Well, I am scheduled for surgery this Wednesday and I'm starting to get that scared feeling in the pit of my stomach. The docs are going to replace the disk on my failed knee replacement and clean up the scar tissue in hopes this will get the knee moving. Problem is this is the knee I have the RSD in. We have tried lumbar blocks, PT, meds, acupuncture, manipulations - you name it to get the knee to move somewhat with the pain of the RSD on top of it. I am currently on Oxycodone, Methadone, Lyrica, and Cymbalta. I have had to stop driving, working, mainly doing most of what my life used to be like. I am so hoping this will get my knee to move. I understand, and so do the docs (pain management, ortho & anesthisia) that this is a risk with the RSD, but everyone agree's we are at the end of the line on what to try except for this surgery - especially since now they feel the disk that is in my knee now is too large and needs to be replaced with a much smaller one. Anyway - they are going to give me a spinal, with femoral block continuing for 4-5 days - this under local anesthesia. Guess I was stupid and watched a femoral block being done on the internet - yowieee ! Anyone have experience with this ? I cannot imagine being awake for the femoral block being done and I guess this is what scares me the most! Any past experiences or words of wisdom (besides not watching the internet clips - already figured that one out! hehe) would be most welcome in the next day.........

Hi Lindkaye,

I've not had surgery since RSD, don't have any first hand experience. But I have had mri, cat scan, A long time in the tube, I can totally relax, close my eyes, and visualize the maui beach, and stay completely still. Don't need any meds for relaxing. But there are meds for that, have you asked your Dr. about relaxing you thru meds thru the surgery. You don't want your sympathetic nervous system acting up, right! So try and not get your self worked up, stay positive and reflect on happy memories, maybe write down some tonight. Think of things you can do after the surgery. Maybe plan a trip in your mind as a reward for your courage and positive attitude of coming out of this surgery, with your mobility back. We all will be thinking of you and anxious to hear from you as soon as you can write us. Take care and don't overdue. LISTEN to your drs. Wishing you the best. Loretta

Oh Miss Lindkaye, never watch that kind of thing. If you watched a regular dental checkup on someone else, you wouldn't want to go either.
Here's my advice, both as someone who has had them and as a critical care nurse who has watched about a million (I work in a teaching hospital). This looks horrid. But, what you feel when not watching is this. They numb the top part of your skin, which feels like a beesting and burn. They will wait a couple of seconds to let that work, then they will numb deeper layers of the skin and tissue (more like doing the whole track of where the needle will go), so same pinch and burn. Once those are done, what you will feel is sort of like someone pressing on your groin with the back of a spoon-pressure and movement, but not pain. Anesthetics only work on pure pain receptors in your skin, but the sensation of pressure is controlled seperately and does not respond to the numbing. Expect that they will be touching around to feel your bones around the area because that's how they are sure that they are going where they want-the femoral area has "NAVEL" starting from the hip bone to that ligament way at the top of you leg-Nerve, Artery Vein Everything else Ligament. So obviously with all of that important stuff, they can be quite touchy. Don't get a resident-if there seems to be another doctor watching your doctor, just say that you are scared and would prefer an "attending" physician to perform it. You have that right.
So, in summary, pinch/burn, pinch/burn, pressure and movement. The best thing you can do is try to keep as still as possible if you find it really uncomfortable (it usually isn't if people just know what is happening)-move anything else in response to the pinch/burn, like clench your fist, grit your teeth, say bad words, but no moving the legs or your butt.
You'll do great. Knowing what it is like is half of the battle.
Lori Lee