Lately I've had more issues with balance. They range from just walking into the good ol supportive wall, to outright falls, or just plain collapsing on the spot while standing still talking to friends, I'm always fully aware that I'm falling down, but unable to prevent it. I tilted my head down 2 days ago to talk to my dog, and felt myself falling in the time it took me just to blink. Thank goodness my Mum was on one side of me and the door frame on the other, I grabbed the door frame and my Mum grabbed me - i think i scared her :-) but I am also scaring myself.
My right ankle is also starting to fail on me and I'm getting parathesias and numbness in my feet now too. The other day, my left hand went completely numb on me and it felt like all my fingers were swollen but I couldn't actually feel my hand at all. I actually did poke a pin in my hand to see if i could feel it. Also, I have a nerve pain that's started behind my right knee cap, that feels like a needle puncture type pain every time my knee bends.
To add to all this, in the past week I have suffered a major muscle atrophy in my left thigh. So, today I showed my GP the wasted thigh muscle and told him about the parathesias and falls, and he wrote an instant referral to have a peripheral nerve conduction study done.. I asked him why he thought this happened, what was a "possible" cause - and he said predominantly such rapid atrophy was caused by damage to the nerves .. Sigh and double sigh ..
He's a new gp for me, my previous gp is away on maternity leave - so I found this doctor. I have to say, he is more thorough and more understanding than any person I've met, let alone to have found a doctor with these qualities. I know he'll help me and wants to help me. The first time I met him and I walked into his office, I said to him - do you like challenges? Are you ok with someone with multiple medical conditions - he gave me a huge grin, then said to me "take a seat, and by the way - call me Dave", LOL.
Two weeks ago, I presented to his office out of dire need, I thought I had appendicitis (rather amusing now), he sent me for an immediate ct scan and a wide range of pathology tests. Turned out I don't / didn't have appendicitis, but I do have what may turn out to be a partly twisted bowel that some abdominal adhesions have caused by pulling part of my colon into the empty space between my pelvic organs and my hip bone - so the colon is getting pulled and restrained every which way and has caused me no end of problems actually these past 12 + months, that my old gp had attributed to side effects of medications and nothing more. After 5 minutes with this new Dr, "Dave" - I learnt what was really going on and am now referred for surgery. Just waiting on the surgical consult now.
Anyways, I know some of my old friends here have been worried about me - so I wanted to write and say I'm still here, and as you can see - I've just had a LOT going on. Sorry if I've worried anyone by my absence. I'm around and computing a good deal, from my good old desk here, lol. I just have to be careful standing up again now, as if my feet have gone numb - I'll likely fall over, LOL. I've already spilt boiling hot milk over myself earlier tonight, when my right hand just "let go" of the mug I was carrying... My dogs thought they'd be helpful, and licked the floor clean. I'm sure they would've licked me clean if I didn't have to run my legs under cold water to prevent a burn..
Okey dokey, well I hope everyones holding up and doing ok? I give you all my best wishes for all of us to have a pain free day and look forward as usual to catching up with my fellow sufferers - this time zone difference plays havoc being on the other side of the world sometimes here in Australia. Take care my friends!
Cheers,
Kerry (hugs & kisses to all)