GramE,

how did you get hurt?

I am so sorry. I am also WC. I had to leave work for one year, and was not paid for the first few months that I was out, until the courts ordered WC the a pay. It was pretty awful. I hope that A lawyer can straighten out some of your issues for you soon.

Take care, Sandy

Dear Sandy,
I was delivering mail when another driver disregarded a yield sign and pretty much ripped the front off of my vehicle. Clearly stated in the police report. I was sitting on the passenger side pushing the accelerator with my left leg. The lower portion of my left leg took the brunt of the impact, and was severely bruised. By the time they took an ultrasound the tech said my leg was full of blood. The report said I had deep venous flow. What I did have was massive swelling and pain far beyond what you would expect. Couldn't tolerate anything touching
my leg? I finally figured out that wrapping it with an ace band would
securemyleg enough so I could hobble. I was release to go back to work after 5 days. Went back, gave me 4 more days off and said wear
support stockings. Saw dr again released me to limited duty. Leg still
seriously swollen and painful. Didn't gobackused my own time. Had
discussion with my doc who thought I would go back to work if I wasn't
being paid. Everyone thought I was being weak, a baby, suck it up, put
you big girl pants on. He finally agreed to put me on total restrictions
and sent me to PT for massage and tens three times a week. After a
month, my sensitivity level was greatly improved, but not gone by any
means. First day back took by time I got home I had no knee. This is
when I started using 3 lidoderm at one time! Ice packs, darvocet,
Xanax...but it was difficult each evening to get myself prepared for the
next day. That was my whole life, going to work and trying to recover.
Ok, fast fwd.
Aug 4 my neurologist diagnosed me. Took 8 wks to get an appt through WC. And it just Got worse from there? Now, even though they accepted my case, they have declined my compensation. I have filed
for an oral hearing. Haven't heard back yet.

Original injury was lower left leg from knee to foot. Has mirrored over to right leg, ft, and ankle and head. 3 nerve blocks later, my swollen
feet issue a bit, I'm down to a size seven shoe w/o socks. I wore size 5
1/2 before the accident. But need size 8 1/2 boot in the cold. I hate
socks. I must have 100 trigger points on the top of my foot and ankle.
I don't leave the house, except to go to church or bible study. Walking
is limited, not more than 200 yds, or I am inviting a flare. Initially the
only discoloration was the purple a few times a week. Now it is
purple/blue/black most of the day, except morning when I first awaken
the are hot, red and puffy. Cold is really the issue, even with socks and
slippers I can't get them warm. I sit with my feet on a heating pad,
soak, and warm gel packs.

I'm not happy about the attorney, but there was no way around it.
Things got too complicated, and the stress was really impacting my
symptoms and my memory and my typing. I'm also a member now of the IOI. International order of Insomniacs. Problem is meetings are always at my house and I.m the only one to show up

Bedtime for bonzo, so I'm off to hit the sheets,
Thanks for your encouragement, my neurol says WC is just trying to wear me down.
Sincerely,
pat

GramE,

I swear trigger points just made me worse, WAY worse. Can you try for ketamine infusions? Not sure where you live. There is a list of ketamine docs available from Jim Broatch at the RSDSA or on FB at "ketamine klub."

Let me know if you have any questions.

Sandy

Oh Pat, that is just horrible! Your feet look extremely painful, and my feet bear some of the same colors and problems, but yours are by far worse. Just looking at them made me cringe and feel bad for you. Since my original problems began following a head on car accident, causing injury to my leg and foot, I realized just how horrible leg pain is. Three of my toes are fused, and I have noticed that a few of them are getting the white spot that looks like a bump on them just like yours. My toe nails don't look like that, but they have gotten horrible ridges and even they hurt to be cut.

I have a question that is kind of related to "feet", but involves the hair on your legs. Since the RSD, I have noticed that my right leg is definitely a different color then my left, but the skin also feels different. If feels thinner. Also I have never had a problem with ingrown hairs on my legs until now. It seems like every hair on my legs are growing in, but it's not a normal ingrown hair. It's hard to describe it, but they sometimes are growing sideways and imbedding themselves. If it were one or two once in awhile, I wouldn't be bothered or concerned with it. It is a constant thing, and it is a lot more then one or two. I have noticed lately as well that the hair on my arms is starting to do this as well as other places. Is there a connection with RSD and ingrown hairs? I know that there are changes in your skin as well as your nails, but what about the hair? Do I ignore it and deal with it myself or should I mention these concerns to my doctor?

