After a long flight back home from Guam, Jim started having trouble with numbness and pain in his feet. The right foot is way worse than the left. His primary doctor treated him for a fungus which did improve, but the pain remained. The neurologist did a nerve conduction study that showed minimal nerve damage. He has been to the pain clinic in Hood River. They ordered an MRI and a bone scan. He has several bulging discs in the lumbar and lumbosacral area so they did an epidural steroid injection and a nerve block. What we have learned from all this is that he does not have a sympathetic nerve disorder which is a good thing, but they don't know what is causing the pain. We still maintain that is coming from the bulging discs. In order to start him on a new medicine called Cymbalta, he has had to stop taking both antidepressants to wash them out of his system. He should be able to start the new one by the end of this week. We truly hope that this gives him some relief. Fortunately he has no pain when sleeping. It has been a really rough summer and we have not done much except massage his sore foot and figure out ways to distract from the pain. Walking sometimes makes it better. Beau has been good little pal for him. Mom has also spent time at our house while I have been at work to keep Jim company. Hopefully, the solution is near. He is going to see a chiropractor again to see if he can relieve some of the pressure on the nerves in his back.
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