Life with Neuropathy

Hi, my name is John.   A nd I have CIDP (Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy ). When you have CIDP or any type of neuropathy you must often  figure out different ways to get where you want to go. I use the edge of the bed, sturdy chairs, dressers, and tables at times. I'm very creative. But mostly I rely on my walker to get anywhere. And by anywhere what I really mean is everywhere.  It was only a matter of time  before the calluses started to form. Painful hard spots of skin on my hands and palms developed. Like dry scales that protect me while using my walker.  I need it to lift myself up from a seated position. And I lean on it to support my upper and lower body when getting from place to place.  A lot of repetitive pressure has built up these stiff calluses.   The skin at the site is no longer soft or smooth. Probably never will be again. But that's what lotion is for, right?  Calluses aren't necessarily bad though. Anyone who has toughened up their finge

Hi, my name is John. A nd I have CIDP (Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy ). When you have CIDP you must often  figure out different ways to get where you want to go. I use the edge of the bed, sturdy chairs, dressers, and tables at times. I'm very creative. But mostly I rely on my walker to get anywhere. And by anywhere what I really mean is everywhere.  Besides a walker, I discovered that I needed grab bars. Helping hands , so to speak.  I never thought I'd have to hire someone to put in grab bars for me in my own bathroom but frankly it was a good investment. That's because it allows me to continue to maintain some semblance of independence in this very personal arena. These sturdy bars help me when I need it most. They give me something to hold onto. A place of safety. I have lost so much mobility but being able to continue to wash up, brush and floss, take a shower, and use the toilet are important abilities to maintain.  How about you? What changes ha

  My name is John and I have peripheral neuropathy (PN). As we age, sometimes we slow down. Now with my walker, I see turtles on roller skates zipping past me waving and laughing.     (Here's an article about how tough it is to  deal with pain  and another about how it's  OK to say "Owww!!!" )   Dealing with others pushing in front of you because you're slower or using a walker makes doing tasks even harder. And slower.  Today I had a little example of what it means to have someone take cuts in front of me in a clearly marked line. I was getting a blood draw and just as I was about to reach the sign-in sheet a woman stepped in front of me and grabbed the clipboard. She wasn't overtly unkind about it. She simply ignored me and put herself first.  I mean, sure, she was faster than me but I was a couple steps away and clearly heading for the same location. It was obvious what was going on. Simply put, she could have chosen to be polite, to pause and let me sign

Welcome to Life with Neuropathy. My name's John and I have peripheral neuropathy. Today let's talk about mobility. To give you a point of reference, less than a year ago I was enjoying the Daddy-Daughter dance at my child's wedding. Today I need a walker to get around. Find out more at Let's Talk about Changes .  A walker? Really? Read more about walkers here . To be honest I never thought that I'd even need a cane. Why was I so smug? No particular reason except that I'd always been relatively healthy so why would I start having problems with balance now? I'd never thought about the word neuropathy, didn't really know what it was. Or how it would change my entire world. Read more about my neuropathy journey at Let Me Introduce Myself .  To be honest, I've always had great difficulty finding comfortable shoes but that's how it's been since I started having to wear them. I grew up going barefoot mostly. I'd kick those shoes off as soon as