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Old 01-17-2015, 06:12 PM
ChefCathleen ChefCathleen is offline
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Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Northern California
Posts: 3
8 yr Member
ChefCathleen ChefCathleen is offline
New Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Northern California
Posts: 3
8 yr Member
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Quote:
Originally Posted by swampcricket View Post
In 2013 I had a accident at the firehouse little finger on left hand got smashed by a trailer tendons ruptured and nerves severed.went to surgery to fix. The surgeon was not able to repair had to amputate finger. Three weeks later I get this pain in hand and it turns purple with constant shocks and swelling along with a cold felling in hand and cramps. Doctor says CRPS but bwc don't believe him. Fast forward 6 months still no treatment pain specialist says CRPS he gets ganglion nerve block approved I get 3 of them no relief. Fast forward another 6 months on gabapentin 3000mg day baclofen 20mg a day and nortriptyline 50 mg a day and lidocaine patches hydrocodone 5-325 for pain 2 more nerve blocks no relief. In September they do surgery to implant nerves in hand in bone and muscle of hand. No relief see surgeon 2 days ago.my hand is in a fixed position can barley open fingers hand is swollen so much its 2 times normal size. Surgeon says there is nothing more they can do x rays show osteoporosis in hand EMG shows nerve delay in hand.Surgeon wants to amputate left hand he says CRPS is spreading up hand and wants to amputate at the wrist so it don't spread up arm. Is there any more treatments I can do so they don't amputate my hand. Any help will be appreciated thanks for taking the time to read this.

Hey Swampcricket,

Wow, I'm dealing with a crush injury of my middle finger on right (dominant) hand that occurred in April of 2011. The bones in my finger never healed so it was referred to as a non-union. From the beginning I had severed nerves and the hot searing pain. I went through hours upon hours of painful occupational therapy and many different splints. I wound up with a trigger of my small finger from overuse of it. I had a neurolysis done and a trigger repair and more OT. The middle, ring and small fingers of my right hand began to "claw" and curl under. Had CRPS symptoms throughout this entire time. Finally had my large finger amputated down to the PIP joint. That is when I opened Pandora's Box. I wish I never ever had the partial amputation because now I have CRPS Stage II and my nerves are screaming angry with me.

Throughout this journey, I've declined all pain meds unless I was on night #8 of no sleep. At that point I take a half a percocet or flexeril just to reboot my brain and get a few hours of good sleep so I can function. For pain relief, I have always requested nerve blocks directly in my hand, but they are so very painful and only last a day at best.

Fast forward....the pain is accelerated and unbearable so I started to really complain to my orthopaedist and was referred to doctor #10 or so. She began giving my Stellate Ganglion Blocks and I get relief for a week or so I don't stop moving unless I have to! It's great. I sleep the night, wake up feeling rested and feel normal again. This lasts about a week. Then the pain starts to creep back in again and I am at pain level 8 again. I just received Block #8 and am begging WC to keep approving them. Let's see, the implanted tens unit has been suggested as well as Ketamine infusions.

My question to you is, have you seen a pain specialist? I've heard good things about being injected in the hand with Botox, of course you are sedated, and the pain being at bay for 3 months at a time. I also heard good things about Ketamine infusions.

I have been in favor of a Ray Amputation of my middle finger for some time now but now my doctor is leery of performing because of neuroma formations of which I have two in what's remaining of my middle finger and must wear always use a splint. The Stellate Ganglion Blocks help with the CRPS pain, but the neuroma pain has never left my hand.

Please before you agree to any other amputation, please do your due diligence and research your options. Once they start hacking off body parts, that's it! Do you live near any teaching hospital?

Whatever you decide, I wish you the best of luck. Please keep us posted.

Be well!

Cathy
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