I'd just like to know if there is anyone else out there that has a similar background like mine? Where have you have all turned under these circumstances? How do you ever mentally get over this stuff?



Sandy, what a horrible ordeal. I have read of many people here who have had nightmares with WC. Mine was an injury from negligence, however , not involved with work. However we have similaraties.

The ortho surgeon who eveentually ended up treating me for six weeks. and who I went on an on about the burning pain thinking I must have bone cancer or something, never diagnoside rsd. Only to find out a year and an half later, like you- after the wrong type of physical therapy has caused my rsd to spread and worsen, I found out that this ortho was very famililar with rsd and had referred many patients to the doctor who did finally diagnose me. Can you belieive it? Why didnt he send me.

Because he wanted to get max benifit from treating me for the fracture and milk my insurance company. I also want to mention that this doctor was, yes was, a close family friend so we really trusted him.
When he found out later I was diagnoside by the doctor that did- he said oh yeah , thats where we send all our patients who dont stop complaing. to this day i can not belieive he let me suffer and that his is a huge reason mine went full body so quickly.

I have to tell you I dont think Ill ever get over that he could have had me in treatment in the 6 month window.



Having shared that may I say I am so glad you have found dr. getson. I have read only wonderful things about him. I do hope you willl be able to start the ketamine infusions. I have posted previously about this but my alloydina was so severe mentally i really did not knw how much more i could take. What years of ketamine infusion did for me was greatly reduce my alloydina .
I highly recommend infusions for this.


My insurance paid for it all. I did have to prove that there was no physican within network to preform the treatments. that was it. I never spoke directly with my insurance company. Carol in Dr. S's office did it all. and good thing she did, I was in no condition to handle anything like that. since wc seems to stall and take so long for most people on here, Is there any possibliity your insurance will help. ?

After meeting with me and talking about my history for only about 10 minutes, he figured out the source of my RSD - Brachial Plexus nerve injury.



Also conincientally, dr. s diagnosided the rsd in my brachial plexus on my first vist, I was not even aware of it I was so intensely focused on my leg, my orginal injusry sitie.


So 3 years later I'm DESPERATELY waiting for WC court to PLEASE approve ketamine infusions so I can hopefully become well enough to go back to work.




In hoping to go back to work.. well i did everthing i have done with that goal, the three years of infuslons, three 5 day sets i ICU and the coma. I have not been able to return, Yet i try eveything new if I can afford it.
Mentally it has been almost impossible for me to forgive some of those that played a role in what i went through.
My therapy had so many more important goals. Like how to mentally survive the pain, the loss of identity, being a burden on others after being so independent my whole life. I am still in therapy. i could nto have made it with out the therapy especially after almost dying in Germany.

I hope some of this information will help, especially trying directly with your insurance company.and I will have in my prayers that you are able to get the infusions Sandy, they really do help so much and maybe they will help you enough to go back to work. I hope so.

thank you for giving me the opportunity to share my story too. Let me know if you have any questions about the infusions, Id be happy to help. my very best to you, cz

Sandy, sorry I had a hard time getting quotes from your post in the right place. Hope my reply isnt too confusing!!

Dear CZ,

Thanks so much for sharing with me. Are there any other good sources of information that you have about the brachial plexus RSD? I am curious to learn more about it if I can.

Never give up. You are clearly an extremely strong woman, a survivor, and while 3 years is an incredibly long time during the days as we are living it, hopefully someday it will be an insignificant fraction of our total life. (think high school - 4 years - a significant experience, yes. But now equal to only 8% of my total life).

I pray that you are feeling relief from your lesions all the time. Your posting had a big impact on me and likely many others too, I am so sorry that your feelings were hurt that we didn't respond. I truly hope you are feeling better.

Peace and love, XOXOX Sandy

Sandy you are so special, thank you.
I am looking for good information on brachial plexus for you, orginally i found the most helpful information from people on the TOS site here, It is so similar.
I will get back to you will other helpful site, and again thank you so mcuh. Sincerely,cz

Hi Sandy..
..ask and you shall recieve.

Atypical Chest Pain: Evidence of
Intercostobrachial Nerve Sensitization in
Complex Regional Pain Syndrome

http://www.facebook.com/pages/RSDCRP...9be31b281a6e48

be well,
Sandra

CZ -

Please see my comments to Allen, above. That you both share this hideous detail is mind blowing. I am so sorry.

You would have to check with a med mal attorney in your state regarding whether a claim is time barred, but if it isn't, I have some doubt in my mind as to whether an award of punitive damages could be subject to subrogation in the first place. You might want to have that checked out. That is, if you are in a position to accept the stress of litigation that could easily turn into a prolonged knife fight.

