I used my laptop in the kitchen, where you'd find me sitting on a high stool, the "e-cigarette" (a nicotine delivery device I'd used since the previous summer as a replacement for cigarettes) in one hand, frequently resting my elbow on the counter as I browsed. The mild numbness and tingling I felt in my left pinky and ring finger were easy to write off as a pinched nerve. I moved the laptop and hoped for the best.
As with every other problem in my life I've tried to fix by ignoring... it didn't work. By Friday, December 9th, 2010, the numbness and tingling was joined by a feeling of heaviness in my left arm, and what I could only describe as having a second layer of skin - I could process hot and cold, pain or pressure, it was all just a bit... off. The wiring felt fuzzy. I expertly continued to ignore the problem. Finally, as the feeling spread to my right arm and shoulders, I nagged my husband to massage the ever-present knots in my back and neck. Just stress and the aftermath of a flu, I told myself and everyone else. By Monday it had spread to my torso and legs, leaving everything from the neck down with that second-skin feeling, along with a feeling of electricity coursing through my entire body. Even I couldn't ignore that, and by Tuesday I had an appointment with our local Nurse Practitioner.
Let me give you my prior medical history as told to the NP: _________________________. In a nutshell, though I'd smoked for over twenty years, I was almost ridiculously healthy. Low blood pressure, great cholesterol, clean chest x-rays (taken that day), etc. In 40 years the only real hiccup had been an emergency c-section with my second child. So when I walked in expecting to leave with a prescription for muscle relaxants, I'm sure you'll indulge my ignorance.
Instead I left with a referral to a neurologist. I didn't call her immediately, instead opting to make an appointment with our trusted local Family Practitioner, Dr. Brian Carreon. Younger than I, with a warm, engaging personality tailor-made for family practice, Dr. Carreon (or Dr. Brian, as he's referred to in our house) listened intently as I shared what I'd learned from my previous favorite doctor - Dr. Google - that my borderline low B12 levels might be causing an issue. He agreed, we started B12 injections, and I dutifully followed his recommendation to make the appointment with the previously-referred neurologist.
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