Going to the Doctor's for Some Sunshine!

"So, doc, what your saying is that if there is anything I really want to do, I should do it now... just in case?"~my response to my doctor sharing the worst case scenarios (which are probably hogwash!)

Late yesterday afternoon, following (what was to be our last day of school with students and two hours of grading state assessments), I headed out to my primary physician's office looking for some answers regrading the recent numbness and aching in my left arm (fingers, hand, elbow, shoulder),leg (knee, foot) and chest. The doc did a basic neurological evaluation, finding nothing unusual about the problem. In fact, he noted that I appear to be in excellent shape. I explained that my concern stems from the fact that generally speaking, when I am otherwise occupied, I tend to notice the numbness (or tingling) less, but when I am going about my day-to-day life, it is noticeable and troubling.

Doc said that, based on what he could see from a quickie evaluation is called a paresthesis, or simply put, is a sensation of tingling, pricking, or numbness of a person's skin with no apparent long-term physical effect. It is more generally known as the feeling of "pins and needles" or of a limb being "asleep" and manifestation of parasthesia may be transient or chronic.

Fortunately (I suppose) as a recreational athlete I am fairly aware of my body and when things are off. I expressed that my concern comes from the fact that I know that something is wrong and I can't explain why. The doc gave me some advice and info, none of which I found terribly helpful:

"Sometimes when you get older things don't feel the way they used to..."
"... it may just go away in a few days?"
"It may be an indicator of a larger issue or just the result of tweak..."
"have you been doing anything different of late?"

So, from here, we watch the situation in re-evaluate in three weeks. My hope is that it will go away or that something will change to indicate a need for further testing... the likely next step should it not be "transient" and go away.

For now, I find myself evaluating what I do looking for a clue. I noticed last nigth while bicycling home from class that I tend to lean heavily on my hands while pumping my legs uphill... I'll note it and move on.

Breathe in, breathe out... YOU AND I ARE ALIVE!