Just back from hospital so thought I'd let you all know how we went on
The Consultant has had a close look at Alisons arm and was very concerned as it so much more swollen than last time. He has confirmed that this is a recurrence of the RSD and asked that we begin massage and step up the movement to try and get the swelling down.
The red area at the point of the intial injury has extended and seems to have a small lesion in its centre. He has advised that we keep a close eye on it and if it doesn't reduce in the next couple of days to go straight to A&E for it checking and to obtain antibiotics as it appears to be slightly infected - normally Alisons immune system would heal this itself but because of her RSD he cannot guarantee that it won't need a little help along the way !!!
His main concern was the severity and speed of the reaction from such a slight injury. It appears that Alison nervous system is playing up in a major way at the moment and this does not appear to be something he sees frequently.
I did press him about the block and he admitted that it was possible that the tourniquet and injections used on the leg may have caused a similar "major" reaction to that seen in the arm, but that he would have had no way of knowing that this would be the case before he did it. Unfortunately that does not help to get Alison out of a wheelchair but it does mean that any surgical intervention will be carefully thought out in future.
He is now referring us to Great Ormond St Childrens Hospital in London who may be able to look further into Alisons particular problems and he has reitterated that we may be in for a long and bumpy ride on the route to recovery.
We are all hopeful that as the arm has recovered once, it will do so again - I can only pray that the leg continues the trend at some point in the future
It is so difficult to allow Alison to be a 12 year old girl when all I really want to do is wrap her up in cotton wool and protect her !!! I am so frightened that she will miss out on her childhood as a result and I know how precious and valuable those formative years are.
Thanks again for listening
Andrea