Hi Everyone,
I was wondering if those of you who are living in PA have been having a rough time lately. I have been really bad since last week. I am still working and it is really getting to be an effort to make it through the day. I have had full body RSD for about a year and a half now. Unsure what caused it. Had a bad back injury 15 years ago and walked on my toes for about 2 years it eventually healed with seeing several differnet drs. and a chiropractor. He is the one that eventually helped me. I also was an exerciser for many years and had a stress fracture and a tear in my miniscus ab ut 2 years ago. RSD started about 6 months later. My doctor seemed to think it was from the injury 15 years ago.I am getting the ketamine treatments don't have another RX until 2nd week of Nov. I take Nortryptiline 100mg at bed and Tramodol 50mg for pain. I have a script for Vicodan which I hardly ever use. Mostly because I am still working and can't take them. I tried Neurotin and Triliptal and I couldn't get to a high enough dose to be effective before the side effects were too much for me to handle. My neurologist at the time said my levels were toxic. I don't know if I need a change in my meds.
Ok after all that rambling Just want to know if anyone else is having such a bad week.
I am so frustated I could scream. The pain is just too much to handle lately.
Hopeful

Hi Hopeful

I too am in PA and been having a rough time. The weather has been changing so much and that sure doesn't help anyone with RSD. The humidity went up the last couple days once again and that made me just miserable. My neurologist said that RSD patients do not tolerate temperature change well. That's a definite! I seem to do best when it's in the 70's with no humidity. I can't seem to tolerate cooler than that or warmer than that. It's crazy. I have been having trouble with everything these last few days. My headaches are severe, the pain is high and my vision is off, etc, etc. My back is killing me and they even sent me for another MRI the other day to check on that since I had back surgery last year and it hurts around the same area. I can totally feel your pain as I am feeling the same way.

I am now scheduled for my first run of ketamine treatments next month and I am also pretty nervous about that. I am hoping this is going to work. I'm just pretty scared about going through the treatment. I'm so tired of taking all these meds though. I am on neurontin, cymbalta, fioricet, baclofen.

Hope your weekend is a little better but rain is on the way for Saturday and we might be pretty miserable. I know rainy days are not good for me and it looks like wet, cooler days are ahead..yippeee....want to move to Nevada? lol
Take care
Momz

Remind me to never move to Pennsylvania! I was in Philly for a conference three years ago, and we had a cold rain for all four days. The locals tried to convince us that it is not always like that, but after reading all of this, I am not sure...

Hope everyone is doing better. If you want, visit Wisconsin. We are having a great Autumn!

Mike

momzpeachy: I am having the same problems. I used to be able to say that mornings were my best time of day but lately I am only sleeping 2 1/2-3 hours at night and get up feeling horrible. My arm has been so swollen lately, my fingers look like sausages. The tremor is worse and it jerks constantly. It will get better during the day if I don't do much but then bad again at night. I am in northern NJ. I love the fall (ussually) but I am so worried about winter. As it is I have to keep my arm covered all the time and I find I have to keep my hand covered too now. I wear a glove some days. I feel stupid wearing a sweatshirt and glove on an 80 degree day.

Sometimes I have an attitude that I am going to push through and do something to get back some sort of resemblance of what my life used to be like even if I pay for it later. It would be worth it. Then other days I feel beaten. I want a purpose in life. I am wc and can't do what I was doing before so now I am waiting to see what wc will do. My kids are afraid to hug me. My husband doesn't say too uch but I know this has put alot on him. I feel so bad seeing what this is doing to them.

I can't do more than agree, with my friends from PA.
It is a great state, but, we certainly do have 4 seasons! (Often with 3, in one month).

What was it that W.C. Fields said about Philadelphia?

My past two days have been heckish.
Aches, Burning, sleep reversals, and, can't even get anything done. (I'm praying for enough relief to get a bath/shower..

I don't think any of us are loosing our minds, but it is awful to feel, and read how we can't do what we once did, and this ever lasting search, for our new identity.

Maybe, it's just that we need to look at it as we've been given a new, unexpected path to travel. We need to learn to navigate it, as we go?
God put it there, he'll certainly lead us through. (What's it? If he brought you to it, he'll get you through it!)

I hope and pray, that all might feel some relief, before long, it IS Friday, afterall!

Pete

Hi Pete,
I tell myself often God must have some plan to send RSD our way. Somedays (lately) I just wish he would show me what the plan is. I, like you, am searching for my new identity. I am having a really hard time finding it though. I was always so active and then RSD hit and has quickly stopped me in my tracks.
You are right PA is a great state and other then not liking winter I never thought too much about the seasons. I grew up here.
Thank God for Fridays!!! I hope all of us get some relief after the rain this weekend.
Hopeful

Hi Momz,
I am sorry to hear you are having such bad pain. At least I know I am not crazy it must be the weather. Like you, I am not able to tolerate anything too cold or too hot. I hope your MRI results come back ok.
I understand what you mean about taking the meds. I have an appt with my neurologist in Oct I am hoping he might change my meds because I don't think they are working as good as they use to. Or else the RSD is even getting worse.
I know it is easy to say not to worry too much about the ketamine treatments. I was really scared before I had the first ones. They give you other meds to counteract the side effects. Your pretty much wiped afterwards but they weren't that bad. If you're going to Dr. Schartzmann he is great and the staff in that unit are also terrific.
I did get some relief. I haven't had a treatment since the beginning of Aug. My insurance decided they are not paying and I am fighting them. I paid for the last one myself, unless I win the 2nd appeal, I will pay for the one I have scheduled for Nov.
Hopefully, once we get past the rain this weekend things will get better. I hate to say this but I am dreading the winter. Have a great weekend. At this point Nevada sounds good!
Hopeful