Hypothetical (for most): How would you deal with losing the feeling in both hands?

Question

Lets make it worse! The loss of feeling will progress untill both arms are numb, then your legs! Although you have loss of sensation, you still have mobility and control. Your alternative is surgery that will cost you most of your mobility, and probably increase pain.

Which would be more important to you? To feel what you touch, or to be able to move freely?

Ok, too many people guessing wrong: this is due to spinal damage. Sensory nerves are the first to be affected, in this particular case. Motor nerves will eventually be destroyed too. Spinal stenosis hasn't progressed enough to cause paraplegia yet. Stenosis at 95%, present numbness permanent.

Answer 1

I can answer this from experience.

I have rheumatoid arthritis, palindromic rheumatism, and fibromyalgia. What these diseases do is limit my mobility and cause me to live with chronic pain.

When I am having a palindromic attack, the affected limb will swell to the point of the skin splitting. The pain is incredible for about 18 hours, then it leaves as quickly as it comes. My nerves are damaged at this point, and until the swelling is reduced and things go back to normal the affected appendage is numb.

To make a long story short, loss of sensation at this point is the most welcome thing I can think of. I have actually been hospitalized due to pain emergencies, and I promise you that relief from pain is sheer bliss.

The RA that I endure decreases my mobility to the point that on many days I must use a walker or a wheelchair. The stiffness makes it difficult to brush my hair, open jars, etc.

I would happily give up all body sensations to no longer have to endure pain, and to have returned to me my mobility. One cannot know how precious one's health is until they lose it, so never take it for granted.

EDIT: Is this something that you are experiencing? If so, I would recommend talking things over with your doctor and your family before making any sort of decision. I would also consider what is most important in my life, and whether I would have support both emotionally and physically.

I hope that things work out well for you, and I will keep you in my thoughts.

Answer 2

This sounds like leprosy... I guess you would have to be very, very careful to constantly check yourself for any injuries, since you wouldn't know you had them until you saw them. You would probably eventually die from some nasty infected wound that you didn't notice until it was too late.

You would pretty much be really bad off with either option. I guess you might as well go with the loss of feeling and save yourself money on the surgery.

Answer 3

Sounds as though you're describing leprosy, or something akin to it. If surgery's an option it would be a tough choice.

Might be a good time to look for a Bennie Hinn, or someone else with a good success rate in some spiritual group to your liking, and try an alternative before allowing the choices to be so limited.

Answer 4

To be able to move, I can still use the Internet if I can move. I bet loosing feeling sucks, but still having mobility is like the brighter side. (So I'd prolly skip the surgery) but I can't accurately answer that unless I was in the situation.

Answer 5

I have suffered with a condition similar to what you have described. I would rather have the mobility. Though I don't have the fram of reference for being COMPLETELY without feeling or sensation, the experience of losing SOME of my mobility has made me value the mobility I have.

Answer 6

Painfully.

Answer 7

When it's just the hands, i'd do one thing a lot more, cause it'd feel like it was someone else's hands.

But after that, I'd want to be able to feel touch more. It's very dangerous to not be able to feel pain. I'd be worried I'd have bad injuries that I didn't know about.

Answer 8

Movement. I play an insturment.

Answer 9

I would keep the numbness (though it would be difficult to deal with).

Answer 10

hey...you could give yourself a "stranger"! lol