HiMy name is Carol.
I am truly blessed and I have a beautiful family. Three daughters that are married and I have four grand children with the hope that my oldest daughter who is 43 will have a child. She has had 4 miscarriages this past year, including one with IVF.

I have been separated from my husband for over 12 years. Texas does not recognize separation and I have not pursued a divorce because with RSD I know that there is no way for me to ever want to have to date so I have just stayed married. I live with my nephew and his wife. She had a stroke and legally she died and they retrived her. She has short term memory loss and does not want to do anything. My nephew needed someone to be with her and take her places and I needed a place to live. So the Lord answered both of our prayers and put us together to help each other.

I am 67 years old and for the last 16 of those years I have had RSD. I got it from punching holes in a lot of papers in making new files for a company that was bought out from my company. I would get the papers caught in the hole puncher and I would place my other hand on top of the one I was using and pressed down real hard to get the holes punched. Needlless to say, that was a dumb move on my part. Anyway, my right wrist started hurting so I started using my left hand and wrist to do the same thing. After a few week, I went to a doctor, had tests and then was sent to a surgeon. My test did not come out postive but the surgeron recommended carpal tunnel surgery on my right hand. After the surgery, I was placed in a cast for five days then when it was removed, I could not move any of my finger. Did therpy and was able to start moving my fingers, thank God for that. I started to get all kinds of pain, the burning,redness, swelling and etc. My injury was work related, so of course they denied that I could have RSD but that I did have pain. All through the years they keep reporting on their reports that I did not have to have surgery and that I requested it. They make it seem like I actually begged to get the surgery. Anyway, I have to deal with them having a doctor review my records or else see me each year. Of course their recommendation is always that I do not need my medications. This has been going on for 16 years. Yea!

I am fortunate that my pain level has more or less stayed the same over the years. I just get pain in different areas of my body, neck, shoulder, back, knee,stomach mostly from taking antiinflamatories for year. Of course both hands, fingers, wrist, elbows, and shoulders all all involved. WC has always stated from the first that RSD does not travel from one area of the body to another area. No treatments has helped me they generally cause more pain and I can do without that.

My problem right now is that I had cataract surgery on my right eye a week ago and this past Sunday I started getting tremedous pain in my left jaw, mouth and teeth. There is some pain on the right side also but not as bad as the left. My dentist does not know about RSD but he told me that it was probably TMJ related. The pain I get is like the nerve endings are shooting pain from my ear down to my jaw, teeth, gums & etc. When I touch the area that is under my bottom teeth, I notice that both sides are sore and throb. Heat helps some. It is funny but I can chew , drink both hot and cold drink and most of the time it does not bother me. Then at times, I get tremendous amount of pain. My jaws do not pop, and it does not hurt to open my mouth.

Have any of you had this problem and if so what have you done to ease the pain. I am to have my left eye fixed this Wednesday and I pray that the reverse will happen and I will be pain free in this area.

I hope that I haven't gone overboard in telling my story but I really try not to mention my pain and stress to my family and friends so it is nice to be able to ask other for their opinions.

Thanks

Hello and welcome to NeuroTalk. Happy to see you have come to be with us. Just let us know if we can be of any help.

There are great number and caring fellow members here, you will see we are supportive and relaxing place. Our shoulders are here for support in many ways.

Check into the following forum, there are some members to help you out:

Dentistry & Dental Issues:
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/forum89.html

Again welcome, looking forward to seeing you around. My thoughts and prayers are with you.

Darlene

Welcome to NT!

I am SO sorry you are battling RSD. There are alot of people here (including me) who are in the same boat. You are right, it can literally turn our lives upside down. It leaves us feeling lonely and it can seperate us from the best of our relationships. It's so good that you are here, because like you said, it does no good to continue talking about it to our family and friends. That's what we are here for and it's sure been a lifesaver for me.

Have you checked out the RSD forum? If not, here is the link to get you there:

http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/fo...sprune=-1&f=21

Feel free to ask questions or if you need help finding your way around.

You certainly are not alone....

Caring,
Rae