Dear Kheldar,
First off I have to say (just to make you smile a bit) that I absolutely LOVE your little avatar stating "the dog started it." It really made me laugh. Thanks for that one. I am so touched by your posting. AND I am soooo annoyed and ticked off at the doctors you went to see. They are idiots. Have you tried seeing a neurologist yet? They are the docs we should be seeing because they deal with nerves. That would be my first thought for you to get to a good one that can help guide you.

Then you said (what really got me mad) "So here I am, back at ground zero, exactly as I have been for 25 months: alone, in excrutiating pain and told NO. So tell me what's good about this... I can get drunk daily [but at least you have a bit of humor left inside you which will help you in the long run], that is my only pain relief I have. Typing doesn't help, it makes it worse." I get real annoyed with doctors when they can see with their own eyes someone in alot of pain needing help...and do nothing but pass you along to someone else. May the Lord bless them with RSD (even just for a day) so they can see the real torture we all go through with this monster. If their loved one was in our situation they would be jumping at the bit to help them. I don't know where their ethics go some days.

I want you to know that you are not alone...you have all of us here!!! I can most definately say most of us (if not all of us) have been in your shoes at how we have been treated. Heck, I was treated like a drug addict when I got to the ER once and they left me in agony for hours and I began crying from the pain. They just left me. My sister and mom came in and oh boy the doctor was so concerned and caring in front of them but to me he was crap. Once they showed up, I immediately got meds when my family saw what was happening. Another time I was in the hospital and had my entire body moving back and forth from the spasms. I called the nurse and she gave me a tiny amount of pain med and it did not take hardly any of it away and I worsened from the pain (and they never would come back to see me). I had to get my roommate (who had her leg just operated on) to call my sister at her home and have her call the nurse's station to speak to a doctor and have him come in to see how bad I was. He walked in the room and his face just dropped and he gasped and ran out and got me something for the pain and to stop the spasms...it got so bad I was sitting up and lying down uncontrollably! Then the LPN comes in and says "You can't call someone to have them call here." And proceeded to yell at me. Well, I told her to shut up and to get out of my room that she had no idea what she was talking about. Boy did I feel good after that one lol. They listened alot more after that incident. Would it be possible for someone else as your advocate to go with you. It seems doctors take it more seriously if someone else is there I guess to witness what they tell you. I am always by myself and I have seen a real difference in people when others are with me...it is like they know they can't give you any crap. Good luck and let us know how you are doing. Hang in there. We are all here for you for support, sympathy, or just a shoulder (or should I say laptop) to cry on.
Stay strong and don't let anyone underestimate you.
kathy d