My Battle with Merkel Cell Cancer

I'm Back!
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
I am back from Montreal. It was a wonderful visit. There is much to talk about and I will do
it in a future post.
Here is a photo of my mother, Isobel who weighs only 62 pounds but seems to otherwise
be in good health. I am on her far left, Jon on her right, and Ellie and Robert standing.
Posted by David Shuster at 03:35PM (-07:00)
Peripheral Neuropathy: An Explanation
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
I have symptoms of peripheral neuropathy, which I would like to discuss in detail. This is
a condition in which there is damage to peripheral nerves, both sensory and motor. The
common causes are diabetes and chemotherapy but there are other causes. At its worst,
patients can develop severe arthritis in the feet which is caused by repeated trauma,
because the protective mechanism of pain sensation is not present. This is termed
"Charcot Joints". Symptoms include pain and numbness in the hands and feet. The
distribution in the feet particularly and to a lesser extent in the hands is described as
"Stocking numbness". This is numbness that goes from some point in the leg to the toes
like a stocking or sock, rather than in the distribution of peripheral nerves and allow
distinction from other causes such as a slipped disc or nerve injury or in the hands to
distinguish from neck disc or carpal tunnel syndrome. In my case. there is also dryness
and clumsiness of the hands due to motor nerve involvement and more subtle sensory
deficiencies such as loss of proprioception which allows your brain to know where your
fingers are. I find simple tasks somewhat challenging, such as turning the pages of a
newspaper or separating one coffee filter from a stack, or buttoning my shirt. It has also
resulted in spilling a cup of coffee on my lap and shattering the glass coffee mug.
fortunately, I have had little pain but there is the occasional shooting pain in my feet. Dr.
Flam suggested Vitamin B Complex which I began taking. I searched the internet and
found a company that claimed to have 90% success treating this condition with their fat
soluble version of Vitamin B. I bought a so-called 3 month supply for $145. they
suggested 4 capsules daily, but upping the dose if it did not work, so the final dose would
be 12 capsules a day or $140 for one month supply. This has not been effective and as
they offer a 3 month money back guarantee, I will try to get my money back, without
much optimism. So, its back to the pharmacy for Vitamin B Complex. At least it is an
inexpensive treatment which I don't think will work. Oh well, better to live with peripheral
My Battle with Merkel Cell Cancer
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