I was 14 when diagnosed with RSD. I'm 15 now. I was a gymnast and in the gym 24 hours a week. I was tumbling and broke my right foot in June of 2006and I was healing okay. I got out of the cast and got one of those boot things to wear. I managed to get off of the crutches, but I was starting to feel bad pains in my right foot so I still used the boot. The pain started becoming more intense to where I went back to crutches. Then that October after many tests, I was dx with RSD. I did lots of research because when I asked the doctor what that was and if it could be cured, he just looked away. After reading up on it, I was devastated. Shortly after that, I was wheelchair bound because it spread to the other leg too. That December, I had a lumbar nerve block done with little success. In fact, it made the pain even more intense in both legs. They didn't do anymore nerve blocks. I went to therapy with little success because they didn't know much about RSD. Then about a month ago, the RSD pain in my arms hit me hard and I couldn't really do anything anymore. It had been spreading to my arms since early January, but I didn't tell because I didn't want to believe that it was really the RSD and I didn't want to seem weak and like a big compainer saying that my arms hurt too. Thankfully, it started out not so intense in my arms but it became too much and intensified greatly to where I would lay in bed during intense flare ups crying for hours because of the pain and how I had lost my mobility and freedom. I went from being a very active teenage gymnast to a teenager who couldn't walk or do anything on her own without great pain. It was devastating for me and especially my mom, teachers, and friends (still going to school despite everything). I have 3 very understanding teachers that helped me out when needed. Then I had 1 really severe and one less sever allergic reaction setbacks too that almost cost me my feet.

I recently began a program at a local rehab center. They had a patient a couple months before I did and she had RSD also. She was an 11 year old dancer. She went to the clinic in Pennsylvania and they told her that it would be easier with the intense therapy hours to do the program closer to her. They got a dvd on the treatment stuff and brought it to this place and asked if they could do it. They said yes and the girl is able to walk and rollerskate and dance a little bit too. I have just completed my 7th day of intense therapy like she did. I learned how to walk on my 5th day. It was a miracle because I hadn't walked since like August or September. The therapy hurts really bad but it really helps in the long run. It is stressing because you see your therapist helping others and their mission is to help you without causing pain. When the patient says ouch, the therapist stops immediatly and they help them with as little pain as possible. Unfortunatly, the only way to help treat the RSD is to cause as much pain as possible. I can yell and scream and cry, but they don't ease up on the stuff, they just do it harder. They always say "No pain, no gain." I'm kinda sick of that saying now. I have to complete 4 intense weeks of therapy (monday to friday from 8:15 to 2:45). After that, I have to go afterschool 3 days a week for another month, then they wean it down to 2then 1 then once a month then maybe more or maybe done.

I'll let you guys know how it all goes. They have high hopes for me to be almost normal again