Hi Nancy,
We are all happy you found us.I wasn't diagnosed for 4 years after getting RSD following breast surgery.I had frozen shoulder, and couldn't figure why I was so emotional. I went thru 100 very painful physical therapy sessions, and also 100 massage therapy. I developed panic attacks and crying spells. I got RSD 13 years ago. It's now full body or generalized like they call it. I was in my late 40's. Very active, tennis player with my daughter, snow skiier, water skiier, hiking, aerobics, traveled a lot. When all of that stopped, it's a huge loss. I went thru counseling when my parents died young. The loss is different with RSD, but it's still loss of major porportions.Journeling helps a lot.Just getting your thoughts down on paper-brings out your emotions, which is healthy.
We really go thru the 5 stages of grief, just as if someone dies.
I've been seeing a psychiatrist/neurologist/pharmacologist for 5 years. He has helped me so very much. It is so important to get to a place where we mourn our life change and accept where we are now. Concentrate on things we have to be grateful for. Concentrate on exercise we can do, distractions, like comedy, reading, tv,meditation, Bible Reading and Prayer,I love perfumed candles, massage, keeping in touch with life long friends and new friends here on neurotalk. I love my kitty.
I take Cymbalta 120 mg. Anti-anxiety med-Loreazepam 1mg. 3xday high blood pressure meds 2 of them, double dosed. I love to swim just lost 30 lbs from being on 3200 neurotin for a long time. I have another 30 lbs. So I have goals.
Michael J Fox just wrote a book called 'always looking up' It's about his struggles with parkinsons. A website I enjoy for RSD education is www.rsdrx.com Dr. Hooshmand is retired not, but his website is still up. The part called puzzles is very good-it's 140 questions from patients and his answers. RSDSA is a national organization. I attended the all day meeting -135 attended. At the end, they said they were going to make a DVD available to all the members. It was just $20 to join. Thru their website you can find the closes support group to you by putting down your zipcode. They give you a contact name and phone number.
Have a nice weekend and take care, loretta