diabetes Radiculopathy Progressed Into Neuropathy?

[rpowell01]

I've been researching this but can't find anything. I've been seeing a Pain Management and Neurosurgeon facility since Sept-October 2014. They decided to give me an EMG yesterday because of the pain and numbness/tingling I have. The pain started down my buttocks into the bottom of my feet and toes back in 2012. Currently I have loss of sensation that has wrapped around to the top of my feet and up into my shins. After the EMG the MD said he had to put everything together for his report and will call me back in for the FULL results. He did say his initial results are that if I only had L5-S1 Bilateral Radiculopathy in 2013 then its getting worse and has progressed into Neuropathy.

I've read in the past on the differences of these two things. Radiculopathy means one nerve is being pinched and Neuropathy means that more than one nerve is DAMAGED.

So my question is how can Radiculopathy progress into Neuropathy? BTW I am not diabetic and never have been. See the Regional Office approved me IU but denied my legs and I and I am thinking they were "hoping" I would get diabetes so they could say "We can't distinguish between the two"....Yes I read this exact phrase on my wife's Uncle Report from a claim.

See I started seeing this Neurologist/Neurosurgeon place because the VA has done NOTHING to properly treat my spine condition. The only thing they did was in 2013 was to send me out for ESI in Clearwater, FL. That was the WRONG treatment because I have DJD and little DDD even though I herniated a disc back in 2012. Now whenever I asked my VA PCP through secure message on declaring me P&T he said no he can't do that. Don' t worry Dr. Bash has already done this and Voc Rehab has declared me unemployable. Anyway my VA PCP had the nerve to tell me that one of James A. Haley PM specialists stated that I had "too many cooks" for my treatment. What such BS (Jesus please forgive me for saying that).

First I was having Thyroid issues that my VA PCP refused to treat me even after 2-3 blood results showed high Thyroid levels since 2013 so now I see my private PCP. Second the VA pain management wasn't doing anything, nothing to help me, nothing. I couldn't even see a surgeon after I requested it to PM. So whenever I finally was able to qualify for medicare I decided to go see a private PM facility. But the VA PM had the nerve to say "too many cooks"?

Guess what I am going to file a complaint with the IGs office because the Neurologist in Pain Management who improperly treated me wrote up a report stating he did a full exam on me. Guess what he never did that exam, I secured messaged PM at James A. Haley about this and secured messages shows he he called me back after I caught him in a lie after reading over the report. He calls me back in to finally do a proper exam. He lied and this is unethical. How many other veterans have been treated this way from James A. Haley?

See, I've complained and complained and complained about my low back and lower extremity issues and James A. Haley with no results. Luckily I secure message everything.

[rpowell01]

Well I just submitted a complaint to Representative Thomas Rooney to hopefully get something done. You know what is so bad is Dr. Craig Bash told me in 2013 whenever he examined me that if the VA doesn't place me into James A. Haley's Spine Program they have for people that are severe, for the ones who for example become paralyzed, that I will be paralyzed in the future. I have this feeling Dr. Bash was 100% because from the beginning he diagnosed me with issues way before the VA ever did because of all the red tape we have to go through.

This is not about me anymore, I will be 47 in three months, so this is about my 3 children and my wife. I need to get P&T to get ChampVA so I can get proper treatment because right now I can't get medigap, way too expensive. Plus I need my wife here at home with me but right now she is working. If I fall again I might not be able to get up to get to the phone to call for help.

[spearhead91]

I've been researching this but can't find anything. I've been seeing a Pain Management and Neurosurgeon facility since Sept-October 2014. They decided to give me an EMG yesterday because of the pain and numbness/tingling I have. The pain started down my buttocks into the bottom of my feet and toes back in 2012. Currently I have loss of sensation that has wrapped around to the top of my feet and up into my shins. After the EMG the MD said he had to put everything together for his report and will call me back in for the FULL results. He did say his initial results are that if I only had L5-S1 Bilateral Radiculopathy in 2013 then its getting worse and has progressed into Neuropathy.

