Living with RSD

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This is my 4th bout with RSD
by: Mary Ann on Tue, Sep 09 2008

In 1992, I broke my leg and ankle. It wasn’t until about 2 weeks after the cast was removed that the symptoms began. Burning pain, color change of skin, etc. Lots of pain meds, nerve blocks, cortisone shots, PT and more. After 2 years almost to the day, all the symptoms disappeared.

I had a hernia repair done, and 2 weeks after the stitches came out - same thing. 6 weeks of cortisone shots and more pain meds. Nothing worked, but again, almost 2 years to the day, the pain stopped (I thought I had appendicitis).

5 years ago, I completely tore the tendon off my left elbow and had surgery to reattach it. Yep - 2 weeks after the cast was removed, I had RSD again. My elbow locked in a 90 degree angle and I had pain meds, painful nerve blocks injected into my neck (didn’t work), PT, TENS unit, cortisone shots and finally a brace that looked like something from star wars that I had to use and crank several times a day to break the scar tissue up so I could put my forearm and hand up to my face or down to my waist. That took 6 months just on the brace. But, once again, almost 2 years to the day the symptoms went away.

I had foot surgery 1 1/2 years ago on the foot that I broke years ago because I was in so much pain because of built-up scar tissue. Wouldn’t you know it? My foot got infected and the day after the stitches came out my incision split open. I went through 7 weeks of non-weight bearing and going to the wound center for treatment to cut away the old flesh and to have the wound packed to heal from the inside. Well, good old RSD came back again, so now I am again on pain meds, Xanax, neurotin, etc., and have had 2 lumbar steroid injections that did not work.

The pain is constant, burning, hot, throbbing and just plain awful 24/7 - you can’t concentrate on anything but your pain. Well, my wonderful primary doctor is letting me take Adderall (15 mg) 1/2 tab 2 times a day with my other meds and that has helped me sooooo much. I was getting so discouraged and depressed that I took the ADD test on line (the symptoms you have mentally are a lot like ADD because you can’t focus on anything) and my wonderful doctor said I could try it for a while until I could get my pain under control.

I feel like a new person, the Adderall has made such a difference in my whole outlook. I didn’t want to do anything or go anywhere and I know my husband was getting discouraged too. He always went places alone because I hurt so much physically and mentally. I always told him I just didn’t feel like putting out any effort to ride along even if it was just to the store or to get an ice cream or something.

I am now getting cortisone shots every two weeks, doing lots of deep tissue massage, using an ultrasound and my surgeon told me the other day that the cortisone needle is going in easier and the scar tissue is breaking up. Yeah, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. I just know that 2 years will be the magic number again for me.

If you have RSD and try to explain it to someone that has never had it, you might as well give up trying to really explain it, because it is the worst, burning, throbbing, hot pain imaginable. It will get better, but it just takes time. I can take a lot of pain, but it takes a lot of pain medication just to make life tolerable.

Try to be positive and not go into too many details about the pain. But if you feel you need to see a doctor for an anti-depressant or something, don’t hesitate. I waited over a year before I saw my primary doctor and told him about my discouragement and depression I wish I had gone sooner…I used to wish I would just not wake up some days, now I feel great mentally and if you have RSD I know how bad it is, and it REALLY WILL get better! GOOD LUCK!

