...update!

As some of you would remember August 2007 was the date my peripheral neuropathy symptoms escalated into the next level - general unwellness, fever, extreme fatigue, muscle fatigue, joint pains, fasciculations etc. Prior to that, starting in June/July 2007, my symptoms had been mostly intermittent burning/electrical currents in the lower legs, sore eyes and some fatigue.

In April this year I developed an extremly bad cough. After four months of coughing and no real answers apart from isolating a Mycoplasma Pn. infection, I finally got so tired of coughing I went to the emergency department of my local hospital about three weeks ago. There I was admitted for six days and had oxygen, frequent nebulisers and antibiotics.

While there I had a HRCT (High Resonance CT scan) and was diagnosed with Bronchiectasis of both lungs. This is irreversible damage to both lungs which will need lifetime treatment vigilance and physiotherapy.

Last Friday I went to a top Respiratory Specialist (head of a Lung Transplant unit) and he said we need to find out what has caused the Bronchiectasis. He has ordered a Bronchoscopy for two weeks time.

Incidentally I also told him of my general ill health and neuropathic symptoms over the past year and although he hopes it is not Amyloidosis , he will be checking for that as a possible cause to both my lung and neuropathic symptoms. He will also be checking for other isolated lung causes.

After he mentioned Amyloidosis, I noticed that Amyloidosis is included in the Algorithm article as a cause for PN. I certainly hope it is not that diagnosis as it is invariably fatal. Interestingly though my most recent SPEP has come back with a feint protein band which wasn't there on the last SPEP seven months before. This is one of the tests for Amyloidosis but can mean other things too.