I've read in the past on the differences of these two things. Radiculopathy means one nerve is being pinched and Neuropathy means that more than one nerve is DAMAGED.

So my question is how can Radiculopathy progress into Neuropathy? BTW I am not diabetic and never have been. See the Regional Office approved me IU but denied my legs and I and I am thinking they were "hoping" I would get diabetes so they could say "We can't distinguish between the two"....Yes I read this exact phrase on my wife's Uncle Report from a claim.

See I started seeing this Neurologist/Neurosurgeon place because the VA has done NOTHING to properly treat my spine condition. The only thing they did was in 2013 was to send me out for ESI in Clearwater, FL. That was the WRONG treatment because I have DJD and little DDD even though I herniated a disc back in 2012. Now whenever I asked my VA PCP through secure message on declaring me P&T he said no he can't do that. Don' t worry Dr. Bash has already done this and Voc Rehab has declared me unemployable. Anyway my VA PCP had the nerve to tell me that one of James A. Haley PM specialists stated that I had "too many cooks" for my treatment. What such BS (Jesus please forgive me for saying that).

First I was having Thyroid issues that my VA PCP refused to treat me even after 2-3 blood results showed high Thyroid levels since 2013 so now I see my private PCP. Second the VA pain management wasn't doing anything, nothing to help me, nothing. I couldn't even see a surgeon after I requested it to PM. So whenever I finally was able to qualify for medicare I decided to go see a private PM facility. But the VA PM had the nerve to say "too many cooks"?

Guess what I am going to file a complaint with the IGs office because the Neurologist in Pain Management who improperly treated me wrote up a report stating he did a full exam on me. Guess what he never did that exam, I secured messaged PM at James A. Haley about this and secured messages shows he he called me back after I caught him in a lie after reading over the report. He calls me back in to finally do a proper exam. He lied and this is unethical. How many other veterans have been treated this way from James A. Haley?

See, I've complained and complained and complained about my low back and lower extremity issues and James A. Haley with no results. Luckily I secure message everything.

Hello, I can't answer too much of what your asking or offer much guidance yet. What got me on your post were the ESI shots for the DDD, I have the same and roughly the same age, if I understand what your saying that the "ESI shot were wrong to do for treatment of the DJD/DDD" why is that? I'm curious because my path went from calf pain investigation, DDD lumbar L-X everything messed up, to PAD because the spine DR couldn't find my pulse on my left foot and quote"you need to get to a vascular surgeon to check that out now".

So we did and now diagnosed with PVD/PAD of both lower extremeties discovered after ABI's test resting and after treadmill test were below .40 both , MRI with contrast done to see blockages I was really and still messed up because of all this emotionally. But my main point was I started to get treated for one issue, and I still need to get treated for that, during this process a more severe issue was discovered (PVD/PAD/AAA) Not to cause alarm because so many conditions manifest way later in life I have two that normally happen to people in the mid 50's and later or not even until they are well into their 60's. For me I've been lucky that the ortho people on my back MRI found I have a 3CM AAA(abdominal aortic aneurysm). So getting the right DR or small group of DR's, to make sure they refer to one another is quite all right to have a few cooks in the kitchen IMHO.

How can someone without diabeties, which I don't have either but I suspect I have pre-diabetes which is just as dangerous because I've seen high glucose results a few times post-service, never checked during service.

What years did you serve? For me 84-97 Persian Gulf Vet. What bothers me most is how can someone only 48 years old have the body of 65 year old, no offense you older VETS. These silent diseases are a real (fill in the blank) when not found early enough. Also why in service are we not checked every 2 or 3 years for basic metabolic panel and cholesterol is beyond me. And the kicker for me is I tore out my left ACL during the prepping exercises for the push north for the ground phase and dealt with that the next 6 years and then finally got out because I was tired of keeping getting profiles for running etc . I gave up basically and didn't re-enlist because I couldn't deal with the knee issue anymore and didn't look like they were going to medically retire me. So basically two choices: forced to keep on keeping on or exit the military on your own which I did. I would loved to have stayed the next 7 years for full 20 years. Always the famous have some motrin and Return to duty.

