Thank you all for the kind words and encouragement. I have discussed the RSD with my breast surgeon and she was very good about arranging that my surgery be at a hospital that is a bit farther from home but has a particular anesthesiologist she wants to use. I guess she is a pediatric anesthesiologist so hopefully she will be good. I am not going to have ketamine as I have never had it before. I am going to have a regular IV in the foot with extra numbing in the breast tissue. The surgeon said as long as it does not involve a limb, I should be okay.

I will not know for sure until after the surgery. I hope I have made the right decision. The second breast surgeon I saw did not want to do the surgery because of the RSD. He wanted to wait 6 months. I can't move on with my life knowing this suspicious mass is hanging over my head so I made the decision to go ahead with the surgery. I hope it is not a mistake on my part. I kick myself every day for having the arm surgery. I had a great surgeon but the RSD complication came anyway. I just pray I won't have to go through what I went through that first year - oh my gosh - you guys know the pain - I am preaching to the choir on this forum. Only you fellow RSDers know how terrifying that nerve pain is to live with.

Okay, I am going to fill out my forms and try to relax. I feel sick to my stomach from the nerves. I plan to report back on Saturday to let you all know all went well and that we can all make it through surgeries and not face a huge flare. I pray for everyone on this board; RSD is not easy to live with.

Lisa