My Neurologist Appointment

      Today I had an appointment with my neurologist.  He is such a nice man! He is so intelligent and has a wonderful bedside manner!! I told him about a doctor in the hospital who told me that I didn't have PD. He told me that I do have it, not a Parkinsons-like disease but PARKINSON's! He told me to ignore anyone who says that because they don't have all of the facts! He said that my PD had not progressed at all and that I am still in Stage 1. He doesn't like to talk about stages, he said he cares more about my symptoms. He said that my Sciatica seemed worse because I was walking and limping. He always watches how I walk.  He thought my strength was weaker in my Sciatica leg.  He recommended that I get an ablation, that would deaden the nerves causing my sciatica. He doesn't like that I take Gabapentin because the room spins if I take the prescribed amount, I wouldn't need to take them if I had a successful ablation!
 
A radiofrequency ablation is a minimally invasive procedure that destroys the nerve fibers carrying pain signals to the brain. ... If you suffer recurrent pain and you've experienced good relief with a nerve block injection, you may be a candidate for a radiofrequency ablation.

How painful is nerve ablation?

It is a safe procedure in which a portion of nerve tissue is destroyed or removed to cause an interruption in pain signals and reduce pain in that area. Nerve ablation can be done in different ways. ... The damage to your nerves blocks them from sending pain signals to your brain. But the nerve often tries to grow back

          He said that I have tried everything. I have done PT, chiropractor, hyperbaric chamber, acupuncture, shots in my back and now the Diowave laser. He does not believe in the laser at all.  He said the research proves it doesn't work. I am still going to go for a few more sessions He told me to make an appointment with a new pain-management doctor because I don't seem to be making any progress in that area. I made an appointment with the doc he recommended, who is also the pain management doc who treated Olivia before she had the spinal fusion surgery!! I got a mid-January appointment.
         After my appointment with the neurologist, I went for my laser treatment! Laser treatment is still outside the mainstream pain management arena!  I am willing to go for a few more sessions and then I will stop if I don't get relief.  After that treatment, I stopped home, made a sandwich, and went to the Library Book Club! There were only four of us to day including the librarian so everyone got to talk a lot about the book. My friend Adriana was there and she gave me a box of Chex mix that she made. It is so good, she made it last year for our bereaved mom candle lighting.  She was sick this year and missed the candle lighting. That mix won't last long at my house!  About halfway through the book cub meeting, I started to feel lightheaded and sick to my stomach! I stayed until the very end of the meeting and then I came home, took some stomach meds and laid down for an hour and then I felt fine! Dan had those symptoms the day before yesterday and then he was fine!
          I had to be OK because tonight was our Second Annual Christmas Dinner. Jackie, Carol, Nancy and I met for our scheduled dinner!  It is now a tradition. I had the best time with them!

Jackie, Carol, Nancy, Joni, Leslie, Mary, Joanne, Amy, Priscilla, Myra, Deb, Debbie, 

Jackie gave me a beautiful Cardinal water globe and Carol gave me a beautiful saying on a painted wood piece and Nancy gave me a lovely candle with candies on it. Of course, I ate the Hershey Kisses before we even ordered dinner!!! I totally forgot about my painful Sciatica and PD movement issues while I was with them! I am eating out so much this month that I probably have gained several pounds!!