NERVES!!!

Seeing the doctor Thursday, to finally get some help for the nerve pain. Though mine isn't caused by my diabetes (see my last post), I've just seen a commercial for Lyrica, a diabetic medication, that sums it up. The "real guy" in the ad says that he has trouble explaining his nerve pain, because it's numb, but also feels like a million needles at once. I'm thinking, "Exactly!" Fortunately, as tough as that is to understand, the medical people I've talked to seem to get it. Mine's a combination of those two things, plus the shooting random jolts I described last time. I'm very hopeful there's something out there that will help.

Getting an Education

On my last visit, I told my doctor that I was experiencing numbness, cold and shooting pains in my feet. I'm the world's worst diabetic, so I thought I was looking at the onset of diabetic neuropathy. Not so, says Dr. G; my diabetes isn't bad enough and hasn't been around long enough for that to be the case. Instead, he says that this lovely new symptom is caused by scar tissue that continues to develop and cause all kinds of hell some four years after the trauma. Nerve damage is also responsible for the persistent burning sensation in my shins that's been around since I was in the hospital.

And here I thought that scar tissue stopped a few months after I got out of the hospital.

I can't stress the importance of knowing the full story of your condition(s). What your doctor tells you is only the beginning. Start by asking him or her questions, then take to the web or even the library to seek out the details. Search online forums and other resources for fellow sufferers. Ask every question you can think of and keep asking until you get the answers that satisfy you.

It's easy to take our health issues for granted, even when the news isn't good. But understanding what's going on in our bodies can be half the battle when it comes to getting well...or at least coping with what can't be fixed.

So I don't believe in resolutions, but...

On the whole, I don't believe in waiting for the new year to start fixing things. But since everyone's doing it anyway, why not? This year, I've simply vowed to take better care of myself. Not just more exercise (what I can do) and vegetables, but other things, too. I've got no shortage of things to work on.

Scar tissue has created some new nerve pain issues that have pushed me to find new alternatives to manage my chronic pain. The first step is the Physical Medicine department at Kaiser, which might hold an answer. But I have a terrible track record with keeping appointments, so that in itself is a challenge. Next up is aqua therapy, which was recommended more than a year ago in my comprehensive pain management workshops. I've also decided that this is the year I bite the bullet and try acupuncture. I've never believed in the "aligning the chi" part of it, but I've heard enough testimonials from people who've gotten real help from it that it's time for me to jump in. Besides, it's one of the last avenues left for me to try.

I've written before about the importance of socializing, which is also on my list. Since I believe that it's the doing of something itself that makes things better, it's time to practice what I preach.

Finally, I plan to do something about these glasses. I doubted these frames when I bought them two years ago, and still can't stand them. My appointment is this Saturday. Now if I can just keep it...