[Darren]

Hi Everyone, I'm new here. I'm looking for help. I was burned last year on my forearm while on vacation summer of 09. The burns were 3rd degree. A buffet table at a very famous hotel in Las vegas blew hot steam and boiling water all over me. My right arm taking most of the damage.

I went back and forth to doctors for about a year before the pain became to much for me to handle. I had to have surgery on my right forearm to relieve the pressure on my radial nerve from scare tissues.

That surgery was a bust. My surgeon saw once he got in the damage was worse than he thought. He told me in my recovery room that I would have to have another surgery, this time take a piece of the sural nerve out of my leg.

I know may also have rsd, but my doctor told me he doesn't think so. As a percaution he sent me to a Pain management doctor. I'm taking 600 mg of Gabapentin 3x a day . It seems as though it is getting worse. Every time i pick my foot off the ground I'm in pain . I don't know what to do, It has been 3 months since the surgery.

[gabbycakes]

Originally Posted by Darren

Hi Everyone, I'm new here. I'm looking for help. I was burned last year on my forearm while on vacation summer of 09. The burns were 3rd degree. A buffet table at a very famous hotel in Las vegas blew hot steam and boiling water all over me. My right arm taking most of the damage.

I went back and forth to doctors for about a year before the pain became to much for me to handle. I had to have surgery on my right forearm to relieve the pressure on my radial nerve from scare tissues.

That surgery was a bust. My surgeon saw once he got in the damage was worse than he thought. He told me in my recovery room that I would have to have another surgery, this time take a piece of the sural nerve out of my leg.

I know may also have rsd, but my doctor told me he doesn't think so. As a percaution he sent me to a Pain management doctor. I'm taking 600 mg of Gabapentin 3x a day . It seems as though it is getting worse. Every time i pick my foot off the ground I'm in pain . I don't know what to do, It has been 3 months since the surgery.

Hi Darren,

Sorry to here about your situation. If you don't mind me asking what part of the country do you live in? I see you got hurt in Vegas so I was just wondering if you live in the West.I only ask because I have heard from people who live in and around the western part of the country that care for RSD is not that great. I met this women who was from Colorado in NYC trying to find a doctor to help her. She was at the RSD walk in Central Park in June. I also have damage to a nerve mine is the ulnar nerve. All I can say is what I have been told. When you have damage to nerves it is very hard to find a doctor who has much experience in this area plus be aware of RSD. I know Gabapentin is the usually course of treatment but if it's not helping you need to tell your doctor. And what I have found when a doctor does not have experience in these type of conditions they just go in a direction they can understand so be very carefull. I was also told by my PM doctor that there are only about 5 doctors in the whole country who could do the job I needed to recover. Appearently many surgeons are not trained in nerve type surgeries and conditions and plastic surgeons I have discovered seem to be the most experienced with nerve conditions that need surgery. It has been very hard to find a surgeon who will try and correct my last problem after a long fight and recovery. My current surgeon is great and did so much for me but will not continue to investigate any other surgeries to correct my nerve issues in my arm. He just feels it's to risky and might do more damage then good. The dispute with me is that a neuroma might exist but can't be seen on any type of film so they will not go on a fishing expendition, they did once and honestly he was right it did make me worse.

Good luck

Gabbycakes

[loretta]

Originally Posted by Darren

Hi Everyone, I'm new here. I'm looking for help. I was burned last year on my forearm while on vacation summer of 09. The burns were 3rd degree. A buffet table at a very famous hotel in Las vegas blew hot steam and boiling water all over me. My right arm taking most of the damage.

I went back and forth to doctors for about a year before the pain became to much for me to handle. I had to have surgery on my right forearm to relieve the pressure on my radial nerve from scare tissues.

That surgery was a bust. My surgeon saw once he got in the damage was worse than he thought. He told me in my recovery room that I would have to have another surgery, this time take a piece of the sural nerve out of my leg.

I know may also have rsd, but my doctor told me he doesn't think so. As a percaution he sent me to a Pain management doctor. I'm taking 600 mg of Gabapentin 3x a day . It seems as though it is getting worse. Every time i pick my foot off the ground I'm in pain . I don't know what to do, It has been 3 months since the surgery.

Welcome Darren, So sorry to hear of your situation and pain. RSD is a very difficult disorder to diagnose. Mine began immediately following surgery to remove two benign tumors, but wasn't diagnosed for 4 years. I did begin physical therapy immediately after the surgery for frozen shoulder. Went into remission after a year of therapy. The remission didn't last-the rsd moved to opposite shoulder. more therapy and another remission. Then rsd moved to left hand. Lost half of range of motion to left hand-like a claw-frozen. I flew a couple states away to see sport injury orthopedic hand dr. and in 1 minute he said rsd. Nuclear med test confirmed it. He ordered tens unit and therapy.
I came back home and saw a neurologist and hand ortho -both confirmed rsd and continued therapy. Didn't get full use of hand but kept my right hand from deforming. Then spread to both feet-full body or generalized and now internal spread.
There is no cure for rsd. A website I like is rsdrx.com puzzles list- Dr. Hooshmand from Florida practiced 40 years on rsd. He is retired now, but kept his website up. under puzzles list, there are 150 questions or puzzles with his answers.
RSD is a lifelong issue-very expensive disorder-therapy, pain meds, psychiatrist, treatments, add up over the years. Because yours, if you have rsd, was caused by the burn and or the surgery following the burn, have you thought of filing for reimbursement for your expenses? If you choose to do that, you have a time frame in order to file in a timely manner. Most states are two years, I believe. An attorney can tell you what the law is in Nevada.
One way to find a RSD Dr. is to find a local RSD support group. They usually know an informed physician in the area. Many go outside their area to go to a good Doc. Also the national organization for RSD has a place to put your zip code and they will give you the closest RSD Dr. The mayo clinic has some good information on the disorder under conditions and diseases.
There are a lot of well informed, compassionate, kind friends here on NT. People who really care and support one another.
Take care , one of your new friends, loretta

[hurting]

loretta

Thanks for the info about rsdfx.com. I went to the site and went to the puzzles 150. I found some great info about the SCS. I am wondering how people here have the SCS and then went to this web site to read what this Dr. found how it works for people with rsc/crps.

Is this info on his site true in how it can make the pain worst for people with rsd/crps. Does anyone else back what he is saying.

I have been looking for all the info good, bad, in deferent, that I can find about SCS's. My PM Dr. has been pushing this very hard on me. I am very concerned about anyone working around nerves in my back.

I got crps 2 from surgery in my hand/ wrist due to nerve damage almost 4 years ago.

Sorry Darren did not mean to high jack your post.