Yesterday I underwent tests on my legs at the Neurophysiology Department of King’s College Hospital, Denmark Hill, London. I had expected that the results would not be communicated to me straight away, but the consultant was sure what the problem was, and told Sue and I that I was suffering from neuropathy (extreme nerve damage) in both my lower legs. He will be referring me to a neurologist for further investigations as to the cause, and that I will probably have to have several blood tests in order to help identify the exact reason for the onset of the neuropathy.
The most common cause is diabetes, but other causes include excessive alcohol drinking for many years, low levels of vitamin B12, physical damage to the nerves, an under-active thyroid, an adverse reaction to certain medicines, a number of infections, and certain types of cancer treatment. As I am almost tea-total, I suspect that the first tests will be to determine if I have diabetes, and if that isn’t identified as the cause, other tests will be undertaken to eliminate other potential reasons for my nerve damage.
Not good news … but it is a move forward in the quest to get me mobile again.
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Bob, at least they are closer to a diagnosis.......
ReplyDeleteWhile we have made undoubted strides in medicine, we still seem to rely on poking bits and saying "does that hurt?' Or falling back on tests to eliminate or confirm causes......
But at least some treatments, like blood letting have fallen out of favour!
Neil
Neil Patterson (Neil),
DeleteEvery step forward - however small - is progress towards a resolution.
The human body is a very complex machine but unlike most modern machines, there's no USB port you can plug a diagnostic machine into to trace a fault. One day, perhaps ...
Funnily enough, the use of leeches has come back into favour for the treatment of some conditions (plastic surgery and microsurgery) because they secrete anticoagulants that keeps blood flowing to wounds to help them heal.
All the best,
Bob
Gosh Bob I hope despite tests etc that you will push through mind over matter is important. Best wishes as always Quinn
ReplyDeleteGlory to Ruritania (Quinn),
DeleteMy father was a member of 6th Airborne Division during the Second World War and imbued me with the somewhat 'we can do it' attitude that all airborne troops seem to have. Whatever the outcome, I will do my best to overcome the difficulties that present themselves and accept the results, whatever they are. What I am not going to allow myself to do is to wallow in self-pity and complain that life isn't fair. It never has been and never will be.
All the best,
Bob
An answer to your problems, that's a move in the right direction. Neuropathy is a thing I suffer from myself, never knew I had it until after my cancer op when they told me I had it and it had been with me for years! It affect my feet but as long as I keep them warm it seems to work, not diabetes or alcohol for me but just one of those things apparently, hopefully they will get to the bottom of yours and get you sorted.
ReplyDeleteDonnie McGibbon,
DeleteThanks for your best wishes. It's nice to hear from a fellow sufferer ... and that it is possible to have a positive outcome.
I suspect that my neuropathy has been slowly developing for some time, and that my recent cancer treatments may have accelerated matters. Hopefully, what came quickly can be reversed just as quickly.
All the best,
Bob
Well, how are your teeth doing? Let's look for some good news!
ReplyDeleteEd M,
DeleteThey smile at me every night from the glass next to my bed ... well some of them do!
(I got smacked in the mouth a few too many times whilst playing rugby, with the result that I lost four of the front bottom ones!) ;^)
All the best,
Bob
Hopefully they can quickly get to the bottom of it and develop an effective treatment plan. Best of luck!
ReplyDeleteMark Cordone,
DeleteI share your hopes, but I am enough of a realist to know that the outcome might not be quite as good as I hope it will be.
All the best,
Bob
Hola Bob
ReplyDeleteMucho ánimo y mis mejores deseos, de todo corazón.
Deseo que encuentren pronto un tratamiento y que su salud mejore.
Se te ve un hombre valiente, y eso es un gran primer paso.
Hay toros que hay que coger por los cuernos.
Mucha suerte y mis mejores deseos.
MM
Hello Bob
DeleteMuch encouragement and my best wishes, with all my heart.
I hope you find a treatment soon and that your health improves.
You seem like a brave man, and that's a great first step.
There are bulls that must be taken by the horns.
Good luck and best wishes.
MM
MM
Cheers! I ma hoping that a couple of lood tests will help idnetify the cause of my neuopathy. It may have been cased by the onset of diabetes, although a test done only two months ago indicates that I am not yet diabetic.
Am I brave? No, just too stupid to recognise that danger ... or so I am told!
All the best,
Bob
MM
¡Salud! Espero que un par de pruebas de sangre ayuden a identificar la causa de mi neuropatía. Pudo haber sido causado por la aparición de diabetes, aunque una prueba realizada hace sólo dos meses indica que todavía no soy diabético.
¿Soy valiente? No, simplemente demasiado estúpido para reconocer ese peligro... ¡o eso me han dicho!
Mis mejores deseos,
Bob
Blimey Bob, you really are I'm the wars!
ReplyDeleteRay Rousell,
DeleteIf I were a gambler, I wouldn't be betting on me at the moment!
All the best,
Bob
Bob -
ReplyDeleteIf the boffins haven't quite got their fingers on the problem, they seem now to have some idea what to look for. An uptick, maybe?
Cheers,
Ion
Archduke Piccolo (Ion),
DeleteAn online search indicated that there are over 100 causes of neuropathy ... but by far and away the most common is diabetes. A simple blood test should sort that possibility out.
All the best,
Bob
Well at least you are a bit closer to trying to get you mobile again, now you know that it's neuropathy that's causing the problem. Fingers crossed you can get it sorted quickly and get mobile again. Whilst recoving from my prostate op in a December, I was beginning to go stir crazy as I could only walk short distances for quite sometime. When I could finally get out on my bike 6 weeks after the op, it felt sooo good to be moving at something other than walking pace!
ReplyDeleteSteve J.,
DeleteHaving a diagnosis certainly helps and I hope that tests that will determine the cause will follow in the very near future.
I’ve now been ‘confined’ to a hospital room or our conservatory for just over eleven weeks … and if I didn’t have access to a TV, an iPad, an iPhone, and my computer, I would be suffering from cabin fever by now.
I please to read that your relatively swift recovery meant that you could get out and about on your bicycle … and into the fresh air. The closest I can get to that is having the conservatory door open.
All the best,
Bob