FCE Tomorrow
 

I have a functional capacity exam tomorrow. I am scared of how much pain it will cause but I know it's important to go through it and do the best I can. It's supposed to lasts 5 hours (I assume some of that time is to build in some breaks though...I hope anyway). I just know I will be in a flare up after (well...probably during)...and that my pain will probably be elevated for days or weeks after. I've never been to one of these before and I am so nervous. Hopefully it is worth it.

I haven't done one of those, but it sounds intimidating. However I know that many of my disability appointments took far less time than what they quoted to me. One they said 2 hours and I was in with the doctor for about 30 mins. The other time (about 15 mins for me) was filling out a form. Perhaps they allowed more time because some people need more time for the form, but certainly not an hour for two pages.

I hope it doesn't make you too miserable.

Just got home. Left the house at 8am and got back after 5:30pm. The appointment took the full 5 hours and I am pretty sure I didn't even complete all the tests (many she stopped me very early on). My right thumb is about all that's working right now but wanted to update you guys. She said multiple times that she appreciated the effort I put in. She wants me to email her the next 3 days to let her know how I am doing...and if this moment in time is any judge I think I will be in bad shape for several days. Not quite a 10...but very close to it and she said I will also probably be very sore on top of the pain. I'm already arranging for help the next few days because I know I will need it more so than even usual. Have to wait until the boyfriend gets home but Im going to probably have him help me into the bath tub after the little one goes to bed and then help put some Lidoderm patches on to help mitigate this pain because everything hurts. Fingers crossed that it was worth it...

I hope you feel better soon Catra. I don't understand why they put you through that pain. My dr told me that aggravating rsd can cause more flare ups. It doesn't sound like they know what rsd really is. If I were you I would check with a dr who is educated about rsd and see what he thinks. In the meantime, I will pray your flare ups subside soon. I am sorry I didn't see this post sooner. I was having alot more pain then usual due to my rsd the past few days and haven't been online that much. Sending virtual hugs and healing thoughts your way my friend.:hug:

It does seem counter intuitive to make the injured do things which will cause them to have flares. Before I was diagnosed I went through one of these exams and I tried valiantly to overcome my weaknesses so that I could continue to work. I know now that RSD is not one of those "over do it and you will be fine" issues. It is "over do it to suffer for days, if not weeks."

My latest trial is trying 1lb weights on my legs to see if I can build up to greater weight so that I can eventually walk on a treadmill. I did have a negative response from yesterday's wearing of 2 hours, my RSD foot shocked me all night long, even frankincense oil did not help. I will just have to use the weights for fewer hours. This response is also likely because I worked out on a stationary bike in the morning and also attended a balance class in the afternoon. Too much in one day.

Thank you guys. I wanted to reply yesterday but my hands have been in a severe bone crushing flare since Wednesday night.

The functional capacity exam isn't for treatment or even diagnosis. The reason I needed to get one was so that it will serve as a form of "proof" for the courts/insurance companies on how the pain impacts my ability to function and perform tasks...ie...work. There is no test that can measure pain...but a functional capacity exam is (supposedly) designed to assess a person's ability to work and perform tasks.

I definitely went all in and did the best I could but an paying for it. I haven't slept more than 2 hours since the test because the pain is just awful...but my hands are by far the worst. I have to email the therapist who did the test every day for 3 days after the test to update her on my condition...so that is supposed to be included in the report as well.

Fingers crosses...the report that we get helps prove our case to the insurance companies so that I can get the benefits that I need.

I agree...it's definitely an overdo it and you will pay for days, if not weeks condition. I went in with eyes open though because the functional capacity exam is my best chance to receive the benefits I need from the insurance companies. It is incredibly frustrating to know that I felt I NEEDED to put myself in this pain just to "prove" what my doctor and I already know...and there's still no guarantee that the report with show what I want it to because I did the absolutely best I could and used every ounce of effort I had in me...and there's always a chance that the "one off" effort (despite it's consequences) will show more than I can consistently do. But...I have to have faith because I know I did my part that the test takes all of that into account...because it's really all I have besides my doctor's notes, records, and opinions (which weren't enough to prevent the initial denial of benefits so that is why we felt the need to go forward with the FCE).

Catra, my dr told me that doing procedures that cause more pain could also possibly cause spread. Is there a way you could check with your dr about that and see if he could give you a note stating that so that they don't put you through that again. I am not a dr and am not trying to tell you what to do, I just don't want to see you in anymore pain or have spread because of tests that you were told to do to prove you are in so much pain. I would like to think that if the people giving you these tests realized the further damage they could do to your health, then maybe they would think twice about putting you through these horrible procedures. I just hurt for you. I don't want to see you in anymore pain then you are already in and I don't want you to get rsd spread. I may be wrong but am just worried about you. Hope you feel better soon. Hugs.

