Today, after an agonizing two month wait, I finally had my neurology appointment. Today was the day I had pinned all of my hopes on. I was hoping to finally have an answer to what is wrong with me. Not that I wanted Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy (CIDP), but I wanted a diagnosis---and a treatment. That didn't happen.
Erich is in town and he decided to accompany to my appointment. (That is his foot below, on the left.)
He then switched to an EMG (Electromyogram). It may be difficult to see, but see the white peg he has in his hand below? There is a small needle in it and he poked it along my legs and feet in various places, testing them.
He then looked at the results...
Dr, Birnbaum first did a Nerve Conduction Study (NCS), which is what I had done several months ago (Nov. 2017) by Dr. Suri while I was under the care of Dr. Wolf.
He then switched to an EMG (Electromyogram). It may be difficult to see, but see the white peg he has in his hand below? There is a small needle in it and he poked it along my legs and feet in various places, testing them.
He then looked at the results...
The results (shown below--but I can NOT make heads or tails out of them) told him that, while "abnormoral" and indicative of polyneuropathy, did NOT point to CIDP. He said that there are more types of neuropathy out there than they can test for or treat. In other words, sorry--but there's nothing I can do.
To totally rule out CIDP, he is having me get an MRI of the lumbar plexus region of my spine. The lumbar plexus is where the nerve come out of the spinal column along the lumbar section (the section that controls the legs/feet) of the spine. Dr, Birnbaum doesn't expect to find anything, but this test--to totally rule out CIDP--should show inflamed/swollen nerve endings if CIDP is present.
I'll have the MRI---but my hopes are dashed. I do plan to ask my primary doctor for a referral outside of Fresno (Maybe to Stanford or UC San Francisco) to seek more advanced help. I see my primary doc tomorrow -- and won't be back to see Dr, Birnbaum again until January 3....YES- more than three months from now.
I'm also going to seek out alternatives to Western medicine. Why not? If, as Dr, Birnbaum suspects, I am truly out of avenues to stop/reverse the problem, what do I have to lose? I need to work. My job requires me to be on my feet for 12+ hours a day. I like to GO places and DO things. I'm GOING to Europe in the spring. I NEED my legs. My friend Nedra has been pushing me to see an acupuncturist. I've been musing over the idea for a while--but wanted to see what Dr. Birnbaum had to say. He seemed so sure I had CIDP when I had first seen him two months ago. I just now need to find a reputable acupuncturist in the area---and see if my insurance will cover it.
Any other ideas out there for me to try? I'll keep you updated.
Thanks.
CHEERS!
Here is the next follow up: https://monsterago-go.blogspot.com/2018/09/legs-update-12-quick-follow-up.html
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