First off...I want to say that I am SO sorry for all that you have been through and are going through since the accident.

You've already gotten some good advice and tips. All I can say is keep asking questions, keep reading up on RSD/CRPS, and pay very close attention to what things increase or decrease your pain.

I did want to chime in real quick though and tell you that things can/will get better. Other than sharing some of what I have gone through I don't know any other way to convince you of this.

Let's start off with the fact that I was also hurt at work. Very different field than you...I'm an assistant manager at a big box retailer. But I HAVE been through the ringer with work comp and have come out the other side.

One thing I wanted to ask you is if you are getting any sort of TTD payments from work comp (that's "temporary total disability" which in IL is 60% of my pay but with no taxes taken out)? I ask because if you are unable to work as the result of a work injury then you SHOULD be getting this every week which could help you tremendously financially. The only reason I could think of you not getting this is if you took any sort of settlement from them (which I hope is not the case...but I know from experience how sneaky they can be).

Anyway...back to the getting better thing.

My CRPS started in my left ankle after I was walking and hit my foot on the steel dock plate that "someone" decided to lean upright, on it's edge, against a pile of boxes of pillows. Not as horrifying as your injury...not remotely...but the thing about CRPS is that it doesn't really matter HOW you get it...the pain is just as horrifying regardless of how serious the initial injury was. And I'm not trying to minimize your injury because obviously the brutal nature of what happened to you has added a whole other level to what you are going through that I cannot truly understand. But I can talk about the CRPS pain.

Mine is a long story and I won't bore you with too many details. About a year and a half after my injury (and I was back working at that point with pain at a level 5-6 every day on a nice cocktail of meds)...things got MUCH worse. My CRPS spread to my entire upper body waist to neck including both arms and hands. I was in a wheel chair and ended up off work for a year and a half.

It was terrible...I was unable to stand or walk at all. Literally had to crawl just to get to the bathroom. I was trapped on the couch in my living room for months on end. I had to rely on my boyfriend and his mom to help me get to doctor's appointments and had to be pushed around everywhere. I needed people to bring me food. Every second I was in unbelievable pain. I couldn't wear normal clothes. I couldn't sleep...at all. We're talking 5-15 minutes at a time with hours in between.

Nothing was helping. Then on top of everything else...the meds they were giving me caused serotonin syndrome and I had to come off EVERYTHING.

Then I changed doctors and started at home physical therapy with a WONDERFUL nurse. It was a VERY slow process...but things got better.

It took about 6 months of physical therapy before I was able to walk again. I need a walker (I'm only 29...27 when all that was going on) and a cane...but I am mobile. It took another few months after that before I was able to walk at anything approaching a normal speed.

Now I am back at work, full time, making my previous salary (a little more now after my review this past February). I am able to be on my feet for 9+ hours a day...working 50-60 hours a week. I have had to change the way I do EVERYTHING because I have to use a walker and I am so sensitive to touch and cold. I need to wear gloves and a scarf all the time at work...look like a bit of a freak in 90 degree weather...but who cares? I'm so grateful to just have taken back this little bit of my life.

As far as the pain...it's still really bad. Every second of every day I have pain at a level 4-5 all the way up to a 10. I have a ton of strange symptoms and there are times where I have had to call of work because I literally cannot function. I smallest things can take me down. Last time I had to call off for two days because I got some bug bites on my CRPS ankle and it swelled up badly and the pain was a 10...couldn't walk at all on it. A little bump, someone shutting the door too forcefully, a stray breeze, a bug bite, certain noises, changes in the weather, and so many other things I cannot even begin to list them all...these are the things that kick my butt and send my pain into absolute overdrive.

But...on a daily basis...that 4-5 pain level becomes easier to deal with as time goes on. I hate to say you get used to it but the fact is that you begin to experience a new sense of "normal" when you live every day in pain. I have also...over time...found lots of little things that help with the pain and all those little things add up to a pain level that I can tolerate. Being back at work actually helps a lot in the sense that it gives me something other than the pain to focus on. Sometimes the pain levels get too high and I can't push them to the back of my mind anymore...but most days I make it through okay.

You sound like a very motivated person...you will make it through this and come out on top. The key for me was keeping my eye on the goal. I know that the pain is bad...I live with mine every day...but things got much better for me once I focused more on getting the FUNCTION back vs removing the pain. I'm not saying you shouldn't try whatever treatments your doctor can offer you for CRPS. I tried many and they just didn't help me. But once all that failed and I focused on taking control of my life again and getting myself functional...that's when things started to get better.

Every day I struggle with the pain. Some days...I lose. MOST days...I win. The pain is always there but I am NOT my pain...I am NOT my crps. You will find your way. My boyfriend says it was my stubbornness that got me through. He's probably right. Stay focused and keep fighting this. You will get your life back and you will be happy again. It will just take time...nothing happens fast with CRPS.

I'm glad you found this forum...it really saved my life when it came to coping with CRPS. I don't know where I would be right now without the people here to help me through.

Take care of yourself. I hope your lawyer is able to help you get the financial stuff sorted out. You don't need that stress on top of everything else you are dealing with.