I'm so sorry you've found your way here because of rsd. I am glad you're here though! Welcome!

Once you have rsd/crps, you have it for life. There is no cure despite what some try to say. You CAN go into remission though! :-) You've been diagnosed quickly which is the best thing.

They should not be waiting to see "if meds help", because they don't. You need to see a pain management doctor asap and begin nerve blocks right away! This is the best shot you have of getting your pain under control and getting remission, hopefully. Nerve blocks really are a simple procedure, only take a few minutes and most doctors "put you out" while it's done. :-) I was terrified too but it was a breeze! lol It's the best treatment besides physical therapy that can be done right now.

I know how overwhelming it is to try and absorb all the info. Whatever you do, don't use ice. You must keep moving your hand. It's a fine line to walk between overdoing it and ending up in a lot of pain and stopping before it goes too far. The worse thing is to "push through the pain" as some people will say. It doesn't help and could actually make things worse. If you try to protect the hand you could loose all range of motion and possibly have atrophy. This is why it's so important to keep moving. We all know how hard it is.

An idea is to keep a notebook of some sort handy for writing down questions and/or thoughts in. Forgetfulness is an issue we all deal with. It helps to do write it down and carry it with us so we can be sure we cover the things we need to with the doctor.

Ask all the questions you want. We are the "experts" after all! The most important thing I think is to remember we are all individuals, we react differently to meds and treatments, and no one can say for sure what might happen. We can give you our knowledge and experiences to help you along. I was grateful for it when I got it 6 years ago. I knew what might happen and knowledge is power!!



Karen