Hi goBlue,

CRPS or not? who knows? Can it be solved by getting rid of pain contributor or potentially get worse? It is sadly for us an unfathomable mystery.

There is a CRPS spectrum but I have been told by my PMR doc who is head of a rehab in Houston and head PMR of a tertiary referral center that some people get a somewhat CRPSy looking response every time they have surgery. He says in these people they watch a few months then it quietly goes away without much fanfare or intervention. I would never try to say you do or do not have CRPS but please don't pathologize or worry excessively about normal post op reactions. Those are also a spectrum and some people discolor when not weight bearing and everyone who has foot surgery has swelling for weeks, sometimes a year or more. Ankle sprains are known for causing a cold ankle and foot, no lie. Feet, being at end of the circulatory chain just get the brunt of it all.

Thank you LittlePaw

I am keeping the appointment with my surgeon and PM both for next week to try to talk it out more with my fears and their clinicial opinions. I appreciate all your advise. Hopefully I don't scare the surgeon away he has been wonderful so far, very thorough and conservative which I have appreciated.

Little paw another question for you. Can the scratch collapse yest be done on foot. My original surgerical sit is top of foot. So not sure if it would work.

Yes! Scratch collapse can be done on all nerve tracts of the foot and ankle. Dr. Susan Mackinnon did example videos for Washington University Peripheral Nerve Program. They are online. I put the link on "Nerve Injury Resources" post. Sorry, my iPad is buggy about links.

An interesting note. I failed scratch collapse before my revision tarsal tunnel release and neuroma removal of 16 months ago. I had a recent follow up with the Wash. U. Fellowship nerve surgeon whose scratch collapse test I failed and guess what? I passed it this time! I do NOT still have nerve entrapment. Good thing that 3.5 hours in the OR got that free. The doc did scratch collapse at tarsal tunnel, sole and anterior ankle and dorsum of the foot just to check everything. All good.

My CRPS actually came from another procedure, not my nerve release.
Hope this helps,

Met with the surgeon again yesterday and he is very confident I don't have RSD so my surgery on Friday is a go. He thinks it will go extremely well and I will be one happy camper. I am still nervous though will be asking for positive thoughts Friday morning. Thanks everyone!