hello, from northern cal
 

Hello, Just joining this group. Was recently diagnosed with RSD and am just getting to know what this is all about. I have 3 herniated disks in my neck and developed symptoms of RSD about a year ago, purple, cold and painful hand, but no one diagnosed this as RSD until I saw a disability doc and he knew what it was right away. I wasn't having too much pain until recently. ( have been on neurontin for several months) I started to have leg symptoms on the same side, so I had an MRI of my low back and neck to rule out stenosis. It looks like it is RSD, but I'm still not sure about the leg. Anyway, the arm and hand are getting bad again (for me--from what I read, many people have it much much worse than I do) so, I thought I would join this group for support and see what others are dealing with. Am glad to talk with others with this.

:) Jifu

Hi, Jifu! Welcome to NeuroTalk!

I see that you've been guided to the RSD forum, so I'll add that if we can help you with anything, just give us a holler.:)

Welcome Jifu....I see that you have been well directed! :D So glad you found us.

Hi Jifu and welcome to NeuroTalk. I hope you find it as wonderful as I do.

I love northern California!!!! Used to live in Crescent City long long ago.

Thanks everyone for the warm welcome! I am in Arcata Cal. and yes the redwoods are beautiful---I feel privelieged to walk amongst them every day.
Jifu

Hello
 

I am a 60 year old retiree in Hawaii. Living in Hawaii is a blessing every day and despite my share of physical and emotional pain I am happy to say I get up in the morning smiling at the world around me. But I know this state is precious and fragile. I have been very sad to see how impersonal and difficult our health care system has become. I have had many years of "close encounters of the mental health kind" from the perspectives of patient, provider, administrator, evaluation researcher, legal consultant, and teacher. I started my career at age 8 as a patient and that is where my sympathies still lie. Despite having been a professional, I agree with Pareto that all professions are a conspiracy against the laity. Over the years I have personally profited so much by having a network of technically knowledgeable and humanly caring people to turn to informally for advice in times of crisis, when the professions couldn't do it all in their formal, bureaucratic, cost-sensitive beneficence. I have never been part of an internet community before, but this looks like a way to make such a network richer and more widely available and that is exciting. I am at a point in my life where just being helpful is very important to me. And for the moment I came here just to long around and see if I could do that.:Wave-Hello:

((Jifu)) Glad to see you are still here and hope you are making your way around. Arcata!!! I LOVED Arcata. We use to travel down the coast from Crescent City to go shopping at their health food stores. I loved that town. So beautiful.

Where I lived, we were just down the street from a little known entrance into the redwood forest. Went there often and being in them never ever ceased to awe and amaze me.

((Sancho)) It's very nice to meet you all the way from Hawaii. Such a gift with words. I'm glad you found us as well.