Greyhoundlover, Why do you have a splint for at night? Did I miss something? Did you have surgery? Sorry, it is just normally bad practice for someone with RSD to be in devices. I am right out of it these days, so again I am really sorry for my ignorance, I am just concerned for you.

I was offered a contrast bath yesterday but my PT/modalities person. I said no, not that. I told them before I would not do anything with hot/cold or ice. I know already what the cold leads to and how badly I respond to it. I don't have meds to help me get through something like that. I also said I don't have enough faith in that treatment to believe I will be better for it in the long run. So, no.

I know many people have had good results from it but I also hear a lot of those same people who have RSD for a second round and don't respond at all to the contrast baths or extremely poorly to them. So, the theory I am working on is that the exposure of the nerves to the coldness of the water for an extended period of time eventually damages the nerves, rather than causes them to become desensitized. In effect, it seems to damage them further in the long run. Nevertheless, I was trying to convince myself that maybe I should try it because I am in so much pain but no. I don't have the meds to help me get through that and I won't be told that I am responding badly because everyone seems to at first and then gets better with it.

She didn't even ask me first about how the TENS unit worked or anything. I was totally insulted by her attitude. She did ask at first but then it became, so you are not even willing to try something that is going to make you better? I have had a lot of success with this treatment. I simply said, I am not willing to risk the long term damage it may cause. Pick something else. She got up and walked away. Great! I would be nice is she offered something else but I also had an appointment with the psychologist for hypnosis. The whole time during the session I spent trying to get out a yawn, I didn't want it to be too obvious but it was one of those yawns that if you try too hard it won't happen. The other thing was that my left side from the neck down through my arm wanted to cramp up and pull in and my right side kept twitching. All I really wanted to do was go to sleep. He thought it went well. I thought it took forever and that him talking the whole time was actually annoying. I guess I just don't have it in my to relax when someone else really wants me to. LOL!

I did talk to several people yesterday, our information session yesterday was the role of the client and therapist. HAH! I would not have wanted to be the woman teaching that class. We did take it pretty easy on her though. After we all lost it! It was really funny. But the truth of it is. No one is really very happy about their treatment there and most of them find they are getting worse or have other pains and are being told by their therapists that they must be doing something wrong, it is normal, it is not related to anything they are doing at the clinic or can't get the therapist to give them the time of day! One of them have the same therapist as me and he has similar problems and he agrees she is completely in opposition to everything you tell her. She spends SO much of her time finger pointing elsewhere we might as well be elsewhere. Unfortunately, too many of these people can't get a hold of their CM at WC to do anything about it. ERRRRR......

Anyway. I am in rough shape these past couple of days. I may not be here evey day simply because I hurt too much and am too tired to make it to the computer. Plus I have a lot going on here that I am trying to manage at the same time. I would like to be more supportive of you all, I am sorry I can't be around more or post more elsewhere. Thanks everyone though.

TTL J