an LP if the skin biopsy ends up positive? I noticed LP wasn't on the (relatively short) list of tests for SFPN Dr. Oaklander posted in the video.

Many thanks in advance. I've already learned so much from all of you!

Midori