Summary of Symptoms as of December 2009

This is a list of the symptoms I provided to my primary Vanderbilt neurologist (Dr. Lee) during my visit in December. The list is very extensive and covers a variety of symptoms which present with many, many different diseases.

This is why it has been so hard to diagnose my problem.

• I do not feel needle pricks over almost my entire body. I can feel pressure and touch, but not sharpness.
• I tingle all over; legs and arms more than the rest of my body. The intensity of the tingling can vary slightly with exertion.
• My legs ache from my upper-thighs down. My arms ache from my elbows down.
• I feel tired and exhausted all of the time. I never get rested, stop tingling, or aching.
• I feel extremely weak and cannot do what I once did. When I try to do some physical activity for a length of time, my body just seems to stop trying.
• I have trouble walking and keeping my balance. I really have to concentrate on walking to make my legs move. Walking any distance (a few blocks) is a real problem.
• I have trouble climbing stairs and getting out of chairs. It feels like I have a lack of strength in my knees and legs.
• I become short of breath easily with almost any activity. It is then difficult for me to catch my breath.
• I have greatly reduced sweating. I basically only sweat on my forehead on rare occasions. If I have on a lot of clothing and if I am very hot, I may sweat under my arms a little. I normally have sweated heavily for most of my life.
• I am almost constantly cold. In the past, I was never cold. But, my body seemed to change a few years back. I am colder this year more than ever.
• I have noticed my voice getting weaker and raspy over time. I pastor a church and I preach four times a week (three times on Sunday). My voice is becoming a real concern for me.
• I was diagnosed around 2005 with a partial CN-10 palsy that effects my throat and gag reflex somewhat. I do not feel hot or cold on the interior left of my throat when I swallow. I have not had any trouble swallowing, but I do not feel the temperatures.
• My vision changed somewhat in July 2009. My peripheral vision field is less than normal for me.
• My jaw muscles hurt when I eat anything hard, such as M and M's.
• I feel my entire body is being effected to varying degrees by whatever this condition is.

We decided the next step in diagnosing would be to order a CT/PET Scan to look for any "hidden" cancer in my body. We would then make decisions on what to do next.