I feel like I am about as close to remission as I can get. It's been a long road. It took 3 years to get diagnosed with the TOS and then with the TOS surgery came the RSD. I have also been diagnosed with too many other medical problems to mention. A few years back I had to do a living will for my PCP because at the time he didn't know if I was going to make it and that was after working on my for several years with the RSD and TOS.

For Christmas I ordered him Dr. Hooshmand's book on RSD. I handed it to him and ask him if you would read it and see if he could help me. He started me on meds that were mentioned in it, a lot of them I couldn't take but I was able to take the Methadone.

He started giving me triggerpoint injections in the areas that were the worst and we finally got a lot of them calmed down.

I had 3 blocks before that which had helped a lot and kept having them with my surgeries. I'm beginning to think this pain in my left pelvic/hip area is RSD. It's just such a bad pain that it makes me think it's the RSD. I couldn't have blocks when I had my surgeries in that area because the hospital doesn't have anyone that does them.

A friend of mine had RSD for over 40 some years and I talked her into getting blocks and she called me up and told me she never felt as good as she did after the blocks. I don't buy the story that if you don't get them in the first 6 months they don't work. Mine weren't in the first 6 months and they worked. I honestly hate to hear people say that on here because I believe it is so false.

When I had my last surgery in Nov. one of the Nurses is a friend of mine and she has RSD in her right foot. We talked about how odd it was that she had had TOS surgery years ago and ended up with RSD in her right foot. She told me that everytime it raises it's ugly head she just goes and gets a block. She's on her feet 10 to 12 hours a day. The last time she delt with hers was about 6 years ago.

I have 3 friends that work and have RSD so that is a possibility also.

What I have run up on it that I have too damn many other medical problems to work. I think the TOS makes it the worse for me because of not being able to use my hands and arms. I also deal with back problems so that makes it hard also.

I'm happy with where I am at this point and I am thinking of calling my Anesteologist about getting a block for this pelvic/hip pain.

It's been the hardest road for me since I became sick in 87 but I didn't develop RSD until around 2000.

I believe with RSD you have to find the best Drs. available. I have a good PCP and a good Anesteologist. I could never find a good PM Dr. so that's why I ask my PCP to take care of my RSD.

That's the biggest problem is finding a good Dr. that is willing to help deal with the RSD because of the time and medication it takes to get a person better.

Don't give up on at least getting to the point to where you feel you are ok with it, because you can get there.

Ada