INTRO TO PN!

And I want to welcome you all. Each of you! I wish I could do it personally, but, my own life is interfering with my strengths and abilities to address and research each of your issues and problems and frustrations directly.
To start with, I know that each of us 'sort of' old-timers here has and does give and share a good deal of their knowledge and experiences in dealing with this painful thing called PN [and a WHOLE lot of other names as well!].
I hope that each of you will read the following web sites and learn the lingo, so to speak about how any neuro diagnosis is done and why...then find out about the different 'causes' or aspects of neuropathies. THEN find out about all the different tests that are done and learn about WHY some are done and others aren't.
The first: http://www.neuroexam.com/content.php?p=2
The second takes the diagnosis process a bit further:
http://www.aafp.org/afp/980215ap/poncelet.html
The next, is the LizaJane WorkSheets put together by many before my time, and I am grateful to every single person who has contributed to them! The compounding of experience that they have all suffered in terms of diagnosing properly THEIR NEUROPATHYS is an incredible resource to YOU as you go down that diagnosis road...there are many forks in that road[s] and knowing what the good, viable, and medically accepted roads are helps us who start out not having a CLUE: http://www.lizajane.org/

All this practical and sensible stuff is IN the 'stickies' at the top... but there are lots of bits and pieces in the 'stickies'... I do admit tho that the stickies have gotten packed and jumbled to a newcomer tho...I was once, one as well. Just finding this group of good, smart, kind and dedicated people has taught me to keep learning, fighting the pain, and that a life can be HAD for the taking if you keep on persisting.
Whining about pain, on occasion is useful, support is here for that. Learning about what all is causing the pain, how to live with it, deal with it, and get on with LIFE is what I think so many here are about! Talking about that dreadful thing is a good thing.

For new folks tho, learning the whole doc/pain/medical lingo is the hardest part. Please read those sites in blue I posted above. Click them on and a new window will appear. Learn we can help you, but, you first have to get the feet wet! to each of you. - j

HI J!
Great advice for our newcomers! PN can be so mind boggling with all the tests, dr. visits and pain.
I feel so bad for newcomers because I know they are going thru what I and how they're feeling!
It IS great that all the newcomers are here and hopefully they'll get the info they need here from one of the PN family.

thanks for making it J.

Dahlek,
you've done many people a great service.
alkymst

I've sometimes wished we had a separate "sticky" that could be addressed to newcomers only who don't know where to start with their search. All the info in the old "sticky" thread has become mind boggling and requires time to sort thru. And when you come here you are in so much pain and so desperate that the last thing you think you have is time. Time is actually what you will have the most of as this disease doesn't seem to just happen overnight and leave overnight. So I'm really glad to see this post. Maybe one of the moderators will take my hint and arrange this for us.

Thanks dahlek, good job.

Billye

Is to get this to the 'top'?

One other aspect I'd not addressed before is that 'history' issue- what you tell US...A short not too detailed 'history' of what has happened, where you are numb and how fast or slowly it's spread, as well as what all docs have said your 'issues' are-and the tests if any, that have been done...GET THOSE TEST RESULTS FOLKS!

All of the wiser folks here can't give YOU info if you don't give them info??? Starting with the bare bones outline helps...you can say what tests you've had, basic results, and medications you are on. For your own privacy's sake, never state docs, specific result numbers nor more than the basic of basic medications and ranges you are on.

By way of example, check out all my posts [many, but not near as much as others]...does anyone know what dose of what anti-seizure med I am on? or what supplemental pain meds I am on? It'd take a LOT of reading here and other places to ferret that out. YOU CAN ASK FOR HELP, by giving out some specifics and not giving the whole of you away! Whatever you offer folks here to work with, they will WORK it! So please do not be shy about starting a 'new thread' about YOU and we can all address your issues as best we can.

As for starting a new thread about 'you'?, It takes lots of courage to start to talk to a bunch of literal strangers about something very personally affecting YOU! I started out a stranger a couple plus years ago and I am not now, folks here were kind in asking questions and will probably ask you questions you are WISHING YOUR DOCS WOULD ASK, or maybe you don't know enuf to KNOW that your docs should ask the questions. Yes, you are scared, unknown stuff is going on,....what is reality? Well, here we are experienceing that reality...daily. We aren't shy about it.. But, we do NOT brush things off as 'strange'. I don't think one of us here has not had at least THREE strange things with PN... [I've had some real doozies]

I hope this helps you all into the world of PN, Let's all hope this is a really good roller coaster ride? Knowing how to deal with it can even make it fun!
Well, one can always hope? - j

Yes, well done Dahlek very thoughtfull of you