my aunt has neuropathy and in her mid 50s is in a wheelchair. i started having symptoms around 10 years ago in my right foot and 5 years ago in my left foot (im 41 now). it could be heredity no one knows. i hear that many cases never find out what the cause is. my feet are pretty numb and i have had the horrible pains but after reading everyone elses stories i feel pretty lucky. i have no balance issues and am able to walk several miles everyday as long as i wear sturdy shoes. i trip a lot but that is because i suffer from the clutzy gene also. the numbness has gotten progressively worse but seem to affect only my entire feet and a small strip of my lower right calf (that never hurts, just tickles). i read an article that listed all of my symptoms and it said cases like this usually stop at the knees if it even develops that far. i guess i am writing my story so the newbies that come here scared with their new diagnosis will realize that every case is different and its so difficult to tell them what to expect. some cases like mine are uncomfortable but not life changing and others are quite a bit more challenging. its seems as is the case of most message boards worst case scenarios gather together (which is a positive thing!) but it can be discouraging to the newly afflicted who havent discovered the complete nature of their illness. i feel for all the people here that are suffering and i count my blessings every day!