About Me - Cindi

Hello Everyone,

To give some background on my journey through Peripheral Neuropathy.  A little on myself I am 32 now the pain started when I was 29.  Well my pain started back in 5/2006 when I was pregnant with my second child.  I chalked it up to pain with second child birth plus taking care of an infant as my children are 13 months apart in age.  That was until after I gave birth the pain still remained.  My feet felt as though I was walking on fire, prickly pins and needle pain through my arms and hands, legs and feet and horrific pain in my lower back and sporadic pain in my middle back.  I went from walking a few miles a day to not able to walk a block to get the mail.  Thank goodness for great family and friend support.  I went through all the tests, EKG, Stress Test, Endoscopy, Colonoscopy, EMG, NCT, etc.  No one knew what to do so after almost a year and the only medicine I was given was amitriptyline which mildly helped at night I went to Scripps in CA for testing.  A neurologist gave me neurotin and elavil which at least I felt I could function somewhat.  He said it was nerve entrapment.  I went to a podiatrist locally in Yuma, AZ and went to an orthopedic surgeon for the arms.  Had surgeries starting 12/2008 – 12/2009, triple nerve decompression at knee, top of foot and ankle for both legs, carpal tunnel release both hands and ulnar nerve transposition both elbows.  Things started to get better than there was a down-ward spiral of the pain slowly getting back to the pain it was when things started in 2006.  Granted I am not to the pain I was in then due to the surgeries but still it is very painful.  So I went to a new neurologist in Scottsdale, AZ who determined I have peripheral neuropathy that is why the surgeries though they help initially can revert back depending on the severity of the neuropathy.  Right now the cause is unknown.  I have an appointment with a neuropathy clinic in 2/10.  I currently take neurotin, tramadol, nortriptylene, flector patches for the pain.  Have tried lidocaine cream and patches but they did nothing for the pain for me.  I am also dealing with a liver problem that occurred at the same time Non-alcoholic steteohepatis which is being treated by Mayo Clinic.  Because of my levels doctors will not try lyrica on me.  I had the best success going to pain management doctor who I was referred to by my podiatrist.  I had a trial of a spinal stimulator and awaiting a date for surgery for the permanent stimulator.  I know this is not for everyone but I can tell you the trial is non-invasive and for me it was like flipping the switch on the pain.  The hard part for me was having the relief for a week and then going back to the pain. 

Cindi