Welcome Annie! You know, its always sad to hear another has fallen prey to RSD but you are among friends here. I don't post a whole lot but I have been around for a while. I have full body RSD. I was diagnosed in 1989. I have tried and done everything. I mean everything, and I have talked to so many with RSD here and in the UK. My current source of relief from the big RSD/CRPS is HBOT. And this treatment for me has to be ongoing to maintain
pain relief and give some normalicy to my life. Sorry we had to meet like this, but some of my best friends and support comes from this forum. Also, a wealth of information can be found through the posts and threads.
All the best to you. Let me know if there is anything I can do, anytime.
Diana:

Hi Diana, Thanks for the welcome. What's HBOT? I don't think I know what it is or at least don't recognize what the letters stand for. I'm glad to be a part of a support community. Been supporting other people with RSD some time now, through a place that is a chat room that's always open but in the last few months has had less people in it than used to be--last year it was a pretty active room with good ongoing support). I'm not new to RSD--almost five years now--but I'm one of the luckier ones in the sense that it is not all over my body. And my hand aren't affected, so I can type, and I do have one better leg, which helps give me a leg to stand on...
I've been to the UK and I love it. A good friend of mine just went to the UK and she'll be there a while. She loves it, too, more than any other place on earth. Where in the UK do you live? (not trying to ask for specifics, just generally what area--I know about internet security and all that good stuff).
Take good care, and thanks for writing back so fast!

Annie

Hi. Are you seeing an anestesologist pain doctor? I am not sure where you live but I would suggest that and one that deals with rsd. I have seen 4 this year and really feel one that deals a lot with rsd is important. My issue is inner ankle/foot/calf so the shoe/sock thing really hits home. For me though I need a very supportive walking shoe and basically wear them every waking hour. The sock is a huge issue for me and I could open a sock shop from all I have bought and I did alterations on many. Pretty soon I am going to be working in pt with the desensitizing them. I so agree about the avoiding and how hard it is not to get into that cycle. I try to push myself as much as I can and not allow myself to often not to wear socks etc because the more I stay away the harder it is to be able to get used to it again. I heard something at the day program I was in for pain that every day someone in pain takes off it takes a week to get that progress back. This may be off a little so correct me if I am wrong but the basis is it takes extra time. Well anyhow hi and I am sorry for all you are going through too

Annie,

HBOT stands for Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy. That is oxygen under pressure in a Hyperbaric chamber. It was orginally use for divers who got the bends, or decompression illness when diving. Now HBOT has been a treatment for burn injuries, stroke, ms, cerbral palsy, and RSD to name a few. The oxygen under pressure floods our extremites with badly needed oxygen, increases stem cell production therefore aids in healing. You can do research on HBOT there is plenty out there. I orginally went to Canada for my first series of 40 dives. I have had two series of 40 dives in the US and now have purchase a chamber of my own. I have full body RSD swince 1989 and my life is better with the HBOT.
I don't live in the UK, I just visit. My husband is from England and his family lives there. HBOT is also a treatment for RSD in the UK.
I hope you are doing well today. I look forward to visiting more wiwth you. If you have any questions....ask away.
Take care,
Diana