Thanks everyone for the responses - you have echoed my sentiments exactly - RSD should not control our lives and we should try to maintain as normal a routine as possible !!!!
That is easy for me to sat though as it is not my illness - it is Alison's and I'm very aware of her concerns. Her psychologist has advised us to take these on board and make balanced decisions once we have weighed up the pros and cons of travelling by air.
I think the main worry stems from the swelling
When Alison's leg first swelled up it happened overnight - normal leg one minute, 50% larger the next. It affects the whole of the calf, ankle and foot
The Hospital admitted her almost immediately and ran tests for blood clots and compartment syndrome - though they did explain that these were extremely unlikely
Everthing turned out negative and we were assured that it was just the RSD playing yet another trick on her body but that fear has stayed and grown as we get closer to the day of the flight (17th Sept)
I don't think it is helped by the fact that her grandad and aunt both have a history of blood clots
To explain more fully, Alison has RSD in her left leg and right arm but only the leg is affected by the swelling at the moment
Alison is virtually unable to walk so will be transferring to and from the aircraft by wheelchair
Her movement in the leg is limited and because of extreme hypersensitivity and as such she cannot wear compression stockings (maybe she could on the higher level of the calf but definitely not on the foot or ankle)
Her Consultant has told her she is fit to make the trip but that hasn't eased her worries about how the flight will affect both the pain, and particularly the swelling
The flight is 2.5 hours and we are travelling back 3 days later - I think another concern is how long will it take for any flare up of symptoms to subside once we land and if it is too bad on the way out how would we get back home !!!!
I would sooner delay the trip (but would this resolve the fears???) or cancel if Alison does not feel confident enough to fly - but then I feel that somehow the RSD has won yet again and it already affects our lives so much anyway
I know everyone is different but your advice really helps - especially those of you who have swollen limbs and cannot walk who frequently use air-travel
I really wanted to use this trip as a test to see if we could make a long-haul trip to Florida for Ali's birthday in February 2008
Many thanks again
Andrea