Hey all - well here's our story....

My huband suffered a major chemical burn to his leg in 1995 - It was a work related injury. MSDS sheets were not available, he sat with this stuff on his leg for more then 24 hours. We watched the acid literally boil under his skin. It was a horrifying experience. We thought that was the worst of it until about a month later he was diagnosed with RSD. Then the real horror began. He fought for months and years through therapy, blocks, meds with horrible side effects....through lots of work and a pain clinic - a few years ago he was able to "control" the RSD. When I say "control" the RSD I mean he still delt with pain, but the RSD was not controlling him. We started to have a somewhat normal life again after years of suffering.


~ Our New Saga ~

Hubby found a job driving/transporting people (kind of like a taxi but for employees of a specific company) - Vehicle was set up decent for his leg (plus he now has brace) and driving did not effect his leg OVER ALL but there were days when he could not work and delt with pain, cramping and discomfort. He delt with it as best as he could as we have 3 children and he was always our primary wage earner, he felt if he did not do something he was not doing his job as a father and husband. (That male pride thing - Even though he suffered...)

After working this job for a year (some months putting on 10,000 miles or more) he developed ulnar nerve damage (your ulnar nerve is your "funny bone") in both arms. This vehicle he was working in did not have any ergo for his arms, thus the vibrations from the vehicle on roads and on "off road" areas like by railroad tracks and the long miles resting his arms on the side of the door and arm rest caused the casing around the nerve to be crushed around the nerve and there are also other areas of compression.

He was diagnosed with the Ulnar Nerve Damage in early April of this last year 2006 - They did physical therapy for months, tried braces, etc and finally had to resort to surgery (Ulnar Nerve Transposition)....They started with his right arm first.

We were told there was a 50/50 chance that he could develop RSD in his arm - But as hubby had another surgery (unrelated & approx 4 years ago) with great success we were looking forward to positive results and no RSD flare up.

We could not have been more wrong. Surgery took place in October and after a few weeks of therapy with little to no success - he was diagnosed with RSD in his right arm.

Needless to say all further surgeries have been put on hold (so he still has damage to his left elbow and both wrists...)

And here we go again...........

Hubby is currently on:

1.) Ibuproferen 800
2.) Hydrocodone 7.5 3x's daily
3.) Lyrica
4.) Cylexia
5.) Zanaflex (is that how it's spelled) for muscle spasms

He is in physical therapy 3 days a week too and we hope we can put this monster down again.

As far as our family goes, our oldest remembers the past RSD, and now hearing of a new "round", and also dealing with dads ulnar nerve damage has been hard on him - Our youngest 2 did not really experience the early RSD but are trying their best to cope through this new round of medical problems and now RSD. I personally find comfort here and through research. I work (although it scares me some days to leave my husband alone while the kids are in school) for sanity and financial reasons. I come online and here as often as possible. Knowledge is power I say, we WILL find something to tame this beast.