Boy is Lupus getting on my NERVES!

Well it's official.  I now have carpal tunnel in both hands, tarpal in both feet, ulnar on both sides and pereonal on the left (I think).  Lupus is the culprit.  It is peripheral nerve damage, not your average tingling in extremeties but bodywide nerve entrapment syndrome.  Thanks Lupus!

I'm being scheduled for an anterior fusion for my neck.  I have severe neural foramina (narrowing) on the right, a bunch of majorly herniated discs and bone spurs and a 3 level slip causing radiculopathy, some incontinence, balance issue, tingling and making my carpal worse.  Not to mention pain in my neck, but alas, it's the pain they can't promise to fix.  lol.

For anyone who wants to know about an anterior fusion, here is some good info on it:

I just finished all my presurgery work and was taken off my lupus meds, so wish me luck.  I MAY opt for having carpal and tarpal surgery instead!  lol  I'm not kidding!

Well it isn't popular, but lupus is responsible for the extreme nerve damage.  I was personally worried the damage could be from inflammation to blood vessels, but my neurologist's opinion is that if that was the case I would have much more muscle involvement, as is the case with patients with multiple sclerosis where the myelin sheath on the nerves is damaged.  Interesting, yes?  Unfortunately though there is nothing to stop lupus from redamaging the nerve after surgery and causing carpal, tarpal, etc AGAIN.  Bad lupus!  Bad!

Well my neurologist is studying my MRI's and ordering tests to check the left side of my brain since he said today my EEG show left side brain problems.  That confirms the TIA I had at the end of June.  He thinks I'm having seizures, as did my GP, although I'm not 100% convinced.  We'll see.

In the meantime..wish me luck on my surgeries, I'll post again after.  HUGS, Julie