90 Years Old and Still Fighting Peripheral Neuropathy
My problems started 22 years ago when I had my left knee replaced. I started to feel numbness in my left leg and some pain in the top of my toes. Then two years later I had my right knee replaced and the same problems that I had in my left leg began to appear in my right leg.
I went to a neurologist on Long Island who tested me and determined that I had nondiabetic idiopathic peripheral neuropathy. He said there was nothing he could do for me other than recommend that I keep walking and taking pain medications. I then went to see the heads of the neurology departments at several hospitals on Long Island and in New York City. They all said pretty much the same thing.
Searching for Answers
When I asked each doctor how my PN developed, I received many different possibilities. Some said it could be my cholesterol medicine. Others thought it might be hereditary. Some said it was possible that nerves were severed when the knees were replaced. Others said it could be your spinal stenosis, as my L4-L5 is really messed up. However, I have minimum back pain.
After all these years, I still don’t have a clear answer about what caused my neuropathy.
Staying Active at 90
Since I turned 90 August 2nd, I must say that PN is my major limiting factor when it comes to activities that require a lot of walking, such as vacations. After 10 years I started to use a cane to help with balance. And as of next week, I will start using a walker.
Despite these challenges, I remain very active. I cannot let PN put me in bed. I sing with a Barbershop Harmony Chorus, first on Long Island and now in New Jersey, where my wife and I moved 12 years ago to be closer to our children and grandchildren. I’ve been singing a cappella harmony for 39 years. I also play in my senior community’s ukulele band. I perform with my chorus and ukulele band several times a year. I go to the gym 3 times a week, and my wife of 65 years and I still enjoy going to local shows and concerts. So, I have to keep fighting so I can do the things I love.
Finding What you Love
I want to thank the Foundation for Peripheral Neuropathy for its educational webinars and for advocating on behalf of the people living with PN around the world.
Do not give in to this condition. Find something you love to do and focus on that. It will help you get through the day and night.