Mike

ps For the record, this is officially my 666th post on NeuroTalk. (I knew I could feel the horns trying to poke through.)

1st Accident= T-Boned by a Tractor Trailer, (I was in a pickemup) and the frame of MY truck was BENT like well, bad!
A frame goes straight, mine went like sort of a little 'U'. Also the TTrailer could not be driven from the scene.
WE made the News!

I went 7 years with No DX! (Oh, I'm sorry, Severe Strain and Sprain).
I went to the Dr Who was on the Cover of the Phila/Inquierer, Sunday Paper, he did all the work for our wonderful, Phila. Sport Teams! Dam, did he do an exam on me! He picked and poked at my spine (where most of my pain centered @ the time), and told me. "I don't know what you have. But, it's not operable, It's All microscopic. I can see how your back, your nerves, your flesh all respond to my stimuli! You cannot be fixed! I'm so, so sorry. He was a great man. He did advise some PT, and a TENS unit. And followed up. But,
he was an Ortho!
It's just not within the realm of these folks training!
They need to learn, how to hand a situation like ours off, to a Neuro. But, I don't think they trust one another?
I don't know?


The first thing that my next doctor noticed, (Once I was smart enough to get the heck away from Ortho's (my fault, or theirs? ) I heard Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, "TOS".
Which, is exactly what you're all talking about. Barbaric tests! OMG, you wouldn't want to go through them!
"Brachial Plexus" IS a form of TOS = Thoracic Outlet Syndrome!" Right?? Do we all get that??
Or, does someone still think I may be wrong? (I'd much rather that you tell me!)

Saw over 100 doctors. LITERALLY! These were the days in PA where we had unlimited from our Auto! Didn't hafto OK anything , and the docs turned into (A Bad Word). Just Sign Here. coverage.

Got to the point, where I refused to sign!
NO, you're not gonna waste MY time, and Bill my Ins Co. for it!
(None of those jerks EVER chased me)~!
(Why, or how could they?)

Weird thing, Nationwide and to a lesser extant, State Farm lobbied this bill in. And, then just as quickly lobbied it out.
If, for an instant, you don't think BIG BUSINESS runs this country, Get a Bat, and Hit yourself in the Head! Lightly!
Because the other side is WORSE!
(Why did this Happen? ((Michael?))
It's my position, that, the ins. Co's thought they'd wrap it all in under the WComp laws! Nope! Didn't quite work out that way!
HIT REVERSE!




Great to have you great friend, to rant (speak) to!!!!


love,

pete

OMG!
A Man of the Lord, (Or at least NOT of Satan)

And, an Attorney as Well!!

The World is Definitely getting Better!

Thank YOU, Mike!



Pete
asb

BTW,

I'm going toward 27 years of this
TOS.
Herniated Discs. Upper
Herniated Discs Lower
TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury)
Migraine (Headache)
Carpel Tunnel
Ulnar Nerve
Sleep Dis, Trans, (Transomnia) "can't' sleep, can't stay awake."
Vertigo
Post Traumatic Concuss.Syn.
Epliepsy, Traumatic
RSD Upper
RSD Lower
RSD Other
and my favorite due to meds.....
Constipation....


There are several more, that he doesn't check off,
He knows they're there, as do I.

I suppose as he doesn't want to depress me any more...
He's got it all in his reports, and office notes....



Pete
asb

Now Folks,
You tell me, (this is not a test),
just off the top of yer head, which of these DX's would you expect an Ortho to be able to diagnose within that first month or so,, When he sends your for tests, XRays, MRI's, CTScans, and etc...
Which ones of those that I've listed, would expect an "Ortho" to Diagnose, from those "Tests"?

Another Question....

Which, would you expect him to order MORE test from?
Of those not so "Crisply Ordered?"
Or,
would yours, just put it in your file,
and "Let it sit" GRrrrrrr!!


My love for now.....

Pete

asb

It's good that you have a good Ortho. that has diagnosed all of these issues and helps you with them. My PCP does that but as far as the Ortho's around here, they do good to diagnose that you were in their office much less what is wrong with you. I do have a good Ortho that did my second rotator cuff surgery and did great but as far as diagnosing other things. I doubt it.

My smartest Drs. that I have had was a hand surgeon that seemed to know about everything, he's retired and my PCP that what he doesn't know, he'll learn. 2 out of over 50. Not bad, huh. LOL

I like my TOS surgeon, he's retired now but he was great with TOS. That was his speciality. I like my hand surgeon I have now. Again though he only has the speciality of knowing hands.

We are very lucky when we find a Dr. that is diversified and willing to learn and willing to help us with anything going on but they sure don't grow on trees.

Ada