Michael, I'm so sorry for all that you have been through. I''ve had rsd for about 10 years. Didn't get diagnosed for about 3 years. Anyway, I'm from Phoenix also and am the loretta someone mentioned, I forgot my password and my personal e-mail has been down. I'm using my husbands computer. Our daughter is a court reporter and she has done depositions on rsd. A lawsuit where the surgeon didn't inform the patient before surgery about the risk of getting rsd. Anyway, she does know the good attorneys here and you want one not afraid to go after the Drs. One that specializes in medical malpractice and can get the expert witnesses and familiar with rsd. 30 years ago my mother died at a young age due to malpractice She died within a year and we sued the Dr and won 100%. It's not 2 years from when you get rsd it is 2 years from when you learned about the rsd. In our lawsuit, the Dr. also tried to get out of it by changing her records. We had to videotape her deposition in 1973 because we knew she would live til trial. Anyway, there are good Drs. here. I had a surgeon that works on the diamond backs and my pt just came off the PGA Tour and started his own business. My rsd started right after surgery and was frozen shoulder-moved to other frozen shoulder and then to my hand, which is not crippled permanently, and then over to right hand-then both feet, now full body plus trigeninal nerve in left temple affecting left side of face. I also take 180 vicodin a month 500 changed from 3200 mg of neurotin to lyrica and am doing better on lyrica. Am on two different blood pressure meds. also ambien cr for sleep when needed and two anti-depressants for depression , but works well with nerve pain. Take 3 per day lorazepam 2 mg. for anxiety to lessen the burning and flare ups. The anti-depressants are paxil 25 mg and wellbutrin 12.5 mg. I have an experienced dr. in rsd. have had several drs. This started in Oregon and we moved here about 2 years after my surgery there where this started. I didn't have the energy to start a lawsuit between states, but didn't know it would go full body and life long either. Wished I would have suied now.I had 100 pt treatments in oregon to get my shoulder to work. An orthopedic surgeon wanted to break it, but I choose to stay with pt. which I would have had to continue anyway. I have been to the Phoenix support group here and is very good. I don't drive a lot because of the vicodin- I wait 4 hours after taking it to be able to drive my Dr. says. I do have a handicap sticker, which is wonderful when I drive or we go out. which isn't a lot. This extremely hard on family and friends. I passed out one morning-low blood pressure and was out at least an hour. I couldn't walk or get up, when I got my husbands attention, he called 911, they told him I was dead, but then they found a pulse and my pressure was 40. Thankfully we have health insurance had 4 days of tests on my head In hospital my blood pressure was going up and down dramatically till it got regulated. I now take it every day. Before you move you are welcome to e-mail me patch2@cox.net Address me as loretta rsd. My e-mail is down on my laptop. Hope you get some help here before you leave. Sincerely, loretta

thank you Loretta I will email you. bigmouthgirl, first of all I walk just to keep my mind..my sanity..to try to stay in shape..my attorney requested all my records but the particular doctor who lost my medical records, failed to return numerous emails, phone calls etc..my attorney failed to depose him..my case was not important and he did not care obviously after the fact..as far as the pictures and leg burning..I walk as I can..burning goes from one arm to the other..to my legs..and toes but always 100% of the time it is in my right extremity..my hand and arm swells..spasms..burning..sometimes as in the pictures that I finally began to take turns beet red or blotchy red..but not always..so when you see me sometimes I look normal as I did the day I went to court..you reply sounds skeptical about my rsd..you sound like the doctors that have treated me..this disease is one hell of a nightmare..especially losing a $60,000 year job with top seniority..house..relationship..use of my right limb..cannot enjoy the activities that I did for many years..especially golf.

Hey Michael,

Don't worry about BMG; look at the posting history (click on the poster's name, then "get more posts") - you'll get a general picture; people can get pretty bad-tempered with RSD - we just gotta roll with it...so forget it.

Those of us who have mild/moderate RSD (me, I mean, lol) get flak sometimes because we aren't disabled yet ...go figure..

