Just wanted to say thanks to everyone. I am MUCH calmer today, although still angry with the doctor. He is a PM/Anesteologist doctor and that is part of my frustration. I feel like this guy CAN help me, but just doesn't want to. I guess if that's the sort of person he is then I wouldn't want him treating me anyway. My mind has been spinning all night and all this morning about what I need to prepare for my next visit so that when I leave I have all the referrals, notes, etc that I need.

I am really grateful that I found this forum because I am making a list of what different people have found helpful. I do not know what will work for me to help with the pain, but I want to get started trying to find whatever it is. I am currently taking several things, but they do nothing to help. I want my doctor to take me off of those next time I go in. I am very scared of pills and I do not want to continue to take things that do not seem to help. The first docs I was going to kept me taking vicadin and IBpreufen for months and they didn't help at all so I finally just stopped taking them. What's the point if they don't help, but you would think that there were no other options out there the way the docs acted.

My back is KILLING me today, but I assume that's normal after a LSB. I can't stand anything touching it in the entire bottom left portion of my back and bending over brings the tears on big time. I know it's crazy, but I keep moving my ankle through exercises trying to "will" the pain away today. I really wanted the LSB to work, but no matter how hard I want it, that doesn't make it a reality.

Right now WC is refusing to pay me for my time off even though my doc wrote a note to take me off of work. My lawyer says they have no legal right to do that and there is a hearing in the beginning of Febuary for me to get my 66.6% pay. I hope that comes through because I really want to join a fitness center so that I can continue to do some of my PT stuff on a daily basis (like the treadmill and the bike). But I can't afford to unless I have some money coming in. I do everything I can do at home at least once a day, twice when I can, but I want to take as much control as I can of this thing. I have managed to keep enough function that I can walk short distances and stand for very short periods of time...but the pain is just do awful. I'm extremely stubborn and I will not give up on myself. I am 26 years old...and there are so many things that I want to do in my life. I know it's going to hurt, but I just want to keep pushing to make my life as normal as possible. Easier said than done, but I just keep convincing myself that it's the right thing.

I have very bad days where I find myself spinning out of control, angry at the world, and thinking that I will never be able to enjoy anything ever again. But those pass and I talk myself down. I run an online cross stitch board and the women on there are wonderful. They have been so supportive in letting me express my frustrations, and they share my joy in stitching which is thankfully something that I can continue to do with RSD in my left foot. It's not a very active hobby, however, so I find that sometimes I need to put it aside to keep myself moving. I try things like drawing the alphabet with my toes while stitching to keep moving. I haven't been able to concentrate much thought the past few weeks and I'm not sure if that's just because of the pain or if it's related to the meds or the fact that I am cooped up alone in the house a lot or a mix of all three. Can't sit up today so I won't be doing any stitching today unless the back feels better later. But I am currently trying to reread the Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan and have also started reading the Angel: After the Fall graphic novels so I do some reading today.

Thanks again for the responses!