Cutting off the pain is a no win situation. I'm so glad you did your homework and didn't chop off a body part with the hope of chopping off the pain. I assure you, if I hadn't been forced into my amputation (body wide septic is the stage when you don't have much choice) I never would have done it. I supported black legs (and still am my right one) for years, so even when it looks all black and nasty, don't think you're at the end of your rope. It's amazing how bad it can get, yet cutting off the limb only causes new or worse problems. The amount of pain I have in my short little stump amazes me. I have every bit as bad of RSD type pain, but now I also have shocks that will support a coffee pot or at times my 2 ton A/C unit outside my kitchen window. We're talking about very intense experiences here! While I understand the desperation of wanting the pain to stop, I must assure the original writer that this is not a solution but instead will only cause more grief and sadness. Boy am I glad you did your homework. You're a smart person!