Hello everybody, and thank you for this very active forum! I have been reading your posts for some time now and gatherd a lot of useful information.

My life with RSD/CRPS began about two years ago when I fell and dislocated my right shoulder. To be on the "safe" side I dislocated it twice the same day... The first two weeks went by ok, but when I started the physical therapy the pain got worse and worse. Long story short, it took me 8 months to get an operation (the insurance company didnīt want to pay), the shoulder started to heal and i got full range of motion, but then about a year ago I started to notice odd symtomes like pain from sunshine, pins and needles, the pain became more diffuse... and every type of physical therapy made the pain worse. Acupuncture, TENS, laser, even lymphatherapy made it worse. By that time I understood that I had some kind of disease in my nerves, but it took some months for the doctors to come to the same conclusion

After getting my diagnosis I started to desentisize myself, in my own way, and actually went back to work in june, after being away for almost two years. A few weeks later something cracked in my neck, and I was told that I have a herniated disc between the 5. and 6. vertebra on the right side. Not surprisingly my CRPS-pain has gotten worse, and has now spread to both arms and both legs. I am going to see a neurosurgeon on Tuesday and I am pretty nervous... If he/she decides to operate, the CRPS might get worse, but it has gotten worse already. And if s/he does not operate, it might still get worse since I still have symptoms from the disc after almost three months. I know that none of you can say for sure what the doctor should/shouldnīt do, but does anyone here have some word of advice? My CRPS-symptoms are moderate/mild, it doesnīt hurt every second as long as I donīt use my right arm, I am able to carry and lift almost anything if I want to, I have full range of motion... and I want to keep it that way!

At last, thank all of you that read this long tirade, it feels good to know that somebody understands, well not the disease but the sufferer of it! Have a beautiful saturday!