Atwater man with neuropathy reaches out to others with numbing condition

One evening two years ago, Larry Frice saw that the second toe on his left foot had turned purple.

He didn't know what was wrong.

At first, doctors thought he had an infection that needed to be treated immediately so he wouldn't lose his toe.

However, it turned out it was broken. "I had obviously dropped something on it or walked into something," he said.

But he never felt a thing.

The 66-year-old Atwater resident suffers from peripheral neuropathy. The condition, which affects the nerves, begins with tingling and-or numbness in the toes and fingers, which progresses over time. He was diagnosed with the condition 10 years ago.

"It started with some tingling in my toes," he said. "Over the years, what is happening is my feet have become increasingly numb to the point that I have very little feeling in my feet. The numbness has slowly worked its way up to the point where it's about halfway up my calf."

Peripheral neuropathy is often caused by an underlying condition. A common cause is diabetes, Frice said.

"About 10 percent of diabetic people will end up with this condition," he said.

The condition can cause paralysis and can become disabling.

"For whatever reason, the longest nerves are usually the ones that start degenerating first so it typically starts in your feet, but there are other people that have it started in other places," he said.

Frice's condition is being monitored by a neurologist at University of California at San Francisco once a year to see how much it has progressed.

"My case of peripheral neuropathy is moving very slow," he said.

Frice's case wasn't caused by an underlying condition. If someone has an underlying problem as the cause and that condition goes away, the peripheral neuropathy also can go away.

But for people such as Frice, there is no cure. "It was just my bad luck," he said.

Although his condition hasn't progressed much, it still affects him. For example, Frice has to be extra careful when he washes his hands, because the water could be too hot and he might not feel it.

Certain medications are used to treat the pain.

Two years ago, Frice joined a local support group in Merced. The group is under the umbrella of the Pacific Chapter of the Neuropathy Association.

Frice is active in the group and wants to reach out to others in the area who also might suffer from peripheral neuropathy.

"It's a silent disease because it's not widely known, even by some people in the medical profession," he said.

The support group provides an opportunity for people to better educate themselves about the condition and to talk to other people who are going through a similar experience.

"It's just good to be able to sit and talk to other people who have the same problem -- who are on the same boat," Frice said.

The Neuropathy Association estimates that some 20 million Americans have the disease, according to its website.

The Merced support group for those with peripheral neuropathy will meet from 1 to 2 p.m. Thursday at the Hoffmeiser Center, 1920 Canal St. The group meets once a month on the second Thursday of the month, Frice said.

"I try to get informative things to pass out and discuss," he said. "We welcome people to come to our support group and see if it will be helpful for them."

For more information, call Larry Frice at (209) 358-2045.

Reporter Yesenia Amaro can be reached at (209) 385-2482 or yamaro@mercedsunstar.com.