I finally got all of your thread read. It takes me awhile to soak it all in at times.

My thought would be to you to get an attorney. IF you have already been diagnosed with RSD then that is a good thing in the way of getting your Social Security and getting the help you need.

As far as work, we do have some on here that work part time I think. I don't know about full time. I haven't worked since 87 but I started with other medical issues before I ended up with RSD.

Hopefully the Neurologist will offer you the right help you need such as blocks, meds and better PT.

If they offered me that kind of PT and that much, I would walk out, to hell with WC or SS. That's where a lawyer would come in handy. They will help get the point across that there are certain things you cannot do.

I spent 4 years in PT. I had a total of 5 PT'ers. Only one in the bunch tried to make me ride an exercise bike and do other machines. That lasted about a week to me. He didn't seem to last long, I don't know why they moved him. I ended up with a good husband and wife team in Physiotherapy and they were the best I ever saw. They had trained in Holland and over there they seem to think that massage and touch is better then the machines and weights. I never did either except for that week. They used heat on me and did lots of massage and gently pulled on my fingers and hands to deal with the TOS and the RSD. Never rough with me.

You sound like you were in the exact same shape I was in. I actually had friends that didn't think I was going to live long. I was blessed though with a great PCP.

It's good that your GP says she knows nothing about RSD but it surprises me in this day and age that she isn't familiar with it at all. Maybe I am wrong though.

Also another thing that could be going on with you along with the RSD is Fibromyalgia. It sometimes comes with RSD as it did in my case. I would ask the Neurologist about that. It causes all over pain as can the RSD spread. So then you have a combination of both going on and it's hard to seperate the symptoms.

I am so sorry for what you have delt with. It sounds horrible and I know it is horrible. When you see this Neurologist ask for a block to see if it will help for the RSD.

As far as meds. I didn't find any that helped until I ended up on Methadone. A lot of people can't take it but I am on such a low dose now that I don't see the side effects that others did. I tried the Moraphine patch, pill, Neurontin, Vicoden, Percocet, you name it. None of it did a thing for me.

Others will come on here with some info on meds that might help you and what they did to deal with the RSD.

Good luck with what you are going through. I have 2 friends that got lawyers involved in their case and the lawyers intervened with what was done to them. This is just a thought on my part but I am thinking if you have RSD and go full bodied you may not be able to return to work.

Ada