Hi everyone.

I come on to read every so often but have not been a frequent poster because after aggressive treatment following my initial diagnosis and getting started with my pain specialist, (series of LSBs and finding the right combo of meds).. I had been doing pretty well for a while. I have CRPS type II which I developed after my knee was galloped over by my very large, fire breathing, but well meaning young horse, which crushed my saphenous nerve. Anyway I had been doing quite well.

Riding is the thing that I love to do more than anything in the world. As much as we know how scary it is for us to sustain any new injuries, I had to ride again as soon as possible. I was careful.. I did all of the right things.. I built up very slowly. I have decided to push forward and try as hard as I can to keep going with my sport for as long as I can, because nothing makes me as happy as it does. (Particularly the relationship that I have with my young horse).

To get to the point..
A month ago now, I had a stupid fall off someone else's naughty horse. I landed almost standing, and hit my heel pretty hard and sprained my ankle. The timing was horrible. It was a week before my move and 5 days before a job interview. I muddled through both, but the move was a disaster to my ankle and foot. My foot blew up.. to put things in blunt terminology. The pain went from a 5 to an 8.. The color changes were profound.. first my toes purple (typical), then my whole foot purple and toes black, then an entire foot swollen & purple and pitting edema throughout my whole calf.

To fast forward.. it is weeks later.. things calmed down after the move when I could rest a bit. I saw a foot/ankle surgeon within my ortho practice who was extremely dismissive. As soon as I mentioned that I had CRPS (after he did not even READ my chart, he just wrote "CRPS" in caps on my chart, and told me to do PT, follow up with my pain specialist and see him in 3 weeks. He barely examined me. The only helpful thing that he did was give me a genutrain brace, just supportive enough that it really helped the swelling. I can't afford formal PT right now.. so did weeks of my own ROM and strengthening until the ankle felt pretty good and I was walking better, color changes were not happening as much.

Things felt good enough that I tried riding again. I guess I went into it with the mindset that I often have with approaching PT or riding or anything painful (you are not really injured.. it is just PAIN for no reason). I pushed through and did what I love.. it hurt pretty bad, but seemed do-able. Pain immediately afterward and that night was increased a LOT... which I tried hard to ignore. Each ride after this, has been more and more painful to the point in which I was fighting back tears yesterday while riding and had to keep stopping. The pain in my heel is very unusual.. alternates between feeling almost numb at times and the most painful, stabbing pins & needles I could ever imagine. There is this shooting pain going up the back of my ankle.. and the whole back of the foot feels like it us just being crushed.. it is so bizarre.. NOT like my knee pain which is true causalgia. The symptoms in my knees are coming back, and my hand as well. It is just attacking my.

I don't know how to cope. My life is completely at a stand still.

My meds are flat out NOT working. I am seeing my regular pain specialist next week as well as a second opinion.

I'm really, truly sorry for writing a novel. I guess I'm looking for advice. When I go to these doctors.. perhaps there are things that I should be asking for?