Dahlak,
That explanation of the nerve root system is the best I have ever read, easy to read and understand. I hope you don't mind me printing a copy as there is one particular doctor who needs to read it.

but just keep my name per-se out of it?
I Learned all this from lots of docs, the analogy to plants is my one concoction. It's just that Docs, would tend to 'adopt' this concept as their own? By being anonymous this way we can see WHICH professional...takes it as their own? HA.
I have read all [it seems] zillions of 'sources' about nerve re-growth mostly relating to LARGE fibre regeneration.. with a heap of stuff 'implied' regarding other nerve levels...all is 'implied' nothing documented or on solid record. It appears to be that death and regeneration for the most part is merely 'assumed'. Sad but true. [This is NOT just from/by/for PN nerve research - I assure you].

As I said, IF you want references to bring up...Lemme know. I can probably find you those sites [all truly legit, mind you] having any specifics.
Keep at it yourself? - j

I went in to see my neurologist in the spring and he redid the tests (emg., etc.) that gave him the diagnosis of CIDP... He said that the tests showed vast improvement... When I asked him how much, like 75% or 80%, he said more like 80% to 90% improvement...

Unlike others, I have not taken the usual prescribed treatments... By the time I got the diagnosis and was thinking about which treatment would be best, I thought I noticed an improvement in my strength (about 2 months after the onset) and decided to forego treatment and see what would happen... I went back in about 2 months and was already beginning to climb stairs (albeit, holding onto something and very slowly) but had continual pins and needles in my hands... He prescribed gabapentin and that worked... Now I only get them when I am typing, etc...

I still have many of the sensory residuals going on....pins and needles, can stand for only a few minutes, balance issues, creepy crawlies up and down my back, muscle spasms, and fatigue, but at least my strength is back... I am not sure why I have these residuals if the myelin is so much healed... I guess it must be axonal damage or the myelin is not healed correctly (onion bulbs? in some of the literature)... I must ask him the next time I go in... He makes my appointments 6 months apart, but I go in more often if there is something going on or if I think I am relapsing... I have not had a "for sure" relapse, ie. not being able to climb stairs, squeeze a clothespin, etc., but just times when I felt weaker or have more neuro residuals bothering me...

I think I am getting "used to" the residuals... Is that possible..???

Aimee

Wow, aimee, that's very interesting.

I didn't know the thing about losing strength. It was so interesting to read that.

That's what happened to me when I had tetanus. I could not believe it, it was so total. People handed me things and they'd drop to the floor because I wasn't strong enough to hold them any more....

Thank you so much for posting.

In terms of your creepy crawlies and the pins and needles, I would guess that if you started taking methylcobalamin to replace B12 that you've lost, that you would experience the kind of improvement you are hoping for...