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Originally Posted by loretta
Hi TJ, Trust me, file a claim and get your injury documented. It doesn't mean you have a contusion. Many Drs. don't recognize RSD. Get pictures taken of your arm,shoulder- rumpled carpet (if you can) with your cell phone.
I flew from Arizona to Eugene, Oregon 4 years after getting RSD but wasn't diagnosed and kept speading. It's a sports injury group at Sacred Heart. The Sports Injury Group are well known, I know Jones is the knee Dr. I saw the Hand Dr. and he looked at my hand and said RSD in 1 minute. He sent me over to nuclear med department at Sacred Heart that confirmed RSD. I have a good friend at the other large hospital that is in nuclear med dept. If you need the hand specialt name, I can call and get it for you. I don't know what part of Oregon you live at.
He started me into physical therapy the next day. Then I came back to Arizona and got a good neuro and ortho hand doc and continued in physcial therapy. Because of the delay ( I had been wrongly diagnosed here in AZ) I have 50% use of left hand.
My RSD was actually caused by a Eugene Dr, but I didn't know it for 4 years. I didn't sue. I had 100 physical therapy treatments to get the use of my shoulder, and the p.t. department at Sacred Heart didn't know what they were treating-just trying to get the use of my shoulder back, which I did. Then remission for a year, then spread to other shoulder-therapy here in AZ and another remission. then spread to hand from water skiing-misdiagnosed, then went to sports injury group and diagnosed in 1 minute. I'm grateful for the diagnosis and he started me in pt next day and ordered a Tens Unit which Helped.
Hope you get the help you need. This is an expensive disorder-lots of medications, therapy, HBOT is the treatment I'm going to try next. Psychiatrist helped me tremendously to adjust to a life of pain and change is ability to do things. It's really like a grieving process. Take care, loretta
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Thank You so much for your encouragement and information. I was finally diagnosed in July 2009 at 52 years old, previously diagnosd with osteoarthritis. But it is my belief that I have had RSD for a very long time, thinking back probably since I was about 10 or 11 yrs old that is my earliest recollection of being in severe pain, odd out of the blue swellings, skin sensitivities, burning like I was on fire, and thinking that if it hurt that bad to grow up I didn't want to, I remember many conversations with God as a child asking him why I hurt so bad all of the time, it was a conversation I repeated over and over seems like all of my life. In my early 20's was diagnosed with Chrohn's disease after the birth of my second son. That turned into 6 years of IV feedings and blood transfusions to stay alive. In Oct 2004 I was crossing in a cross walk when struck by a car shattering my shoulder and injuring my left knee which now looking back had already been dealing with signs of RSD in that leg for many years. Since the accident its been one flare after another thruout my entire body. Left leg already has signs of atrophy, and I am still able to get around with a cane but don't know for how much longer. Just went thru a series of nerve conductivity tests and they found extensive damage in the ulnar nerve of both arms and nerve damage in both legs. I just take one minute at a time these days.
Work has been a battle had to get an attorney to keep my job and still battling that along with trying to get accommodations requested by my physical therapist ( who thank God is an absolute angel a true advocate!). Unfortunately it has made for a very hostile and uncomfortable work environment.
Sorry for babbling on !
Any way just really wanted to thank you. Sounds like you have had your own battle with this RSD stuff. Hope the HBOT treatments are successful, keep us posted. I will be keeping you in my prayers and I mean that!
Take care my friend! Love TJ
P.S. I live in Portland, OR