Day 34 of the Dr. Amy Myers nutrition protocol

I have been remiss in writing in this diary/blog as of late because I've been battling my brain!  Since last I wrote, I have been having anxiety/panic attacks and deep dives into depression. The Doc says this is not part of the autoimmune disorder, or the medicines HE has me on, but just the culmination of the stress and worry about my health. He says I'm under a lot of that, and my normally, pragmatically positive "can do" attitude is just finally being impacted.

I'm writing this in the doctor's office where I am getting my 2nd infusion of chemotherapy (Rituxan).  It's 10:45 am and we just started the Rituxan drip so I will be here awhile.  Before we could start the Rituxan, he gave me an infusion of super steroid of some kind for my left and foot.  He's afraid I'm going to have permanent foot drop if we don't do something about it NOW.

You see, I have tingling and numbness in both feet, and all the way up the left leg.  But, I've lost the dependable use of the toes on my left foot.  I can't raise the toes on demand the way a healthy foot would.

The Doc (my rheumatologist) says I have Mononeuritis Multiplex.  WHAT?  Never heard of it.

The Johns Hopkins website says this 

“Mononeuritis multiplex” refers to severe patterns of weakness or clumsiness causing weakness or paralysis of different muscles. These more cataclysmic episodes of numbness or weakness necessitate a thorough diagnostic evaluation, both by nerve-conduction tests, and often by biopsy of nerve and/or muscles. Mononeuritis multiplex occurs when there is inflammation of small blood-vessels. The muscles and nerves nourished by such blood vessels may be deprived of oxygen and nutrients, and is similar to a “stroke of the nervous system.” In such cases, ameliorating symptoms of pain is not sufficient – immunosuppressant therapy is always warranted in cases of mononeuritis multiplex.

The pace of recovery from mononeuritis multiplex can be frustratingly slow. In some cases, it may be difficult to determine whether the slow pace of recovery is a manifestation of the slow process of healing and “rewiring,” or is due to ongoing and ineffectively treated inflammation. In such cases, repeat nerve-conduction tests may be important. Immunosuppressant medications which may be used in the pattern of mononeuritis multiplex includes cyclophosphamide, azathioprine, as well as prednisone.

OK!  So another symptom!  Actually, aside from feeling unbalanced and having a hard time using the leg it hasn't been that problematic.  The hardest thing out of all the symptoms has been the depression I referred to earlier which has popped up in the last two weeks.  The dives into despair have been the most uncomfortable so far!