Pain Clinic
 

So yesterday was a LONG day, getting evaluated for possible treatment at the Pain Clinic where I am seeing my pain doctor. I saw a psych, a doctor (who heads the program), and a PT.

End result for now - I am very well educated about CRPS, but have not had the opportunity to act on it and have any desensitization program or PT, so I am not ready for their intensive program. So they will ask worker's comp for 12 PT sessions for right now and then another review. Then we can see if I am up to the intensive program. Which is like 5 hour days there either 3 or 5 days a week or something. They do a LOT of work on re-training the brain and desensitizing the CRPS limb. So slowly shutting down that alarm system that is continually going off in our neuro system.

Also they are offering to ask for therapy for me to help me emotionally cope with all of this. Which I know I need, but all of this is seriously overwhelming me. I got to the point when they were talking about all of this that all I could say was "I don't know, all I know is I'm tired and in pain and overwhelmed right now." Which may not have been what they expected if they met me early in the morning when I was more cheerful. But seriously I'm exhausted at this point (2 pm and I've had no time to lie down, and of course I couldn't sleep the night before I was so nervous!). And the pain is worse from all the time being down and being looked at (they were good and didn't touch it) and I couldn't really elevate it properly.

It will take two weeks to find out if they will approve the PT and then to get it scheduled if they do.

I'm glad that you are getting some treatment. I'm actually a little surprised that they wouldn't want you to do the intensive program only because usually the faster and more aggressively it's treated, the better...though forgive me I cannot remember exactly how long this battle has been going on for you. As always...I hope that you get the approvals you need so that things can move along quickly. Time is really our worst enemy with this awful condition...but the important thing is to focus on what you can do and getting the treatment you need...even if you have to wait for it. Take care of yourself and keep us posted on how it's going. Hugs.

Well its a year since the injury so less than a year since the actual CRPS struck. I think they worry I don't have the stamina and maybe not the dedication to do the intensive program.