Well, I got some unexpected news today. I am off to the new clinic Tuesday evening to get settled into my hotel. I thought I was just going there for a two day assessment, nope! 6 weeks of m-f 8-3pm! But this place is suppose to be spectacular! I know, don't get my hopes up too high but they are suppose to specialize in it and have a full team of doctors and pts to look after you.

I honestly don't know what to say or to think. I am a little nervous because as far as I know they can only address those things WCB says to, namely my ankle and not my face. So even if I do go through this program and only my ankle is addressed I could have CRPS in my face for three months by then and in my other leg, I don't know. If my CM thinks the neurologist's wishes to rule out MS and a couple of other things are warranted then I will be able to get away to deal with that at the same time.

I am just really worried about what is going on in my face and embarrased. I get these lovely red/purple blotches and streaks on my face or half my face will be red and the other half white and frozen cold. I don't know for how long I will be able to manage with the headaches either if they don't look into it more. I don't know. I will have to talk to my CM to see what she thinks about everything. Mind you if the doctors there see that it is starting to interfere with my treatment then, maybe they will suggest looking into it further or dealing with it there. Who knows? I am just tired of guessing and not progressing.

TTL J

Good luck. It sounds similar to when I went to Cleveland. Where is this progam if you don't mind me asking? I know that there they focused on the major issue but also worked on underlying stuff and what else may be going on in your body. I know at the pain clinic day program they sent me to the anastesolgist because of my issues and they don't do that for everyone. So you never know and maybe if you ask.I know the guessing game too and hate it. I hope you have some luck at the program. I will say that the people I met there who also suffer with pain were amazing and great support. I hope you find the same. A note too on the hotel make sure you try to get a fridge and micro cause after a long day going out to eat may not be what you want to do.

I really hope that you get better. Don't panic, I am sure that it will be Ok.
Good luck and let us know how it goes
Hugs and Prayers.
Love
Alison

PS: If you get a lot of pain tell whoever is with you that you need a rest until the pain goes down a bit.

Thanks you guys SOOOO MUCH for your support.

The pain clinic is in Canmore, Alberta. Ever since I have been telling people about it they are saying great things about it. My husband is really supportive and very excited that I can now go to a clinic where I want to go and to people who have dealt with this type of thing before. Right now I am really excited myself. I leave today! I will be taking my laptop with me so I will still have access through the week.

The hotel is two blocks from the clinic and there is a shuttle bus between the two if we want to take it. My room does have a microwave and fridge and I am bringing a couple of meals I froze at home for the week. I know WC has an allowance for lunch and dinner but I will likely be eating my own meals for the most part.

I am sure I will make a few new friends there. I really am looking forward to it. I am still waiting for WC to find out if they are going to cover the next MRI, if so, it can be expedited. If not, well we shall see what they have to say at the clinic. I am sure things will work out for the best there. I also don't think I will actually be there the full 6 weeks but again, who knows!

Well, I will talk to you all later and let you know how things go.

Best Wishes and thinking of you all. J

Hi,
I really hope you get the treatment you need and deserve, I am sure that you will make many friends there. It is always nice to talk to someone who knows what you are going through and maybe at the end of the course you will be able to stay in touch with the friends you make example via email, phone etc. Is your husband going with you, or isn't he allowed?
It is good that you get to stay in an hotel whilst you are there
I think that it is good that you are seeing a Psychologist, RSD does get you down a lot
Please keep in touch with us
Pain free hugs
Love Alison

GOOD LUCK

Hi there..
I know of that clinic it is sister to the one I went to here in BC, it is called the Orion Pain Clinic, I found my experiences in the one I went to were very good for me the education classes on pain are very good and they didn't try push my limits past what I felt I could do, actualy the physio was at my pace always.

They will do up to 3 trial blocks to see whether your RSD is sympatheticly mediated pain (SMP) or if it is independantly mediated pain (IMP), then if it is independantly mediated you will just go on with the 6 week pain management process and then go home, but if your pain is SMP you will get a block every week for the first 6 weeks, then if you are still getting benifit you would go on to phase two, another 6 weeks treatment with a block every 2 weeks, third phase (IF still getting benifit) 6 weeks an a block every 3 weeks. I did not make it to phase 3 as my pain became IMP, the blocks worked less and less as I went on,

But you probibly already know most of this by now, I hope it is going well for you there, like Ali says tell them you need to rest when you need.. they keep records of the time you are up and down and need that CORRECT info to pace your progress, ask for your reports each phase and ask them to correct anything you notice wrong right away, and absorb what you can of the classes, the SRT's can realy help with the pain levels too so practice it when ever you can.

Another thing I can say about the time I spent at the clinic was that I met some realy great people.. lasting friendships and friends that are going through the same things as you, blocks etc.. I brought out of there with me 6 good friends, alot of good aquantences and one best friend Cindy. I consider my time in there very well spent and have taken alot of pain management skill out of there as well. Listen to me I sound like an advertisement lol..

That said it is still a WCB run private clinic with mabie a sprinkling of ICBC patients, WCB has forms that they have to fill out that is very restrictive for giving information.. such as only 3 choices when it comes to readyness for work, FIT, FIT WITH LIMITATIONS, and UNFIT. I was told that to be unfit for any work by wcb satandards one must almost be a quadrapalegic with no voice for telephone work, I was told this by the physio therapist who was filling out my paperwork.

Please do let us know how you are doing ok, and don't trip over the tracks lol.
Sandra

Ps.. the meals are a standard amount and they want no reciets we were just told to fill out the forms every week, tick off all the meals and sendem in I was told. WCB likes straight forward forms without variation, meal allowence was $44.00 a day in 2006.

Sandel you are SO RIGHT!!!!!

I am SOOOOO HAPPY right now! I have only gone there three days and LOVE IT! The people there are great! They have a TOTALLY different philosophy from every other physio clinic I have gone to. My pt there is incredible. She does acupuncture, which has been great for me in the past when dealing with muscle tension and sinus problems (didn't work for my siatic but whatever). She is great and says my whole body is a mess and really wants to take things slow but work on the entire body not just my ankle. Everyone is great. I am so dumbfounded. I know there are a few people there that are REALLY angry and are having problems but you find those people everywhere. I am hearing such great things about the program, and it really is an amazing program.

I just did an MRI yesterday to rule out demylenation and a syrnix or something like that. They did a brain and c-spine scan. I should know if it showed anything by next week some time.

I don't have internet there. My laptop crashed and it is too old to do anything about it. There is a 2.00/15min computer in the hotel but I limit myself to using it. I really want to focus on getting better and completing some writing while I am away during the week. So, I won't be around much but I will check in on everyone and give up dates!

Thanks again everyone. I really think I am in the right place now and am looking forward to the potential progress I can make here.

Talk to you soon.
J