I'm not sure where I left off, so a quick re-cap. Length dependent idiopathic axonal neuropathy AND a lousy spine, s/p laminectomy and fusion a year and half ago already, and the spine has not fused.

So, in the spring, I went to Mayo, and asked if my loose screws were dangerous, and they said no. Just painful. They said that when I can't take the pain, I need a re-do, but I'm not going to heal. I could try a bone growth stimulator, but give it 3 months or so; if there's no change, don't bother.

I did that. I also saw a NEW spine surgeon in May or June, who said he'd want to operate, if I'm "ready", (It's a miserable procedure; anterior/posterior fusion), but first, he'd like me to see a bone metabolism specialist.

That I did on behalf of our dear Billye, who really needed a bone metabolism specialist but wasn't referred to one. I was referred for both of us.

The bone guy said that steroids I was given post operatively, which had suppressed my pituitary, were responsible for my failure to fuse, and said my bone was not turning over normally.

He said if I was reoperated on, it would fail. But...he offered me Forteo, a daily injection of parathyroid hormone, used for people with metabolic bone disease (bone loss from steroids, really bad osteoporosis). With the daily injections plus calcium plus vit d, he figured in about 6 months I'd be in shape to fuse.

End of June I got an epidural, which was grand! I also had a sinus infection and was given a medrol pak, 5 days.

I then went on to have the draggiest near pain-less (everything is relative) summer you could imagine. I mean, I wasn't hurting nearly as much as I had, but I was not able to get the energy to really enjoy anything. Blah. But not depressed.

I've been feeling worse over time, and I've had scarey things. My legs have turned to rubber, suddenly. My left leg has just gone floppy. My foot gone floppy. I get dizzy whenever I go up stairs, and half the time I get out of a chair. I just feel sick.

My neuro did a brain mri, with spots (talked about it in someone else's thrread) and wanted me to get more rheum tests. On the way to the rheum, my old one not his, I carried my last hormone tests, and saw that in JULY I had practically no serum cortisol. I was carrying the lab results, as I tell everyone to do, and there it was---normal thyroids, but cortisol 1.7 with the range of normal 5 - 22. So, they were repeated.

My cortisol, adrenals are low, and my pituitary is low. They're better than in July, though I don't feel better at all. The doctor's game plan, so far (my sinus guy) is to wait it out. He thinks my pituitary has just lost its flex, and can no longer respond to stress well. It will return, but it will take mnths.

I have a friend who has done well with a chinese herbalist for her thyroid, so, with nothing else to do, I've put a call in for acupuncture and herbs to support my pituiatary?

My neuro wants more spine tests to see more things clearly. He thinks I may have pressure on nerves to the legs.

And, well, that's about it. The neuropathy seems worse, but since I really just feel kind of miserable, it's hard to tell.

The good news is I do think all the doctors are good. Saw my cardiologist, who said to not worry about the BP drops, and, while my cholesterol is high, it's mostly the HDL, so don't worry.

My rheum wants me to see a heme. My neuro wants to think.

No one wants to operate on me or give me drugs, and I'm with them on that.

the update.