[SeamsLikeStitches]

Liza Jane, I've downloaded your charts and I'm coming out fighting!

I was driving to work this morning and I was thinking about all the things I've beat throughout my life This is, however, the first thing I can't "see" so it's a little harder to beat!

As some of you know I've lived through parents who beat me, men who beat me, living in a home with no heat and little food for months at a time as a kid, running away and being raped, molested by grandma's husband, raising my kids alone, mom shooting herself, blah blah blah, and if I could beat all that stuff, put myself through college, and still make a living for my kids and myself, I can surely beat this little ole thing!

I did a LOT of research over the weekend and learned about what foods and vitamins are beneficial, what stretching and strengthing exercising I can do, and how much rest I need. I have learned my boundaries and my limits.
Apparently my PN is very aggressive. It started in my feet about three years ago, slowly, but over the last six months it has moved fast and hard, up my feet, into my legs, now in my hands, and making me very mizerable!

Now, I just need to morph into a Melanie when I go to the doctor so I can get the answers I need!

I am a single mom 47 years old. I have two daughters, 22 and 20, and a 3 1/2 year old granddaughter who all live with me. One daughter works,the other goes to school. The baby is in pre-school. The girls are very self sufficient and help with all the housework and cooking. I know, I did good! They are the best things that have ever happened to me in my life! (Well, that little baby is pretty special too! She was born 3 weeks after my mom's suicide!)

Any help or suggestions I can get from any of you would be greatly appreciated! The only siblings I have are my dads from his second wife (mom re-married when I was five and I got blessed with the step dad from hell). Real dad died from cancer about five years ago.

I'm now working as an Exec. Asst. to a Japanese V.P. in a Computer Design company. My job is demanding and I need to be alert most of the time. However, he travels a lot and it gives me some down time. (Good time to try new meds).

Now that you know my life story, welcome to my world. I'm a tough girl from the midwest who moved to California to get away from my mizerable family as soon as I was 17. Now I have no one to lean on and no one to help me out except my kids who I currently support.

Ain't life grand?!!!

[rose]

Good! Best wishes to you.

rose

[Aussie99]

and also your supplements. I used to rely on the old BT forum where I had all my information in various threads. When it crashed, I lost the history of my PN,and just could not remember everything.

A daily diary will help you see patterns and so forth.

Best of Luck!!!

[Brian]

Hi, Seeing there is so many reasons for neuropathy, it doesn't make it very easy to find the right answer.
Have you had a test for B12 levels, with all that prior emotional stress you have had, might be worth checking your B12 levels, i believe that stress puts a big strain on our vitamin B's supplies and you have certainly had your fair share of that and of course " Liza's charts " can be very helpfull to see what tests are available that you might not have had done yet.
I am wondering if you are on any antideppressants, some doc's perscribe them for PN [with other meds as well ], may also help you with that feeling miserable, you mentioned.
good luck,
Brian

[californiaDana]

Most of the time they cant find the cause of PN, like with me. But I would look into B12. Sand as Brian said antidepressents can help with moods sometimes. I take Cymbalta witch is an antidepressedent but aslo works on nerve pain. I hope you feel better.

Dana

[Brian]

Most of us here know, [ because of Rose's great info ] the terrific qualaties of B12, but it also good for depression as well.
I know of this because many years back, a family member was in a terrible state of depression, she was willing herself to die, because she was very close to her mother and sadly she died, and that just flatened her completely.
She was given regular B12 shots from the doctor and was told to eat one meal of lambs fry per week, because of the high amounts of b12 in it, it took a few months but the deppression lifted, and she was her old self again, thank god and B12 too

[Boopers]

Hi,
The suggestions you received here were what I would also suggest. PN is a terrilble disease and we need to fight it with everything we can.
I wish you all the best,
Linda

[SeamsLikeStitches]

O.K., so I've started a journal of medications I'm on.... how my pain levels are daily and foods I'm eating. So far I'm feeling pretty strong.
I've started taking vitamins (I'm allergic to milk and eggs, so there are a lot of vitamins I'm not getting in my diet.)
I've started juicing vegetables and fruit every day again, I love veggie juice.
I'm eating lots of fish and healthy food.
I felt so strong yesterday that I walked around without my cane most of the day (until I almost fell down the stairs, then I picked it up again).
My feet still burn, they still feel like they are cement blocks sometimes, and I still get lightning bolts through them occasionally, but I am not going to just retire to my bed and let it beat me. For today, I'm winning!
(Oh, geez, I feel like I should be standing at the top of a really long flight of stairs with boxing gloves on and a towel around my neck and the "Eye of the tiger" playing in the background!)
Anyway, I've done a lot of research, I'm fighting this thing and I'm not giving up. I'm coming to this site every day for encouragement and information every day, so you all are either going to get sick of me, or learn to love me, but I'm here to stay.
Today is a good day!

[Aussie99]

You have been through alot in your life,and your still here fighting. For that you deserve major credit in my book. And at different times everyone here asks questions and needs support. I think that is the purpose of this forum. Most everyone here has PN in some form or other, so you are definately amongst people who understand and care-