Clumsy hands and feet, hard to swallow

I speak at church (Reader) and am having a very difficult time getting the words out. I know them well, but am having much trouble speaking them. It's gotten hard to swallow and at night I try to lay on my side, because I feel like I may choke on my back. I've had a dx of lumbar DDD with many protrusions and herniations (am told they are the same), but this is different. If it is lumbar DDD, it is now also in my neck. Very stiff.  I am getting clumsy (walking and holding things) and getting very frustrated by it. Very emotional lately. If I sit or work at the computer too long, I lose feeling in my arms, seat and feet. Most surprising is my ability to wear shorts in freezing weather. I feel pressure on my legs, but have lost most sensativity to cold and heat, mostly from just above the knees on down. In 1993, I lost all feeling from my knees down and couldn't move my ankles. I had insurance at the time and was told it was Tibular Palsy (sp??) It took about 15-17 months to recover ankle movement. Could what is going on now be this palsy or from my back? I don't have insurance and the mostly free clinic does not want to do more than just give me Torodol (sp??). It does nothing for what I go to them for. Can anyone reccomend something I should do or try to do?


This discussion is related to CONSTANT FASICULATIONS.

[DrNoopurMD]

Hi,

Thanks for posting.

Your symptoms could be due to nerve compression in the lower back and neck, peripheral neuropathy and peripheral vascular diseases like Reynaud’s disease. At the same time it is important to get a CT scan or MRI of brain done to rule out other neurological diseases.
This requires further evaluation please see a neurologist as soon as you can.
Let us know if you have any other questions.

[schway01]

Thank you for your answer to my question(s). I have never even thought of any problem(s) with my brain, although I do sometimes think about what's causing the "loss of signal", as I call it. My father died of GBM, but our family was told it is not a  familial disease, so I never thought of it after that. It was his illness and that of my mother that I left work and returned home to care for them. What complicates matters for doctors is that my hips are pinned (since childhood) and the palsy in my legs back in 1993. They have also done doppler studies, in the past, and found very good circulation, even though my hands and feet feel like ice most of the time. I can also herniate a disk by something as simple as running the vacuum around the house. I have tried to remain upbeat, but the pain, lack of sleep and constant refusals for any aid are difficult and somewhat depressing at times.
Thank You, again, for your response.