Eileen
Hello; Your age and gender might have given others more to work with, however I'll offer my opinion anyway. Have you had a spinal tap done for high protein? Has MS been ruled out? Also, Guillain Barre Syndrome, which I had in 1981, began with the symptoms you've described. Muscle weakness is a symptom, not a disease, and anything lingering since 1998 without some resolution would call for another opinion from a medical doctor. It took two hospitalizations and countless specialists and tests before I was ultimately diagnised, over the telephone, by my OB-GYN! The sooner you know what you're dealing with, the sooner you'll be on the road to recovery. God Luck.