No Neurological Problem!!

Today was somewhat better ….

The neurologist appt. was the best neuro dr. that I’ve seen! She was running behind, so I waited an hour past my appt. time just to see her …. then, she spent another hour talking /examining me. We “hit it off” right away & it was a big bonus to see a female doctor. She was very thorough, caring, & smart. She watched me walk and did all the standard neuro exam “tests” to make sure every part of the brain is working – it is!

The bottom line is this: THERE IS NO NEUROLOGICAL FOOT ISSUE!

She said to stop pursuing a possible neurological problem, as it does not exist. It is NOT dystonia or any other movement disorder. She said that the muscles and nerves are working correctly. The tendon may be contracted, but this cannot be seen by her specialty. She is POSITIVE that it is still a mechanical orthopedic problem.

There is a small area at the ankle where the skin bunches up and you can see it. This is where the pain exists and were we are guessing the tendon is stuck, because you can see the area kinda twitch when I walk. There is scar tissue in this spot, but it also visibly looks like something is bunching up or getting caught under the skin area.

She wants me to call the plastic surgeon tomorrow in San Antonio, as a small section from the May surgery is starting to come open. She questioned whether it was a problem w/the stitches, as we are 10 months post-op …… at any rate, we DON’T want it to open up any further. She wasn’t sure if the TX would operate again until that gets cleared up. It is so tiny that it is going to be hard to take a digital picture, but I will try tonight.

The neuro. doctor felt bad that she wasn’t helping me much, but I explained that she had helped a ton just by “ruling out” a neuro problem. She admitted that most neurologists want to always tell you some diagnosis, but she was extremely confident that my issues were strictly orthopedic. No need to spend more $ on neuro co-pays or tests. We talked a little about amputation and she was adamant against it ….. she said the post-op problems associated with that are absolutely massive & there is never any “going back” w/that decision. The chronic pain and phantom pain that usually come w/a prosthetic device are almost guaranteed to happen. She said to keep pursuing every orthopedic path possible and don’t give up on it.

I have a different orthopedic dr. for my hip situation, which I really respect & admire, and he has expressed the same negative views on the amputation idea. He has shared the same thing; don’t do it unless I have a big infection.

I had to return to work after my appt., so I didn’t leave the office until 7pm tonight. It has been a long day and I need to get my ducks in order for the TX day tomorrow. I will take my laptop tomorrow, but it may be early evening before I can update the blog at the airport.

Very thankful that it is NOT a neurological problem and to know that we need to stay on the orthopedic path & keep at it …… still a long road ahead (I think), but feeling a tad more hopeful tonight. Today was the first time that I felt like we had a definite answer that was very concrete and not something vague or general.

No gait test scheduled, but the TX dr. said that he could diagnosis the tendon contraction without the test – let’s hope. I also sent a very strong “help needed” e-mail to my STL dr. last night and hope to hear back from him tomorrow, as he was in surgery all day today.

Pray for some reasonable treatment option to surface in Dallas tomorrow … 10:50am appt. w/Dr. C!

Abiding in His grace,
Jenny