Hello Dan,

I am so sorry to hear about your injuries!!

I remember that same terrifying feeling when I was first diagnosed and started reading about it, and there isn't much I can say to ease this but, please try to think of it more as an obstacle "that you will not let it beat you, you will beat it or overcome any challenges it presents in your life going forward".

If they are doing the blocks so that you are able to do more physical therapy then yes, do this. However if they are just doing the blocks to help you with pain then that really isn't going to do you much good. With CRPS the benefit of any blocks comes if physical therapy is done at the same time. Not just formal PT once or twice a week but continuous physical therapy & desensitization on/off throughout the day. .. it was said to me early on that PT should be done much like the heart beats (it beats for a half a second and then rests for a half a second), the worst thing you can do for CRPS is being immobile or sedentary and the best thing you can do is keep that limb moving, desensitize to help alleviate at least some of the sensitivity and reduce guarding.

You are on great medications to start with but keep the communication open with your doctors about the dosages because often they start us out on a small dose (that isn't expected to work) and increase it slowly - however, with patient loads don't rely on your doctors to remember they needed to increase the dosage to a therapeutic range... they will likely forget. Side effects are also generally expected and unless they are life threaten often resolve over time - it is easy to give up during the adjustment cycle so keep that in mind and discuss these things with your doctor(s).

Yes, having early and aggressive treatment early should help. You mentioned being an athlete prior to this accident - having the mentality of an athlete will also help. Stay focused on how you will conquer whatever is in front of you and try hard not to focus on the 'what if's' or 'spread'.. focus instead on how to keep that leg moving and regaining strength. If you are near a pool.. start aquatic therapy as soon as you are cleared to do so. This will help the CRPS and also help your femur heal. Water walking is excellent for therapy!!

There really is no way to prevent spreading it may or may not spread. I would personally not worry about that today. Instead think about all the things you can think of to help you distract yourself from pain and rehab all of your injuries. Make a list of the things that helped you stay focused as an athlete. These should be things that you will later utilize on days when pain is so severe that nothing works.. then you can grab that list and it will help you cope and conquer. Movies, books and stories of all kinds of athletes that have done amazing things are some of the things on my list Sometimes I just conscientiously breathe slowly and imagine myself snow skiing on a deep powder day, reaching the summit of a mountain or crossing the finish line, surfing or whatever makes me happy. Though I can't do those things today due to CRPS, I will never give up...

I don't want to comment on 'life changes you can/should expect' as we are all individual in our pain perception and how it affects our lives so one could not predict that for you.. RUN your own RACE against this and don't let what you read or learn about CRPS dictate your outcome or define you. I would set firmly in your mind right now that you will not become a statistic and that your case or circumstance will be unique and one that doctors will write case reports on to help others because YOU are strong!!

What helps with the pain the most for me? Well it is not one single thing and not the same thing everyday but, here are a few of the things I rely on daily to get me through. Epsom salt soaks, lidoderm patches, recumbent bike, massage (on areas that are not affected by CRPS), mirror therapy, MMJ tincture, my dogs, pool therapy, moist heat, biofeedback, and a good care team.

I've rambled on a lot.. sorry. I hope this helps!!

Wishing you the best,
Tessa