Originally Posted by lefty

Hello all and I'm back with a question about colour changes to the skin.

I've notice that the only time I see color changes is when I have a flare up, (burning, swelling) and with that the palm of my hand turns red. Along side my thumb it gets this blue and red color to it as well as the muscle below my thumb. Another thing I've noticed is that my thumb would sometimes twitch, once it twitched for most of a day, other times only for a while. Once the flare up has calmed down...if there is such a word as calm...the color returns to normal.
Since I've had the ganglion block I haven't had any twitching and that was a little over a month ago.

As far as my skin the hairs on my arm it seems to be just a slightly bit more thicker than the right arm. My finger nails (thumb and last two) have these gooves in them, but so does my left hand (which sometimes it feels like my left hand does).

Temperature in my affected hand, I just took is 94.6F, and the left is 95.1F. My overall body temperature accourding to my thermiter is 98.0. I'm so confused...I know that there is a lot of information out there on the internet, but my case is so complicated that I don't know which end is up.

I've had emg's that proved that I have cubital tunnel in both elbows, more so on the left than the right, possible carpel tunnel in the left wrist, and an MRI that shows in the left side of my neck disc abutment to the canal.

My injury was back in 08 to my left hand and wrist where I had two surgeries with plates and scews in my left ulnat bone and left thumb, the last surgery being the thumb and that was just in Feb of this year. While wearing my cast, which I protected with every inch of my being. I began to sweat and my hand got really swollen and after it was removed. My thumb was really burning and the incision was mascerated and the thin layer of skin that was over it removed. The pain had gotten worse, so much so that I had to have my cast redone at least three times.

Finally once it was removed my skin had gotten in infection from sweating. I was given pain medication, and at that time never knew anything about CRPS so I didn't give those symptoms and thought...silly me! But the pain never went away, only got worse.

My question is this, how long does the sweating last? Is it always there or does it go away and come back? Why does my hands hurt to make a fist, and why does my right hand (unjuried hand) now burn like the left...I'm really confused about this!
I've had two doctors to say I've CRPS, and one to describe my pain as dysesthetic pain, and only the workers comp doctor to change his mind to say that I don't have CRPS! Please advise me as best you can. I don't have health insurance but I am willing to try to pay for a vist to a Neuroradiologist, and another orthopedic surgeon, for their opinion.

I don't have a lot of money, and due to being terminated for lack of Family Medical Leave time, all I have is unemployment and PPD from workers comp to support my family. Workers Comp is fighting me on this CRPS because it would be considered a new case. I just want to get better, or for the most part have some kind of quality of life.

Any advice or insite would be a blessing. Please pray for me...I've already tried to take my life once because I can't take this pain. But I don't feel like taking my life any longer. All I want to do is pray and fight!