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September 2008

20 years old n have rsd - by niki w - (Mon, Sep 29 2008)
Hi i just got out of hospital after being diagnosed with rsd. it started about 4 months back with my right ankle starting to ache, then it progressed enough for me to go to the docs, i was prescribed painkillers and told to get on with it, i then went back and had an x ray which showed the start of arthritus. [more..]
rsd in left leg - by pss - (Mon, Sep 29 2008)
I am a 38 year old female with rsd and I have been with this for 3 years now. At first I was told that I may have had just a large hematoma and that over time it would heal. Ha not so , now I am on so much meds. that I just hate my life style. [more..]
Ten years with RSD - by Kim - (Mon, Sep 22 2008)
Hi, my name is Kim and I’ve been living with RSD for ten years now. I was an RN and fell at work. I broke my wrist and immediately had severe swelling, sensitivity to hot and cold, color changes and sensitivity to touch. [more..]
23 YR OLD WITH BROKEN ANKLE - by DIANA G. - (Mon, Sep 22 2008)
Hi my name is Diana I live on Long Island NY and I fell coming out of my car on a parking lot of a store on 7/13/08 (I was getting a birthday cake for my mom) there was a sewage drain below ground level with cracked and uneven pavement around it. As I was comming out of my car and put my left foot on the ground and release the other foot from the running board of the car I fell and my ankle broke [more..]
RSD/CRPS The Invisible Destroyer - by Keith - (Fri, Sep 19 2008)
Greetings all, My name is Keith. I am now 54 years old. I have spine degeneration issues that led to a spinal cord injury in my cervical area from a hard coughing spell about 11 years ago. [more..]
a diagnoses of RSD is scary - by kjk - (Wed, Sep 17 2008)
my name is not important my story could be. maybe it can help someone. i am a female, over fifty, i fell and broke my arm, both bones. [more..]
my story about rsd - by amy - (Tue, Sep 16 2008)
hi my name is amy harshey and i am a 40 yr old woman from pennsylvania, I also am a patient with rsd, cprs. [more..]
This is just no way to live - by TJ - (Tue, Sep 16 2008)
Back in 1983 I was involved in a single car accident at the time I had a great job driving a cement mixer the pay was good the people I worked with were a good bunch of guy’s I had been there for six year’s life was great, I had a great credit score and was two week’s away from buying a cabin which I had been renting. [more..]
Feels like it’ll never end - by michelle - (Mon, Sep 15 2008)
Hi, I got hurt at work loading a semitrailer in a discount/retail store. First dr. I saw said it was nothing, put an ace bandage around my left knee at a bending restriction on me and sent me back to work with a follow up app. in one week, not even an x-ray. [more..]
rsd sucks - by kim - (Thu, Sep 11 2008)
i had surgery to repair my tendon in my right thumb 4/23/08. started physical therapy and it was going ok until 6/13/08 when I started having pain in my hand and my arm. The surgeon diagnosed me with rsd and started me on 300mg nuerontin 3x aday. [more..]
My Broken Foot - by keith t. - (Wed, Sep 10 2008)
i was attacked one evening and i received a broken disslocated ankle with torn muscles as well. [more..]
My story - by Chelle - (Tue, Sep 09 2008)
I fell in at church one Sunday off of my high heels. I was taken to the ER and they diagnosed me with a sprained foot and put me on crutches. [more..]
This is my 4th bout with RSD - by Mary Ann - (Tue, Sep 09 2008)
In 1992, I broke my leg and ankle. It wasn’t until about 2 weeks after the cast was removed that the symptoms began. Burning pain, color change of skin, etc. [more..]
RSD Surviver - by LG - (Tue, Sep 09 2008)
I was in a bad car accident. I’ve have several operations.I have five children and was on heavy pain medicine.I was suffering from this very painful condition up until 3 months ago when I started drinking the Acai berry juice. [more..]
more treatment - by wendy - (Mon, Sep 08 2008)
hi my names wendy i was diagnosed with RSD in feb 08 and i wrote on here then this is jus an update .i have now had 1 nerve block that didnt do anything for me ,now i have to wear splints on my fingers as they are bending in the wrong direction and twisting [more..]
Wife of a husband W/ RSD - by Shari - (Mon, Sep 08 2008)
Hi everyone my name is shari I my husband lou has been living with rsd for almost 4 yrs now and he’s been absolutely going crazy he had an injury with his left foot at work where a box of bolts broken open form the bottom and fell on his foot needless to say it approx about 50lbs. [more..]
After the fall - by Mark C. - (Thu, Sep 04 2008)
I had a fall in April 2005 and by June, I had developed AVN (avascular necrosis of the femoral head). The surgeons did not want to do surgery on me until the condition advanced the next year. I then had a heart attack was on blood thinners and the surgeons wouldn’t consider surgery until I was off of the thinners. [more..]
RSD and my life now - by Cheryl - (Tue, Sep 02 2008)
I am now a 50 yr old woman, about 11 yrs ago I fell in a parking lot, I not only fell but I bounced up and hit the street again. That was July 4, 1997. Since hat date I have had 3 knee and back surgeries, the pain I was in was something I never had before. [more..]
RSD - by Cathy - (Tue, Sep 02 2008)
My 17 year daughter is suffering with RSD (her second episode) after 2 surgeries from a condition called rigid flat feet where the bones in your feet are fused together. [more..]
wife of husband w/RSD - by tam - (Tue, Sep 02 2008)
Hi,everyone! i’m sorry for all of you. i don’t have RSD but, my husband does. it’s been over 5 years now. [more..]

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