I struggled posting. I still don't know if I am going to be bombarded with comments about how I should count my blessings (and I do) as I have felt elsewhere.

I had the good fortune to stumble on my CRPS diagnosis early- before things got to the disabling point. almost 6 years ago I injured my foot in during a Taekwondo tournament. At the time no xrays were taken, we discounted as a sprain (me, the dr, and the chiropractor). It took months for the soreness to go away, for the limping to stop. And I was fine for about a year. then the twinges and tingles started. Not all the time, mostly while doing certain things in my workout (pivoting). Then the cramping started. Pretty soon I could not get through a taekwondo workout without cramping in my foot and toes. Then the pain started in the top of my foot. I had xrays, chiropractic massages, ultrasound, elctro-whatever it is. it went on like this for a few years. Fall of 2008 a chiropractor finally said it looked like I would need surgery and it is BAD in the foot so wait til I could no longer stand the pain. I had to quit my part time job at Target- hurt too bad. My fulll time job is a desk job, I was distracted but able to continue. Finall spring of 2009 I saw a podiatris as I could no longer stand the pain. One exam and I was told their was no surgery- I needed a nueroloogist. the first neuro I saw immediately said I had nerve damage in my back- causing my foot pain. After three cortisone shots with NO relief I got skeptical. I was to the point I was honestly wondering how drunk could I be to cut off my foot and not so drunk I would bleed to death.

Then a friend of mine with MS halfway across the country read an article while waiting in her nuero's office. CRPS sounded like what I had! She scanned me the article, I started shaking and went directly to my nuero. He dismissed it. And seemed angry I was questioning him. I took it to my general practioner. He agreed it needed to be pursued and sent me to another nuero. EXTENSIVE testing ruled out so many things but kept poiting to CRPS. MRI showed no bone damage yet. I had caught this before it got debilitating.

I was already taking an antidepressant... I was told I had no idea how much pain I was in since that was one given for pain. Now I think was I depressed because of the chronic pain??? I got trazadone to sleep and gabapentin. Once it all kicked in I got abt 9 monhs of nearly pain free relief. This past summer it started in again but spread to my whole leg. I was told I will always be changing meds as I get resistant. We upped my dosages, changed meds, and now I am on my third cocktail and it worked well for a couple months now.

I was refered to a pain management dr- at this point it is more pain management than anything else - and I have a MILD case!! He suggested a spinal cord stimulator. We will always be "chasing" the pain with meds. He said that with my mild case, if we go with an agressive course of action, we could get me off meds and even possibly (crossing fingers) put it into remission.

so that's my story. Monday I receive the trial of the scs. I have had a wide variety of symptoms. I have read and read and read. I am scared that this could remain this way for the rest of my life or within months I could be completely disabled.. at 34 yrs of age! I feel guilty that so many suffer much more than I do (and was basically told to quit complaining about even the minimal pain I am in by others who would love a low pain level) I know I am lucky. And while I know many of you would love a 3 on the pain scale. I am thankful every single day for my friend who stumbled on this...

thank you for listening