I have had two surgical procedures done since the original RSD diagnosis in 1986.

First, I had orthopedic fusion of the left foot metatarsals in 2000. This included two rather long incisions on the top of the foot, and two other, shorter, slices on the calf and on the knee. All areas took a lot longer to heal than expected with a “normal” patient. The RSD did flare-up (the foot is my main RSD area anyway) but it did not spread like wildfire.

I saw that same surgeon last week. He said that just recently – nine years later – he has had a second RSD patient, and was wondering how I was doing. This is a very busy doctor. This shows how infrequently some doctors encounter RSD.

Second, I had the Spinal Cord Stimulator (SCS) implant in 2003. While this is a more minor procedure, it is invasive nonetheless. As with the foot surgery, the healing process is v-e-r-y s-l-o-w!

In both cases, the surgeon and the anesthesiologist both were well aware of the RSD and said they knew of the precautions to take.

Hope all goes well for you.

Mike

Thanks all for the support. We leave for the hospital in 15 minutes, but I wanted to jump on the board for last words of encouragement. You did not let me down.

I am feeling anxious but good about getting on with the procedure. I hope to be back home and hungry by this evening! That is always a good sign.

Loretta, thanks for posting. I remember reading your RSD was started from a breast biopsy so I was very interested to hear the details. I had a frozen left shoulder in 2000, which started my ulnar nerve pain and numbness. That lead to the surgery in 2006, which resulted in the ulnar nerve getting trapped in a ligament when it was moved. So this required a second surgery five months later. That was a nightmare.

I am hoping for a good result this time. Thanks to all and have a healthy and restful weekend.

Lisa

I just had surgery in July. I had 2 cuts. One on my neck and one on the side of my left breast to remove a box and wires. They used extra lidocaine in the breast area and it did work. The RSD didn't come back out on me. I hope it works for you and I hope the surgery goes good and everything turns out ok.

Ada

I am sorry I am late to this but now will wish you good healing thoughts and hope all is ok in the long run. Please take care

Well I got through the surgery just fine. The technicians had a lot of trouble getting back far enough to capture the mass on the mammogram. The rest was easy. The wire did not hurt at all but the radiologist had to go in from the side which resulted in a much larger cut. Now I wait until I hear the news regarding cancer.

I must say I am so proud of myself I made it through the surgery. The first nurse blew the vein in my hand when he tried to put in the IV. I thought - OMG I am going to get RSD in my hand. But no, I wiggled my fingers and kept moving my wrist and I have been fine. Then in the OR, the anesthesiologist blew two veins in my foot! I couldn't believe it. So I said just try it in the elbow area and it all worked. My foot is fine and I have not pain. So the exerience has helped me to see I can go through some assaults to my body and get through without an RSD spread. I did take my vitamin C just as soon as I got home, just in case.

Now for the wait...

Glad to hear you did well!

We're all wishin' and hopin' for the best for you!

Pete

it's now 9/20..... how did ur surgery go?? i'm praying that ur fine & recovering! let us know......

Hey Nancy, I feel I did much better than I expected. In fact, when the nurse blew the vein in my hand there was much bleeding so he had to apply pressure for a few minutes. While he was applying pressure and apologizing, he said I would have a huge black and blue mass under the skin. Well, I am happy to report I barely have a mark. I think it might be due to the fresh spinach I ate all week in an effort to cut down on bleeding. I am a bleeder and have experienced two large hematomas from my last two surgeries. Therefore, I did some research and read spinach is one of the best anticoagulants. So I bought a big bag of it and ate it every day. I think it helped.

I am also taking vitamin C for the next 50 days because one research study noted a reduction in the amount of RSD in patients after carpel tunnel surgery if they took 500 mg of vitamin C. Someone on this forum mentioned this about a year ago and I wrote it down so I would remember. I started the vitamin C about one week prior to surgery.

I am praying I don't have to go through any more surgery soon but it was extremely encouraging to me to get through it without a huge flare. I am achey and sore and my nerve burns, but that is normal for me.

Hi Lisa -

I am very happy your procedure went well.

And don't worry too much about your vein popping, constricted peripheral viens really come the the CRPS territory. (And forgive me for not replying earlier but I had an entirely unaniticipated - but very brief and ultimately uneventful - hospitalization beginning Thursday afternoon. I was getting an MRI brain scan with contrast in Friday morning - these folks pull you out 3/4's of the way through, telling you not not move while they put the contrast in through the already in place iv line - they found that the iv line had kinked in my ever so small vein and then spent over 25 minutes trying to find another vein that would accept the thin catheter (a 22 gauge line), blowing 2 viens in the process, before one the last possible chance before they "call[ed] it a day" and scrubbed the procedure - unlike some other hospitals they aren't set up to have a mobile team from their PICC line service come down install a line while the patient lay protuding out of the scanner - they found a good vein in the back of my hand and in it went. And wonderous it was, for with a clean scan they were able to discharge me in time for my son's B-day party!)

All's well that ends well.

Mike

Dear Lisa,

I'm so glad that you did well with your surgery, I will keep you in my prayers that your biopsy results come back clean and that you continue to feel well.

Sorry that I missed you on your way into the procedure, I had a Lidocaine infusion last week. They make me more tired than usual so I have not been on the board much.

Take care, Sandy