Life with Neuropathy

  Life with Neuropathy: When the Flowers Fade  Hi, my name is John and I have severe idiopathic peripheral neuropathy.  My wife and I lost a son very recently. His death hit us like a sledgehammer to the heart. We responded to the horrible news with unstoppable grief and pain. Soul pain, heart pain, head pain, body pain, nerve pain. Every imaginable hurt enveloped us in this senseless tragic loss. And yet we had no choice except to take the next step even while wondering how we would survive this dark new reality. Fading flowers surrounded us.  My precious wife hurt in her own way. She would never again hold -- or hug -- the sweet child she once carried in her womb. He was lost to her now and nothing could be done. She suffered and grieved as only a mother can. Beyond the pain there were questions, thoughts, worries and anger. Processing a death is not quick or easy. Nor should it be.    The physical pain of my neuropathy was made sharper by all the stress. I felt as though my hands h

                                 Some call it Turkey Day because of the prominent position played by this succulent juicy bird. Others are thankful for the cornbread stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, homemade cranberry jelly, fresh rolls, and green bean casserole. But Thanksgiving is more than fabulous filling food.  Thanksgiving (and EVERY single other day!) is a time to give thanks and show gratitude to the many people who serve as our caregivers. Day in and day out...24-7...and definitely not just on holidays they are there for us. Truly. Even on our most difficult days. They see us when the pain is overwhelming. When we seem to have forgotten how to smile. When hope seems to hide.   And yet they are always there to listen, to help, to encourage and to love us. To simply be present in our anguish, disappointment and hurt. For me, my wife is my pillar, my guide, my dearest friend.  She is the best example I know of someone who comes to the rescue even when she doesn't know ex

  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.  Hi, my name is John. A nd I have IPN (Idiopathic Peripheral Neuropathy ).   Today let's talk about pain. Before my diagnosis of neuropathy I had various experiences with pain. Lots of dental work, a broken arm, the occassional headache, and constant foot pain.  I could never find comfortable shoes so preferred to not wear any. Especially dress shoes.  But the nerve pain that comes with neuropathy is different.  Very different. It's not something you can understand until you have to deal with it yourself.  Through the years I've seen family and friends deal with various medical issues. I saw my father struggle with intense head pain and neurological imbalances. I watched my wife go through labor and childbirth. Talk about real, intense pain. I wanted to help but could only be there for her -- listen to her. There was nothing I could do to stop the hurt she was experiencing.  Despite the best efforts at empathy, often we can only truly realiz

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

Life with Neuropathy:  Let's Talk about Changes Welcome to Life with Neuropathy. My name's John and I have idiopathic peripheral neuropathy. Today let's talk about changes. Before my neuropathy kicked in, I used to be able to easily get up from a chair and go where I wanted to. Whenever I wanted to. No issues, nothing to consider. Things weren't difficult. I could move, walk or exercise, and didn't have to worry that my feet would get numb when I went for a long drive. Read more at Let's Talk about Saying "Owww!"   Now it seems like I'm walking with hard towels balled up under my feet. Balance is sometimes a problem. There’s tingling, needle-pricks and other strange sensations. I’m sure you know what I mean. I never quite feel like I have full contact with the ground. I frequently worry about falling. I  have constant excruciating pain in my hands all the time now.  I also find that because of the balance issues I'm more hesitant to carry