Edited June 20, 2015 by spearhead91

[Andyman73]

_spearhead91,

_{I have heard it called "Vitamin M". I was given that in 800mg size pills, while still in boot camp. And I have been taking it ever since, but only in regular size(500mg).}

[rpowell01]

Hello, I can't answer too much of what your asking or offer much guidance yet. What got me on your post were the ESI shots for the DDD, I have the same and roughly the same age, if I understand what your saying that the "ESI shot were wrong to do for treatment of the DJD/DDD" why is that? I'm curious because my path went from calf pain investigation, DDD lumbar L-X everything messed up, to PAD because the spine DR couldn't find my pulse on my left foot and quote"you need to get to a vascular surgeon to check that out now".

So we did and now diagnosed with PVD/PAD of both lower extremeties discovered after ABI's test resting and after treadmill test were below .40 both , MRI with contrast done to see blockages I was really and still messed up because of all this emotionally. But my main point was I started to get treated for one issue, and I still need to get treated for that, during this process a more severe issue was discovered (PVD/PAD/AAA) Not to cause alarm because so many conditions manifest way later in life I have two that normally happen to people in the mid 50's and later or not even until they are well into their 60's. For me I've been lucky that the ortho people on my back MRI found I have a 3CM AAA(abdominal aortic aneurysm). So getting the right DR or small group of DR's, to make sure they refer to one another is quite all right to have a few cooks in the kitchen IMHO.

How can someone without diabeties, which I don't have either but I suspect I have pre-diabetes which is just as dangerous because I've seen high glucose results a few times post-service, never checked during service.

What years did you serve? For me 84-97 Persian Gulf Vet. What bothers me most is how can someone only 48 years old have the body of 65 year old, no offense you older VETS. These silent diseases are a real (fill in the blank) when not found early enough. Also why in service are we not checked every 2 or 3 years for basic metabolic panel and cholesterol is beyond me. And the kicker for me is I tore out my left ACL during the prepping exercises for the push north for the ground phase and dealt with that the next 6 years and then finally got out because I was tired of keeping getting profiles for running etc . I gave up basically and didn't re-enlist because I couldn't deal with the knee issue anymore and didn't look like they were going to medically retire me. So basically two choices: forced to keep on keeping on or exit the military on your own which I did. I would loved to have stayed the next 7 years for full 20 years. Always the famous have some motrin and Return to duty.

spearhead91 to understand there is a difference between DDD and DJD. DDD has to deal with the disc themselves where DJD is where the cartilage in the back of the spine deteriorates. And ESI is for inflammation at the nerve root while facet blocks are just that, the same medication for ESI used at the joints in the spine.

Constant inflammation and pinching on any Lumbar nerve(s) can and will cause Neuropathy. Here is a link I found out how and why:http://www.spine-health.com/conditions/chronic-pain/all-about-neuropathy-and-chronic-back-pain

[spearhead91]

Thanks

rpowell01 good info there. I may have radiculopathy at a minimum. I know the MRI read says ddd and arthrosis. Throw in my PAD and claudication which I'm having doubts about since I'm not 100% convinced that the DDD or the PAD is causing my issue but with the low ABI's and ddd I'm a mess. And the vascular DR says to walk....well throw in my knee issues pain, instability and I think it's that the arthritis stage already, popping/locking/grinding a dozen times a day what the heck am I supposed to do. I know stay up late because of the worry and insomnia and read about my health probably more now than all the DR's combined that have ever seen me. I'm so looking forward to my 8 or 9 C&P exams.

Update: MRI of knee shows meniscus tear of said knee and unknown if ACL is even present because of the screws and MRI view. Radiologist used the word "artifact" which I don't understand. So essentially my 24 year old ACL repair while in service has worn out. And I'm not a candidate for TKR replacement which is good I guess. But have to wait for the scope to see how damaged it is in there.

Edited July 11, 2015 by spearhead91

[rpowell01]

spearhead91 you do realize that DDD/DJD can cause loss of blood flow to the legs. I asked this to Dr. Bash and he said Yes it can.