Hello Everybody,
I'm new to this site, so bear with me please.
I am 47 years old with little or no health problems in the past.
In October of 2009, I caught the H1N1 flu. After about a week and a half of continuous coughing, I felt a pop in my lower back. I was unable to get out of bed without severe pain. After going to the emergency room, I was told I slipped a disc while couging (yes, you can do this, no matter how silly it sounds). I was told to stay on bed rest for 5-12 days. Well, after 2 days, I suddenly had no feeling in my right foot, and after another day, it had moved up to my calf and knee. After an MRI was performed, I actually had a herniated disc in my lower lumbar affecting my sciatic nerve. I was also told that I had early degenerative disc disease. I was told by my doctor that the herniation was too severe for optional treatments such as physical therapy or cortizone injections. My only option was surgery (microdiscectomy).
I was told my surgery was pretty invasive (the piece they needed to remove was larger and more difficult to remove, than had been expected). Still I had 100% no pain the first 3 days after surgery! It felt like a miracle! Then the pain returned on the third day. My neurosurgeon said that this is very typical due to swelling from the surgical procedure, and that it would just take a few more weeks to "die down". I also had symptoms where my right leg, from the knee down, would suddenly turn red, swell, and feel hot to the tough (it didn't matter what I was doing...resting, walking, sitting, etc). I was told to immediately have an ultrasound to rule out blood clots. Fortunately, no blood clots. Well, the weeks turned into months, and after 2 more emergency room visits and an hospital admittance for a week (to come up with a pain management program), I was finally given a second MRI. Of course, it was clear. Again, I was told that due to the acuteness of my herniated disc, it was just going to take more time for the nerve to "die down".
After 3 1/2 months, I was finally given the okay to begin physical therapy. It was with my physical therapist that I first heard about CRPS. When I asked her to write that down for me so I could look it up online, she did, but also said "don't freak out by what you read on CRPS". Well, I may not be "freaking out", but I am very worried to say the least. It has only been 4 days since my first physical therapy session, so I'm writing this now to put my mind at ease. After reading some of the other stories, I feel even more scared about what might be in store for me. I teach kindergarten and have my husband and 2 young sons at home with me. I know it's only been 3 1/2 months, but I just want some positive experiences out there that I will, once again, be able to have a somewhat "normal life". If anyone out there is willing to let me know what worked best for them, please let me know. Thank you so much for "listening".