introduction

[Guest guest]

Hello, everyone,

I've just been diagnosed with CMT, Tuesday of this week, although I have had

substantial symptoms for a few years, maybe longer by what I am reading.

I was slow as an infant and didn't sit up 'til I was a year old, and was

slow walking. I always had ankle and knee problems and would turn my ankles

and dislocate my knees, frequently. It was freakish, and my family just

attributed it to supreme clumsiness and lack of coordination.

In my teens, I suffered a fall of about 15 feet, which caused back problems,

resulting in surgery when I was 25, and considerable disability. Off and

on, that issue caused paralysis as well as significant pain and occasional

hospitalizations, as well as occasional physical therapy. I finally reached

the end of my rope in my late 30's and filed for SSDI, which I have been

collecting for about 13 years.

Six years ago, I began to have numbness in the balls of my feet. This has

progressed so that my feet and legs are now numb, and my fingers are

becoming numb. I have to be careful of my feet and am having a problem with

a big toe, where skin is peeling and there is a purple spot under the nail.

I am using a cane all of the time, now, because I will be walking along and

my hip or knee will just lose strength and cause me to have falls. Just

recently, I have developed persistent vertigo, surprise " choking " episodes

and athsmatic symptoms and dropping things without realizing it.

The doctor who diagnosed me is a pain specialist. I was advised to call the

MDA clinic at our local university hospital and am seeing a foot specialist

on Wednesday.