Andrea,

Please wish Ali well. She's a fighter all right from what I've read!

It's so unfortunate that ER doctors aren't knowledgeable. If you can't even go there in case of an emergency, then what are you gonna do?

Please tell her that it's okay to get a check-up once in a while, especially after a nasty fall like that... A flare like that after a fall might be a sign it's about to get worse!

I once got a really nasty flare-up after some orthopedists (the non-knowledgeable ones appointed by the court) examined me. One of them twisted and turned my legs like you wouldn't believe. He said he had to do the exam from scratch and so he had to examine me as if there was nothing wrong with me. I felt discriminated against as a person and as an RSD patient. I had RSD for years at that point! I was screaming and pleading with him and the rest of them the whole time but they refused to listen. He then brutally bent my knees to about 45°, where they blocked, this without asking me how far I could go and they would go, and without gently going a bit further each time. I can't go comfortably beyond 90° because of RSD pain and the cartilage problems in my knees. Afterwards, I had a major flare-up, one I hadn't had in years, and so much pain for weeks to come, especially in both knees (horrendous pain) that we decided to take pictures. If I look at them now, they are so awful! We sent them the pictures, but even they were ignored.

I actually don't blame her for not wanting to go to the ER...

Bless her!