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In the last 10 days, I have experienced 3 panic attacks. Last week a near panic attack, I recognized it was coming and diverted myself by reading a magazine out loud to my husband, and got to a point where I could remove myself from the stress inducing situation.

The second came after my SSDI physical on Tues, I was anxious a bit and in some pain but the nurse and the dr were very, very compassionate and accomodating. But when I left I knew something was coming and it did when I got home. Shaking, stuttering, unable to complete my thoughts, but I new what was going on. I had a cup of tea and a bagel and a few pills and slept for about 2 1/2 hours(which is about my max for sleeping any night.)

I took my normal evening med but those neurons were at high speed so I sat here and wrote three letters until about 530am. And rested/slept until 8:30. but I didn't get up out of bed until 1145 because I just felt funny. I made my pot of tea at noon and had my breakfast and sat until 1 which is about my normal routine, but I needed to go to the bank and it was Wed when some of my former coworkers all have lunch at Bob's around 230/3 in the same town as my bank.

I headed out, still feeling funny about 130 and before I got 2 miles I was shaking all over. Now I carry denial with me like most women carry handbags, so I kept heading to my first stop which was to see a friend who is a librarian at school, but I knew quickly, well not quickly enough that I was going down, down, down. I got to a country church and pulled in. Called my doc, answering mach. Called my son, answering mach.

By now I am shaking uncontrollably, but my son calls back and agrees to meet me where I am. I am stuttering severely, unable to find my words. He wants to take me to the hospital, I agree but want to speak to my RSD doc first to see if he thinks it is related. A few phone calls and we were able to get him directly and he said take me home and give me some xanax and call back in an hour. So we did all that, Double the xanax I would normally take and it didn't even knock me out, but it did calm down the shakes.

Here we are this morning, I'm still edgy, don't really want to talk to anyone, go anywhere, or do anything that will for me to make a decision or choice. I'm safe here, except maybe from myself. My Dr appt is Monday.

Is this normal when RSD is progressing? I must say that my husband and I have noticed in the last 2-3 weeks my short term memory is so getting worse and I have done some things that I thought I was doing correctly at the time but I wasn't. I am having more pain, discoloration and swelling in my feet and it is time to schedule my next nerve block which is basically the treatment I've had so far, 3 nerve blocks, plus clonindine, xanax and zanaflex.

I myself feel like this started snowballing last week when we had a big snow storm and cold temps and I needed to wear sock and boots to a SSDI exam. I don't wear socks and shoes, but these boots are warm and 3 1/2 sizes bigger than I wore before the accident and I was going to a clinic in a town I'd never been to, so I didn't know if I'd have to walk in snow or if the building would be cold or what. But the boots caused me pain, stress, anxiety, more pain, more stress, and more anxiety. More than I had experience before when wearing them. And it took me a couple of days to recover under the covers.

So all of you wise, experienced RSDer's out there, can you help me understand what is happening and what to ask my doc about. I might even call him again today. I'm pretty sure I've lost my driving privileges.

Thanks to all for the sharing and comfort you offer. Even if I don't comment on a thread, I almost always glean some wisdom and advice from it.

a little shaky, inside and out,
pat e