Hi Ali and Ali's mom!
The treatments I was getting for the first 5 years I found out after 5 years were not the right ones... and we moved from CA to TX and I am currently seeing a physiatrist in NM who started giving me the Lumbar sympathetic blocks... and although he and I both were apprehensive of them working after so long I was one of the lucky ones... they did work. The first one I got kept my symptoms down so low I got off of 3 out of my 8 meds... so then we did a series of 6 of them... one every 2 weeks for 12 weeks and I started walking (very very slowly at first and for very short times) on a treadmill. By the way, my rsd is in my right foot and just found out I also have it in my jawbone where I had a wisdom tooth removed. When we first moved here I was in so much pain and so unhealthy that my doctor was pushing for an electric wheelchair for me... but after about the 3rd LSB I found that was able to walk on the treadmill for up to 45 minutes and was walking about a mile and a half without any pain, swelling, discoloration etc. I also started taking the grape seed extract and putting lotion on my foot several times a day... the lotion not only helped with the skin changes I had been seeing but also got me to where I could start touching my foot lightly. Basically during the time I was having the LSB's done I was doing my own form of physical therapy at home and doing whatever I could to start getting my foot moving again and being able to touch it. Unfortunately I am no longer in full remission but I still am not using a cane and still do my walking on the treadmill and am still only taking 4 medications compared to 8 that I was on when all this first started. I have alot of allergy issues that I deal with now that I didn't ever have before I got RSD... and I get sick alot easier as alot of us do... so I have to be really careful during the school year with 3 kids that bring home all the different viruses and stuff. I still don't have full range of motion in my foot but other than that the only real problems I have with it is if my foot gets cold it makes my entire leg feel like its on fire, some minor swelling, and my pain levels... they get up to around a 5 on a 1-10 scale... compared to a 10 or above before the LSB's. I had to go in for 2 more LSB's since the first series of 6 but they have been many months apart. I went 13 months without any LSB's and then the next time I went 6 months so I think that is pretty good if you ask me. My life isn't perfect (whose is?) and although my life has changed since getting RSD I can live pretty well with the way things are right now compared to the way they were when I first got it. I am working part time and going to school part time along with taking care of my 3 kids and a home. My kids have been life savers and thank goodness they understand about the RSD and help out alot. There are still so many things I can't do that I could before but like I said, I can live my life this way at least without being wracked with pain 24/7. I hope you find something that works for you.. I am sorry to hear of anyone getting this horrible disease but it makes me really sad to hear about kids getting it. Hang in there ok and like I said, never ever give up hope that you will find what works for you... and just keep living your life to the best of your ability... you WILL find what works best for you. (((HUGS)))
Kari