Neuropathy

[Karen]

Wow.....I had always ignorantly thought it was more of a numbness or increased sensitivity to touch. Thanks for the examples. I may start wearing sympathy CROCS....with socks (sounds like a Dr Seuss title!)

[Don]

Thanks Karen...Luckily my situation has improved over time.. When I was finally able to get up out of bed after my short hospital stay(15 weeks) at Moffitt I could not stand up for more then 5- 10 minutes at a time without almost being in tears.. My fear was that it would not get any better and I would be left like that for the rest of my life.... My Dr said that in most cases patients will begin improving after 3-4 months post chemo/surgery and can continue to improve for up to 3 years(5years in rare cases). Usually after that piont you have healed and the nerves have regenerated as much as there going to. Febuary will be 2 years post chemo so I'm hoping to make leaps and bound this year. If not there is a Surgeon at John Hospkins University medical Center in Maryland that has been repairing and/or eliminating the nerves surgically for Chemo/Diabetic Neuropathy patients..The procedure is pretty new and He is the only surgeon doing this in the U.S. It's a pretty rough surgery (cutting from the heal to the calf and from ankle to ankle) and has to be done one foot at a time.. The recovery time is 4-6 months each foot. I'm strongly considering having this done next fall if My condition doesn't improve a great deal .. At least after you heal up the pain is gone... Time will Tell!!!!! Have a great weekend Karen!!!!

[Karen]

Thanks Don, you too!!!!

[Russell's Mom]

alpha lipoic info

I need some attachment lessons!!! None the less, here is an address for a good article. There are several other treatments listed as well. Hope you find it helpful. (I had neuropathy after shingles, took AL) no more neuropathy!
Sharon
Just click here for the link (University of Maryland, Integrative Medicine)
Let me know if you have trouble finding the site, I will try again. It is pretty late after work...not much reserve left. Round 4 starts Monday!

Sharon:
I took the liberty to fix the link
Bill (dadmo)

[Russell's Mom]

thanks for the help

Bill, thanks, I appreciate all of the help I can get!! Tired but strong, Sharon

[huckchef]

could you develope neuropathy from radiation as well as chemo?

[TCLEFT]

Not sure, but I was fine after radiation. But by the 3rd cycle of Cisplaton, boom, I had it.

[Rune]

According to the page on peripheral neuropathy over at the LAF, radiation can cause it as well.

[huckchef]

Thanks Rune! I'm leaning more towards it now than ever. I've had a severe numbing feeling that comes late afternoon in my left hip/butt cheek. it radiates down down the outside of the leg to the knee and sometimes the outer calf. My brother and his wife are both phyical therapist and she look at me and said it was due to just tight muscles. mainly the pariformis which is in the hip. i stretch and it sometimes helps but I sure have alot of the conditions described in the LAF article. Thanks again!

[Rune]

Huckchef,

It really does sounds an awful lot like sciatica. I've had the same thing for some time after some trouble with my back and it's very irritating to say the least. The symptoms of sciatica are very much like you describe.. a numb feeling on one side, often starting at the butt and down the leg, sometimes with back pain. In my case it radiated all the way down to outside of my left foot (as well as the outer side of my calves). I still have it, but have been stretching too which has helped some.. but most of it seems to stem from my back.

In general, sciatica is caused by a pinched nerve, either from a bulging/herniated disc where the nerve comes out from the spine or from the piriformis muscle in the butt, like your brother and his wife mentioned.

Just my 0.12 danish kroner (roughly two cents)

[huckchef]

Alrighty...got the old MRI done(add this diagnostic to my list) on the back and something else to worry about. Degenerative disc disease between my L4 and L5 which is causing a bulge in the disc and pressure on the nerves. Gonna try anti-inflammatory meds and some therapy and see how it works. Just curious now if radiation could of caused the loss of moisture? It is in the same region as to where I was beemed. Oh well just wanted to pass along the info!
Hope all is well,
Brian

[Rune]

Sorry to hear the news.

I'm not 100% sure, but I really don't think radiation caused this. It's very common and if you CT-scanned people at around age 30, most of them would show degenerative disc changes. Also, according to studies, at least 35% of all healthy people have a slipped/bulging disc, but with no symptoms.

I have a lot of back problems myself, mainly caused by a relatively bad posture when working at the desk and the handlebars on my racing bike being way too low. From what I've experienced, I can recommend trying to stay as active as possible since rest/bed rest only worsens the condition, strengthening the "core" deep back and abdomen muscles and possibly doing McKenzie extensions. I'd ask your brother and his wife about the McKenzie-part to make sure this would be a good idea.. but's it has helped me a lot.

I hope some of this helps!

[huckchef]

Thanks Rune!
I'm doing all I can to get back into "playing" weight. It's tough. If I can just get it all on the same page. I always seem to exercise and not eat right and eat right and not exercise. I hope for the new year I can do both(that's eat right and exercise) . I never liked abdominal exercises but I guess I gotta do 'em. Thanks for the input!
Hope All Is Well,
Brian

[Rune]

I have just about the same problem - I eat pretty healthy, but in times when I'm exercising more than I usually do, I tend to eat a lot more. About the ab exercises.. tell me about it But they are really important, especially if you do back exercises, to balance things out.

Stability exercises on a swiss ball is very good as well, because it targets the deep muscles in the ab/back that help stabilize the spine.

[wraith]

Hi from Russell's mom,
I have downloaded a page from a book that I have found very helpful. The author has a doctorate in nutrition and advocates for nutrition as an adjunct to chemo. He is not claiming a cure-all, but is able to give statistics on improved outcomes from around the world. Both of the doctors that Russell saw said to be carefull not to "over do" on supplements. I have to agree. Who would ever want to rock the boat with a chemo treatment program that is working so well!! But I personally believe that our bodies get bombbarded in many ways and as well our diet does not contiuously get the basics and micronutrients needed to support it. In additon, I know that Essential Fatty Acids help our nervous system overall. Hope you find the info helpful. I have also heard (from one of the oncology nurses treating Russell) that massage has helped her patients. Here's to finding comfort!!! Take care, Sharon
PS I just checked the download...pretty basic! Let me know if you have trouble printing and I will try again. thanks Sharon

Thanks for the info. I'm going to try it. I've been taking vitamin b complex which has helped but it's been 3 years since my chemo and I still have issues in my feet. I hope this helps!