Hi Rita and Reed! and Welcome to NT. I'm so sorry this happened to Reed and of course you. I've had RSD for 12 years following surgery. But, like many, wasn't diagnosed for a long long time. It started in one shoulder and now is full body. What I'm trying to say, it can be a life long disorder and very expensive meds and Dr appts. But, your best chance is the first few months to a year to go into remission. I don't know about the blocks, like a lot of things with RSD, people react differently to treatments and meds. Like someone mentioned, you will learn so much on this forum, just read, read, read. This disorder affects the Limbic part of brain that causes depression, short-term memory loss, a groping for the right work while speaking. and anti-depressants help with nerve pain. Because the sympathetic nerve is involved, many take high blood pressure meds. And the para-sympathetic nerve is also involved, which causes low blood pressure. So there can be instability in blood pressure. I take an anti-anxiety pill that helps so much to keep my nervous system calmer, thus less pain. Most larger cities have monthly support meetings. You can find out by looking up RSDHope is put in your zip code, they name a person ,a phone number for you to contact for meetings times. We meet here at one of the Neurological Hospitals. Generally, have a guest speaker from the medical or pharmacology field. hope your attorney has some background knowledge of RSD.
My daughter is a court reporter and has heard some cases. She doesn't here the outcome because most of her work is pretrial depositions. Just don't underestimate the costs, they are not just medical, many of us end up not being about to work. I have one hand partially crippled, looks like a claw, didn't get therapy soon enough. Massage therapy is wonderful for warming up the muscles before physical therapy. Swimming, needs to be 86 degrees or warmer- My toes were bending or curling in both feet. My Dr. gave me exercises to do daily and in a few months they touched the ground again. The Gov. counts that as a write off, if ordered by the Dr. Stretching dailey, in warm water or on the floor is very good. I believe I'd be in a wheelchair now, if my Dr. hadn't given me all these exercises. I've had about 250 therapy sessions. But now have most of both shoulders working again and both feet, and about 1/2 of left hand. I see a psychiatrist, who is a neurologist and hasa degree in pharmacology. There are some very experienced Drs on RSD. There are a lot of good things that can help us when we get down, our favority music, meditation, stretching, swimming, a pet, writing our 'understanding' friends, phoning friends,'journaling' our feelings, even if we need to burn it up after. I have one especially close friends who has it full body longer than me, from a car crash, raising 5 children. Another friend, that like me has jolts, jerks, spasms, 3 low BP and passing out=I've only had one. My husband and daughter and son-in-law are so loving and helpful.They moved to Chicago a year ago, come down here twice a month. The anti-seizure meds are expensive, but work for me, but, cause weight gain. Boo Hoo What I miss most is my energy level and generally happy self. Traveling, Tennis, Walking, 10 K's Water Skiing, Snow Skiing, biking. So many sports. Shopping, Going for dinner, having lots of friends over for dinner-BBQ had 50-70- 3-4 times a year. I really am not trying to discourage you, but sharing how some people's lives are really altered. Some of these treatments that work on some and make others worse scares me to death. It's difficult to know what to do. Our daughter and Luke got married 8 years ago. I am glad I don't have a lot of small children like my friends. She does have a daughter with one child living with them and helping, although she is still working. (daughter) Ask lots of questions, and there will always be someone to something to share, just do your own research before going forward with a new procedure. I just saw my Dr. today, and he adjusted a couple of my meds and I'm faxing some compounding phyarmacist concoction of a cream to help the burning on the bottom of your feet and hands and where you have bad burning,saw it here yesterday. Rita and Reed, the best to both of you and again I'm so sorry this happened to you, at one of the happiest time in your lives. A chance in health is really like the grieving process because there is loss in so many ways. It takes time to adjust and let go and be happy for what we have now.
I had a couple of years in counseling when my parents died suddenly and early
and it helps yet today. Be well Your RSD friend, Loretta Jewell