A very close friend of mine started having burning sensations in her feet, which climbed to her legs, seemingly popped up in her arms and hands, then progressed to her back. The GP she was seeing diagnosed “peripheral neuropathy” and prescribed anti-depression medications so she could get to sleep – something she was unable to do for days on end. An OD ran blood tests, but only prescribed stronger pain medications. My friend is neither diabetic nor arthritic. After agitating loudly and intervening, her family and friends got her to a neurologist who, after running extensive tests, narrowed it down to two possible diagnoses - Guillain–Barré syndrome, (which can be treated with intravenous immunoglobulins) or paraneoplastic syndrome, an immune system reaction to the presence of cancer cells. With a final set of tests, the final diagnosis is that of a very fast acting and quickly spreading cancer. I’m not looking for sympathy; friends and family are all aware that life has no guarantees. We are going to gather and enjoy each other’s company for the nine to twelve months the prognosis indicates, as often as possible. But here’s the point. Don’t ignore your body. Accept nothing that simply hides symptoms. Determine the cause of the complaint your body is giving you, and accept nothing but the CAUSE of the symptoms as an answer. In this case, there may have been no change in the prognosis by an early diagnosis. But now we’ll never know.
Posted on: Fri, 12 Sep 2014 22:17:35 +0000
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