4 December 2024
The good news just keeps on coming.
The chiropractor explained a nerve was being pinched to cause muscle fatigue in my left leg. He finished by wanting me to visit every 2 weeks and before I walked out the door, decided on a weekly schedule.
I called the jeep place and got hung up on once and then, miracle of miracles, got my service representative. She explained they were waiting on a sensor (this I knew – which was supposed to come in yesterday) and that it would be Saturday or next Monday before the work was completed. I asked if it was possible to do all the work except for the sensor and she was going to check. I said I would bring it back in when the sensor was in-house. If I had to wait until Monday, that would be 13 days they’ve had the jeep.
Brandon, from the jeep place finally returned my disconnected call. Now they are trying to figure out why the check engine light is on. They have an error code (P22FA) but they are not sure why that is showing up.
The best news I hold for last. My afternoon appointment with Dr. Abraham Chamley, neurologist at the Phil Smith Neuroscience Institute at Holy Cross led to a very thorough examination of my neuropathy issues. The long and short of it is some of it is neuropathy. Remember, my endocrinologist doesn’t think it is due to diabetes. Chamley thinks the foot area is diabetic neuropathy. The neuropathy in the hands is different. He thinks it is bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome. My right hand is considerably weaker than my left had (even though I am right handed. He thinks that is due to median and ulnar neuropathy. It can be brought on by leaning too much on one elbow. He suggests wrist splints for sleeping.
As far as the feet go, he wants to do an electromyogram (EMG) in which electrical activity within the muscle is measured. I also have foot drop in both feet. He wants me to use a cane when walking and depending upon what the EMG shows, may require Ankle Foot Orthosis (AFO) brace for my legs and foot. He also wants me to use a seat in the shower since I am so unstable.
Whereas Dr. Velez is not a great believer in Gabapentin, Dr. Chamley is. He’s allowed me up to 600 mg/day. He’s written the script for 100 mg capsules that I can add to the amounts easily with plenty of refills.
So, let’s see: wrist splints, a cane, and shower seat. There’s the possibility of AFO braces for foot drop. I may never get my jeep back. Oh yeah, the Continuous Glucose Monitor is covered by Medicare. The Triseba insulin injection pen is not. It costs $508.43 per pen. I have a coupon from GoodRx which brings the cost down to $84.92. I need to research other options and other price reductions.
And I wonder why I’m depressed.
Stay tuned! It’s about to get bumpy.