[ali12]

Well, I finally finished the Intense Physical Therapy program - yay!! It is so nice to be home and in my own bed lol.

The program didn't go very well this time to say the very least. The leading Physical Therapist, Sue was away at an International Conference in San Fransisco about Pain Conditions so she couldn't do any hands on work at all. The Senior PT's didn't seem to know anything about RSD and Dystonia so they weren't much help - to be quite honest I think half of them were still at College or University.

We finally managed to see Sue (the leading PT) yesterday and she agreed that things didn't look any better. She did a bit of hands-on work with me yesterday, trying to manipulate my leg into a normal position etc but couldn't do hardly anything with it. She started shouting and I got upset and in tears because I thought she was saying that I wasn't trying my hardest but after the session she apologized and said that she wasn't shouting at me, she was shouting at my leg because she was angry that she was trying to get it to move and it wouldn't. We asked about the use of Botox in my leg to try and treat the Dystonia which is a complication of the RSD has we had heard that it can be very good at treating Dystonic features but she said that because of the reaction I had to the nerve block (it sent me off my balance) and because when I had the ingrown toenail removed it caused me to develop severe muscle spasms that basically it wasn't worth the risk although she did say that she had spoken to the Neurologis about it. Sue said that I have no choice but to have my leg casted in January for a few days as it is my only hope of trying to get my leg straight. The cast will be put on for about a week, then removed and I will then have 2-3 weeks intense Physical Therapy. I'm a bit nervous about having the cast put on as I know you shouldn't do it with RSD but the PT's basically said that we need to take the risk now.

Until January the PT's still want me to keep up with my exercises and have weekly PT at my local children's hospital but they said that they don't think that it will have much impact on the rotation in my foot and that it maybe will keep things from getting any worse.

My mom is going to ask the PT's at my local children's hospital whether it would be possible for them to put the cast on and then do some PT with me. They don't do the 2 week intense course like London do but they said that if needs be they would try and book me in for 2 days PT. I'm not sure if they will cast my leg as when we asked my PM doctor a few months ago, he said that he wouldn't recommend it.

I made a new friend on the program, there's a girl who is the same age as me and she is really nice and friendly - it does help having someone my age to talk to. Her mom and my mom made friends also and went out together whilst us girls were at PT. We have got her email address and are going to stay in touch. Some of her family live near us so she said when she goes to visit them she could come and see us also.

I think the only positive thing about going to London was that my grandad and his wife came to see us! We had a good time with them and went to see a few musicals with them including Joseph and His Technicolour Dream coat and the Sound of Music - they were REALLY good!! I haven't seen them for a year so it was nice to finally catch up with them.

My pain's really high today so I better go but I will keep you all updated.

Thanks for all of the support,
Alison