Sorry for hijacking your thread. Gentle hugs to you, hoping your feet have improved. I just wanted to let you know that I have some similiar problems in mine. The first time I saw the purple/red/white/raised spots on my foot, I freaked. I thought something was seriously wrong, only to be told that it's "normal" and related to the injuries I suffered. Maybe one day, we will find relief and our feet will once again carry us proudly onward.

Dear Patti from another Patty,
My accident injured only the inside of my left leg from my knee to my ankle. No broken bones just severe soft tissue injury. And much too much swelling. A week later when they did an ultrasound because I was whining so much, no clot but the tech said my lower leg was full of blood. Doc says, it'll absorb back into your system.
My solution (at the doc's advice) was ice, ice and more ice. Now all I read is ice, ice and more ice is the worst thing but I can't go back. I do believe that is why my feet and ankles have advanced so quickly because I was ace bandaging ice packs to my ankles all day long because the burning was driving me insane.
The skin on my ankles and to the right of my shin bone is thin. Worse at my ankles. I have no hair growing on that side of my shin bone and long ugly hair on the left side because I refuse to let anything that could cause a cut to my leg come within a mile radius of my leg. I had quite a bit more swelling before I had my second nerve block, oh what a relief it was.

My third block has brought mixed results, but I also have major stressors such as US Dept of Labor WC, SSDI app, mental exam and physical, third party suit/lawyer, and now my lawyer is recommending another lawyer to handle the Dept of labor case. And the small issue of after working for the post office for 24 years, I have not had a paycheck for 14 weeks. Stress, did
someone say stress?

My right leg became involved after my first block wore off. I had been noticing the higher the pain level on my left leg, I seemed to have very mild symptoms on my right. Then one day I thought I had fire ants between my toes on my right foot and when I took my shoe and sock off, my foot was that wonderful purple/black. I didn't work too much longer after that. Dragging one leg around was one thing but with both involved I think on the pain body chart that would be a 20, 10+10 ya know, well it felt like a thousand anyway.

And then I realized my head decided it was going to join the party? Bringing along migraines, tinnitus and lots of short term memory worm holes. The words were in my head they just couldn't find the path to my mouth. And the words that were in my head that I wanted to type some how got swirled around and came out on the keyboard looking like my grandson was typing for me, gibberish.

I do have the purple mottling up my leg past my knee. I wonder if that isn't the roadmap/preview of the next advance the enemy will make. Try not to go there too often, got enough on my plate already. I don't wear shoes or socks. I have a slipper fetish now, so it is good that I have no money! I wear shoes to church, but they are open backed and have very soft leather. Don't wear nylons or those constantly suggested pressure nylon stockings. I can't say what I call them. I do wear leggings all the time 24/7 which seems to have reduced my sensitivity level in my leg, but nothing I've tried yet has reduced it in my foot or ankles. Socks are like putting on rubber bands. And they feel like I'm wearing weights around my ankles.

You didn't high jack my thread girl, do you see how I stretched my answer to your question in to something close to my life story. I'm always happy to share my experience if it will help someone else. I would be in the looney bin if someone, no many on here hadn't shared their's with me.

Gotta go psych myself up for footwear. My husband wants to take me to the movie.

I hope the sun is shining where you are.
May God's mercy surround you today.
pat e

You might try rsdx.com for some answers. I think that is it.

Thanks Pat! I really honestly feel pain, not very often we get to say that huh? I know all too well about the "building up" to get ready to go somewhere. Right now, the only place I really go is the doctors and to get a latte in the building. The stim position makes it hard to sit or do anything other then lay down. My leg and foot makes standing or walking too hard.

Enjoy the movie! I've been wanting to go see Gnomeo and Juliet, but the last few weeks have been awful, so looks like I want for the dvd. Let us know what you saw and how it was!