Edition:
November 28, 2008
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Reporter
Reporter, The Friday Flyer
Incurable is a medical word nobody wants to hear. But for resident Judi Berg, it is a word that is synonymous with peripheral neuropathy, a condition that, for her, began with numbness in her toes and took two and a half years to diagnose. According to the Neuropathy Association, the condition is the most common of diseases many people have never heard of – yet, upwards of 20 million Americans have it.
A newly-formed support group has been started to help sufferers such as Judi learn how to deal with the malady and get support from others with the condition, which is caused by damage to the body’s peripheral nerves. The damage disrupts the body’s ability to communicate with its muscles, skin, joints or internal organs and is like the body’s wiring system breaking down.
The support group meets regularly at the Murrieta Senior Center and is the only one between Los Angeles and San Diego, according to support group leader Joan Hunt, who also suffers from peripheral neuropathy. For Judi and her husband, John, it has been helpful to have the support and ideas and they are looking forward to hearing the guest speakers. Space is limited at the center so Joan limits attendees to those with the condition, since most cannot stand for any length of time.
The wide array of peripheral neuropathy symptoms are matched by an equally wide array of causes. The symptoms can vary, depending on which highly specialized peripheral nerve is damaged. For Judi, the symptom was numbness, and, for Joan, it was pain in her toes that felt like an electric shock. Other symptoms can include tingling and prickling sensations, sensitivity to touch, a feeling like wearing gloves and muscle weakness, just to name a few.
Judi has had the condition for four years and it has progressed from her toes up to part of her legs, which now are also numb. Doctors initially thought she had diabetes, since the condition is common in diabetics. After extensive testing, diabetes was ruled out. It took over two years before Judi received the peripheral neuropathy diagnosis, which was confirmed after an electrode test was done on her nerves. Though she has received the diagnosis, her doctors still have not identified the cause. Like many who are debilitated by the malady, she may never know what triggered her condition.
As Judi’s sensory nerves have progressively deteriorated, it has necessitated her need for a walker and, on certain occasions, a wheelchair. A major concern for her is falling. She has already had falls that resulted in a broken collarbone and cracked ribs. Since there is no cure, Judi manages her pain with painkillers, watches her diet and takes balance classes, as well as attends the support group.
More than 100 types of peripheral neuropathy have been identified and each has its own characteristics, symptoms, patterns of progression and prognosis, according to the Neuropathy Association. For more information, visit www.neuropathy.org, or contact Joan Hunt at 600-7701 to attend the support group.
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