You've Got Your Nerve

Mostly I spoke with the intern in the neurologist's office. She chatted with me for quite awhile, taking down my history, documenting my symptoms, asking questions. It felt good to be able to say "here's what's going on, here is why I think it is happening, here are my concerns." I gave my spiel about believing that most of what I am experiencing is from the many years of treatment - after all, you can't keep taking toxins and being radiated without some effect.

I told her that I was well aware that my symptoms come and go, and that in the overall grand scheme of things, weren't really all that big a deal. Just that I don't want something to get out of hand and end up in a mess when I could have prevented it. Especially considering that sometimes my legs feel like lead weights and just don't move well. She understood and assured me that it was entirely right and appropriate for me to track what is going on even if there is nothing of concern at the moment. I relax a bit. She steps out to connect with the doctor.

He agrees that we should run the nerve tests, but nothing full scale or overwhelming. Just a check in to see where things lie. I am shown to a testing room. The technician has me lie on the bed while she revs up the machine. She places a warm pad on my right leg which feels wonderful, especially considering that for the next 10 minutes, she will be using her 'cattle prod' to send electric shocks down my leg to activate the nerves - 3 in particular. Yikes! Thank goodness I didn't get the full 9 yard treatment!

I get the results right away. Same as last time I had this test over a year ago. Some neuropathy. I could take something for it if I want to, but neither the doctor nor I see any reason to take yet another drug when I can control the symptoms with movement and on the really bad days, Tylenol. So he agrees, but wants to see me again in 6 months. The one thing he puzzles over is that Rituxan is not really known for causing nerve damage, but that is all I am getting, and I do experience the neuropathy when getting the Rituxan. So he wants to keep touch.

OK. I feel like that woman who spent all that she had on doctors and was none the better for it! At some point I am going to pull the plug and stop all this crazy running around. Happy December.