Take care, I do hope you're getting sorted out. What will you do when you go back home? Maybe the Phoenix group have some connections. Hope so,

all the best!

Hi BMG,

You're quite right, of course it's not the number of posts that matter (don't think I said that...). I think most of us just try to be supportive, specially when people are overwhelmed by the whole RSD nightmare and the problems it brings...in the hope that we have one place in the whole world where people understand.

all the best

Although I have RSD in both feet and hands I too walk a lot.
Ever since I felt the numbness in my feet I deliberately have been pushing myself to keep mobile. So when the burning and pain set in it was no surprise to me, but walking is my way of trying to stay a step ahead of the pain. I use my pain meds to keep moving as much as possible. Does this mean I don't have RSD...no...3 specialists confirmed it.
I come on this board to learn from others and one thing I have learned is there is a balance of mobility for everyone. If I walk too much I suffer...if I don't walk enough I suffer.
Does walking make me employable?? No..Let's see...insomnia, loss of strength, constant pain, lack of circulation in both hands and feet, cramping, memory loss, lack of concentration, did I say pain ???
Oh and the tan, I had to laugh to myself....last week at the PM the nurse said I looked nice and tan....it's the blood pressure medicine they put me on to increase my circulation
The last thing any doctor wants is to be involved in a lawsuit...on either end...so I have noticed with all the doctors I have seen they never talk about the others treatment...I have seen them make faces and noticed body language but nothing verbal. It's like an unspoken code or something.....they protect each other. RSD has so many unknowns that any treatments are justifiable and hard to prove mistreatment.
So let's get back to supporting each other through all of this...we all know what we have to do each day to get by and try to have as normal a life as possible. My own Experience, Strength and Hope is all I have to offer...and I'll continue to learn from all of you
Jeanne

Thank you Jeanie!! Your "post" says it all!! you inspire me! Love and board hugs to all! Love, Desi

ok bigmouthgirl this is why the money came out of my settlement...did an mme in oct 2005..did bad..(not knowing the rotator cuff was still torn) and all the pain and swelling..went to court to get additional medical care which was approved..in the meantime I still recieved my weekly benefits..diagnosed by doctor who lost my records with rsd/crps..went to pain specialist who agreed about the rsd/crps...had stellate ganglion blocks...found out who did my shoulder surgery..they are very good friends..because he disregarded rsd that the physical therapist wrote for the doctor to consider..it was crucial for the pain specialist to cover the ortho doctors butt..so to make a long story short..had another mme sept-oct 2006...did badly again as a matter of fact worse..because the additional medical care did not make me better..the date of max healing was determined by the judge to be oct 2005..so the money from oct 2005 to oct 2006 was deducted from my settlement..if this does not explain it sorry..my arm is about to fall off from typing..have a good day.

(((((MICHAEL)))))

Hope you are having a lower pain day..
Wish it was a pain free day!!!


Abbie

((Huge Mega Hugs Michael!)) seems we are in the same boat with the pain doctor covering the orth surgeon's butt.. my hand is tired a lot from typing too. Like, I said, Michael, when you showed those pictures in your very first post.. that hand pic. of yours looks excatly like mine! Big hugs Michael((( I private mailed you, did you get that?? I think it was yesterday?? hhhhhhhhhhmmmmmmmmmmmm?? take care buddy! Love, Desi

If we could we would probable all go back and change things that we did in the past so the outcome could be different, but that is not within our power.I had a hand surgeon that told me because he could not fix my hand by doing surgery he wasn't able to help me. I ask him what was wrong with my hand and he said it would probably take 5 or 6 university hospitals before I came across someone that know what it was, sorry. I again ask what was wrong and he said it was not his field. It took almost a year before I know I had RSD and by than it was to late. Guess what--he LOST my records. He is a leading hand surgeon at one of the best sports injury centers in the South. Wish I would have refused to leave his office until he told me what was wrong.But I now have a wonderful Dr. that has gone to bat for me with the insurance company, so there are decent, caring Drs. out there.
I also walk, even though I can hardly feel my feet, to help take my mind off of what I can't change. Keep on KEEPING ON we are here for you!! Carose