I definitely appreciate that. Thank you. Hopefully I won't have to go through another one of these exams. The therapist seemed really good and she did stop me several time to prevent me from hurting myself further, let me rest whenever I needed it, and respected me if I said I couldn't do a task (or couldn't do more). I tried everything...but there was one thing I just could not do even after 2 attempts. I did appreciate that they had a HR monitor on me the whole time and took my blood pressure multiple times (especially after I experienced dizziness). Those are measurable things that can't be faked and they should add weight to my case as measurable observations that corroborate my pain levels/symptoms.

I have experience so much spread already...though I am aware that there are still some places it could spread to that I am (so far...knock on wood) RSD free. Hopefully there will be no need for any more of these tests in the future...but in this instance I felt it was worth the risk...and fingers crossed it was worth my current pain levels.

Thank you as always for your concern and kind words. It does mean a lot to me.

Dear Catra,

I hope your flare is settling now and you get a good report. The exam sounded very anxiety producing. It took a lot of courage to get in there and really give it everything. You have been so brave through all of this. We are all hoping for the best for you.

Sending hugs and healing love, :hug:

Catra,

Here's to keeping our fingers crossed that it is in your favor and shows what you truly can and can't do. That you can't do things like a regular person, we all know!

Good luck!

Thanks everyone. I'm now over a week since the FCE and my hands are still not recovered and are in a flare up. In addition to the bone crushing pain they are also very hot to the touch and stiff...I'm guessing from the swelling. I can't get in to see my pain dr until June 29th but I think I may go in to see my primary care doctor and see if they can do anything for the swelling and inflammation since over the counter stuff doesn't seem to be working to at least give me relief on that end. Maybe if the inflammation goes down then the flare will ease up a little too.

Hi Catra, my RSD specialist prescribed celebrex to reduce inflammation in addition to my regular medications when I overdid it and the swelling/nerve inflammation wouldn't go down on it's own. I had to take it for many months. I had over ambitiously tried to use a palm sander for a very short time to do something at home without realising how bad the vibration would be for my CRPS/nerve damage. This strategy of adding celebrex or similar to reduce inflammation is something you could potentially discuss with your primary care doctor to help settle things down until you see your specialist. In my situation, reducing the inflammation helped me manage the flare up of nerve pain.

Hope you get some relief soon.

Booklover

Went to the doctor this morning and they are putting me on a tapering steroid for a week. They said if I need to repeat it they can do that...but hopefully just this one treatment will give me the relief from inflammation enough that the flare up settles down. I am really struggling not being able to use either hand. The same toys have been on the floor in the living room, covering it, for about a week now because I just can't pick them up. So much stuff I want to do and I just can't even attempt with the way my hands are flaring up. Just feeling SO drained after almost 2 weeks of this increased pain and inability to do stuff. Pretty much just want to lay on the couch and not move...but that's really messing with my mood and is making me feel super depressed and sad. Ugh...keep waiting for things to start turning around..

Dear Catra,

I am so sorry that you're going through so much. It is so frustrating when you can't do what you need to each day. I would be more than happy to come by myself and pick up toys or grocery shop if I were anywhere near. :p It is completely understandable that your mood would be affected by all this. Even the messy house becomes a symbol of all the things we don't have control over. I remember when I was at my worst and had out of town company stay that kept causing mini explosions in my kitchen and it just drove me nuts because I needed that ONE thing to be orderly. I know you're tired of being patient and waiting for the turnaround. But I also know that you WILL get through this.

I found steroids helpful when I was acute. The tapering dosepaks like Medrol are not very strong. If you don't get relief a repeat may help. The prednisone dose that I've seen in studies for new CRPS is 10mg 3x daily for 10 days, so quite a bit more. My pain doc gives dosepaks for flares and even wrote me one to have on hand in case of emergency while traveling. Hopefully the steroids will get things calmed down.

I hope you feel better very soon. Sending hugs and healing love, :hug:

If you are able to take an hour here and there and sit and calm and elevate your hands that could help. I always elevate my feet when I can and that helps a lot with the swelling. I realize that with a child that's less possible, and harder with your hands than with your feet, but as miserable as you are, it might be worth it?

I will try it...can't hurt...except that I can't elevate my left one too much because of my shoulder pain. But it's worth a shot. :)

I am so sorry you are suffering so much Catra. I hope that you don't have to go through anymore painful tests and that they approve your DRG trial soon if you still want to do that. I was on prednisone early on for my rsd and it helped a bit with the pain and swelling. I was only on it for a few months because my neurologist said it wasn't good to be on long term and also because it stopped helping after that. Also very hard on my stomach. But it helped short term and I hope it helps you too. Hugs and Prayers to you my friend.

I started a second dospak of steroids this week...hopefully this will help get me back to baseline with the pain in my hands.

I got the report from the therapist today and it confirms that I am unable to perform even part time sedentary work. Although I knew that this was true...it was actually very hard to read it in black and white. Fingers crosses, this report that has put me in a bad flare up for 3+ weeks now will be worth it and help me successfully appeal the long term disability denial. I also hope that it will help with my work comp claim as well...though I anticipate that a resolution on that front is a lot further away.