a burning sensation on the skin around my abdomen and lower chest, menacing and uncomfortable, like a steel wool sweater. I went to see my dermatologist. There was no rash or other obvious reason for these symptoms, so she sent me to see my neurologist, who diagnosed neurofibromyalgia, a chronic disorder affecting the way my brain processes pain signals. Ironically, countering this nagging pain was a lack of feeling, a numbness, in certain areas on my legs and lower back.
