This is going to be long so you may want to either skim or read it in bits. :-D My story starts February 5, 2003 with an injury at work. I was a cook at Denny's, so was my hubby. I worked overnight and him during the day. It worked out very well because we didn't have to have any kind of daycare or after school thing for our daughter who was in 4th grade at the time and almost 10 years old.

I'd had to stay on at work that morning because my next cook didn't show up. So, I had to wait till the day manager came in. My luck it was the one manager who couldn't cook!!! Oh boy. Well, he no sooner walked off the line for the office when I side stepped to grab toast and BAM my left knee slammed into a broken handle on a reach in refrigerator. It had been broken for year and they wouldn't fix it despite many banged knees from every cook!! I hit it so hard that my vision went black and I'm lucky I didn't fall to the floor or crack my head on the counter back there. Bill came back right then and he immediately knew what had happened. I straightened up with tears streaming down my face, standing on one leg (I fondly refer to it as “pulling a flamingo”) and went right on cooking. I knocked down the checks then dragging my leg behind me, went home. I told them all to not put in any egg orders till hubby got there. Called hubby as soon as I left and filled him in on what happened on the way home. He was outside waiting for me to help me up the stairs. When I woke up that afternoon knee was hurting me but I could limp. I wrapped the knee up and went to work that night. Big mistake!!! Within an hour I was in so much pain and could only cry, dragging my leg around. The manager that night was an idiot and wouldn't let me go home or call anyone else in either. I somehow made it through the night. Told hubby let me get 4 hours of sleep, I needed to go to the hospital. He called work and talked to the boss and told her what had happened the morning before so she'd have the paperwork ready for me. Got up, did that and went to the ER. Got x-rays, doc poked the knee (lucky I didn't kick him!) and was told it was severely bruised. Put me in a child leg immobilizer (adult size was too big for me), got crutches and went home.

I saw 2 temporary docs in 2 weeks. The 2nd week I had ditched the immobilizer and started walking again. Didn't hurt too bad and had a limp. Was cleared for full duty again and went back to work. Managed to do 5 days. February 21st dawned and I was in excruciating pain!!! Leg was so swollen and I couldn't put any pressure on the foot or leg at all without pain shooting sky high. Had to wait till Monday to see if I could go back to the doc. Got in on Tuesday morning. The regular doc was back from vacation and he was a real a**hole!! He didn't actually say it but he implied I was lying and faking it. Tried making me walk without the crutches down the hall and I didn't even make it out of the exam room. He ordered an MRI, came back negative for anything. Went back on Thursday because leg was swelling even more and turning really funky colors and was ice cold to the touch. He brushed it off and said it was nothing. Got MRI done and was sent off to an Ortho though it showed nothing. It was the start of April now and within 5 minutes at the Ortho he diagnosed me with RSD. When I asked what it was he told me to go home and look it up online. Gave me klonopin pills and something else I can't remember but no pain meds. Wrote a scrip for PT. Came back in 2 weeks and he had a really bad attitude. Treated me nasty for no reason and told me I didn't need those crutches and I better be off them when I came in again in 2 weeks.

I had to get a lawyer in that 2 weeks because work comp wasn't paying me and was denying me PT. I don't understand that one at all!! Once I got a lawyer they approved PT right away!! Got in 2 or 3 sessions but still needed crutches to walk at all though I was able to put slight pressure on foot/leg. He wasn't happy with me the next time and treated me even worse than the last time. He yelled at me and stabbed me with a pin. I told him the thigh and hip were now hurting and he got even more angry. I begged for pain pills, couldn't take it anymore. He all but called me a junkie but gave me 20 tylenol 3's. What a joke! Didn't even begin to touch the pain. He was passing me off to another Ortho for a “second opinion”.
2nd Ortho diagnosed me with RSD again and gave me scrip for lortabs. I thought great, finally some good treatment. Seems I spoke too soon. He wanted me in PT because of noticable atrophy of left thigh. I told him it hurt me a lot the first time around but he insisted. So, did round #2 and made it for 10 sessions before PT dismissed me because it wasn't helping at all and I was getting worse, pain wise. First round of PT I was only approved for 6 sessions and did them all. Did a bit of pool therapy as well which helped me get off crutches completely after almost 3 months on them. The 2nd round did reverse the atrophy in my thigh and it hasn't returned. He was nice the first couple of appointments. By the 4th he was getting a bit surly and almost refusing me pain meds and had me on 2 a day. HA! What a joke. I happened to get a peek at my file and saw what was written there. He had written that I had residual rsd. I told my hubby what it said and we both had a really hard time not laughing our butts off right then and there. I said, what is that?? Is it better than what I got cause if it is I want it. Then my left leg started doing that uncontrollable jerking thing right in front of the doc and he had the nerve to look me in the eye and tell me I was getting better!!! Yeah, I was full body already. He had ordered a bone scan in July before I saw him in Aug and it showed nothing other than a healing fracture in my knee that no one knew was there.

He decided to pass me off to someone else so ended up at a Neurologist. He ordered another bone scan which came back negative for anything. He gave me vicodin 5mg, 3 a day and then wouldn't give me enough to even get through the month so I was always running short. He put me on the Duragesic patch for about 3 months then took me off. Within a few months I settled with WC.

In between the “regular” docs I saw over that year and a half, I was also sent to a Ortho for wc's second opinion. That one looked at my legs and feet. Now they were so purple they were almost black and he told me I had RSD but I was getting better. Oh geez. It upset me a lot but what could I do. They work for the insurance company not me. Then I was sent for 2 IME's during that time as well. The first one near my home wasn't bad. He was a good doc, asked good questions and was gentle. Told me I had RSD and what treatment he would like to see me get. The 2nd IME was in Orlando, 2 hours away and he was a quack!!! He spent 5 minutes with me, turned my legs into a pretzel and said I didn't have RSD because I didn't scream when he touched me, I had no atrophy, no stiff joints. Never mind all the other symptoms, including pain and burning and sensitivity to air, changes in skin, hair growth change and change in the way my nails grow. Upset again but at least I didn't cry, I was really ticked off!!

After I settled with WC, got a new place to live after 2 more months (thanks hurricane Jeanne) I went back to the Neuro thinking he'd be better cause I'm paying now and besides he already knew all about my case and had dx'd me with rsd for the umpteenth time. I was sooooooo wrong!!! He refused to give me anything other than vicoden 5mg. He says you have a choice, vicoden or the patch. I told him I don't have a choice because I hate the patch, it made me feel sick all the time and tore my skin up and the biggest reason of all, I can't afford it!!!!! I'm paying for myself now and don't have that kind of money. Soon got sick of it all and after the third visit never went back. Went through a very rough few months until I found a new doc. He's wonderful and the whole office staff is awesome! They really care and let you know it. If I have questions about anything I can ask and the time is taken to answer me thoroughly. I decide what I take or don't and I'll decide when I need a new med or meds and then we'll discuss it, settle on the what and go from there. I hope to never leave this town so I can keep this doc for as long as possible, hopefully forever.

Karen

PS RSDMom, I can see where they get their strength from, you. I wish I had a mom like you!! *hugs* Oh I'm 37 and still mom-less. LOL I hope things improve for you all. You're 100% right, families suffer RSD not just the one with it.