Originally Posted by MominPainRSD

Yeah.......HOLY COW.......SOMETHING they put in my IV (apparently AFTER they put the "chilling out" meds in) caused my hand to BURN like a MF (I believe I woke up and used that term as it went in). THAT was honestly the worst part of it. It woke me up out of my nice mellow state and felt like they had just injected hot burning acid into my hand. Anyone else had that??? Hubby said I looked like I had a severe sunburn when I woke up......ALL over my entire chest and tummy. The Benadryl worked and I didn't have to take more.

So......the morning after my block.....I am doing ok. The swelling has subsided, I won't know until I hop in the shower as to whether the color changes are still there (I'm assuming they are.....ankle turned BLUE last night). The allodynia seems a bit better.....it's mostly on my toes now (MAN, I wish those pesky ants would quit gnawing away at them). I can, at least, touch my foot and it just feels numb, not like glass is being rubbed into it (although that symptom has been coming and going over the past week anyway). I have a hair appointment this morning......will have to do a lot of sitting. THAT should be the test.....letting my foot dangle. If it swells (like it usually does when I'm upright), I will assume there has not been a lot of improvement. We shall see....

I tried to switch my mood to "optimistic". I thought there was one that said that. Apparently not. I chose "fine" since I was "buzzed" last night (one glass of lovely Cabernet) and "hungover" is not applicable. They SHOULD have an "optimistic" mood. We deserve at least to feel that, right???

You're all correct......at this point, I should be looking for ANY improvement for ANY of the symptoms....not expecting a sudden "cure". I should know well enough to just lower my standards and then I'm not as disappointed when good things don't happen!!

I have a friend who always quoted two things (I used to think of her as "cynical".....by golly, there's a button for that one here!!......I've found a lot of truth in these statements in the past decade). One is:

"The best way to avoid death is to avoid life".
The other (with my personal twist on it):
"Trust no one".

I chuckle as I write these. I try not to take things too seriously. While there may be truth in both statements, it is not a great way to live, and I have found myself more and more alone in life adhering to them. I choose to be "fine" today since optimism is not available at the moment!!
I'm off to get my hair done now so I can look PRETTY lying in the bed for the rest of the day!!

Best wishes to all for a pain-managed day!!!

Originally Posted by liz0688

I had the epidural block a year ago, the five day one, and I had the same reaction as you!! I had exsteme burning as if he was injecting acid.

The block was supose to go into my RIGHT foot, ok, I could feel the medication going into my back and down into my right leg but it felt just like acid, and did it burn.!! I had to have two vicodans right away and then a shot of morphine and it didnt even touch the pain I was feeling. By the time I left that day, my entire left leg was numb! This was suppose to be a five day ephy two! By the time I got home that night, my left leg, my whole waist area, my right arm and the right side of my face where numb! The next morning I went back to the doctor because he wanted to try more of the injection being it was to be a five day ordeal. As soon as he started the medicine again my right leg started burning, he imediatley stopped and said he had never seen this kind of reaction. My left leg took a year or more to get the feeling back in it and now I have rsd there too which my doctor will not acknowledge to this day. Now I have rsd on the entire right side of my body and still in my left foot, the doctor says its impossible that he didnt do it, and rsd dosent spread, lol

sorry so long guys, feel better ok,

Originally Posted by GalenaFaolan

The one and only block I had was horrific. It put me in 10+ pain for 2 months afterward! Holy cow I was so miserable! I couldn't sit,stand,lay down, nothing!! I said I must have looked like a fish out of water doing all that flopping around. LOL I've known many others who were put into more pain because of the block than before they had it done. It just sucks and really disappointing when it doesn't work.

I'm sorry you didn't have better luck with it though. It does sound like an allergic reaction to one of the meds in the block too. I guess wait and see what your doc says about it as to whether it'd be worth it to try again or not. The best way to make sure a block is done correctly and place where it should be is having it done under Fluoroscopy, which is a big word for live xray. It shows the doc exactly where the needle is so as to put it in the nerve bundle.

Gymjunkie is correct on the views changing about the blocks. It doesn't seem to matter how "early" you get them done. They're not a very good diagnostic tool which is what many doctors used to go by. There are many factors involved as to why blocks fail. One is a individuals reaction to the block itself. The biggest reason is whether the rsd is SMP or SIP. Sympathetically Maintained Pain seems to respond better to pt and blocks. Sympathetically Independent Pain is much more difficult because it doesn't seem to respond to blocks at all or very little and pt also seems to set the pain off easier.

Here's a link that explains SMP and SIP. Just scroll down a little bit, it's title is in bold print. http://www.rsdconsultants.com/crps_abstract.htm

Another one that is good: http://www.nationalpainfoundation.or...TO_Surgery.asp

This one is really good: http://www.physsportsmed.com/issues/...ekhail.htm#box

Hope these help understand it all a bit better. Education is our best friend trying to understand all the components of rsd and the how and why of the things we feel and go through.

I fully believe this is why I had the reaction I had to the block. As always though, it really is an individuals body that determines everything from blocks to meds and how they react or don't react to it.

Hugs,

Karen

Originally Posted by GalenaFaolan

Dang......stupid rsd impedes healing because of the lack of proper circulation in the limb. I wish I could, wave a wand or something to get that darn swelling down for awhile for you so the inscision could heal and let you walk and "be normal" for a bit. Seems like you just can't win at the moment, but the game ain't over yet! Keep on going and I'll cheer you on.

Hugs,

Karen

Oh, you're welcome for the links.

Originally Posted by MominPainRSD

Thanks so much!! I wish I knew how to post some pictures on this forum for you all to see my swollen foot and incision. If anyone could walk me through it (no pun intended.....sorry I'm really tired!), I'll show you lots of pictures.....I've kept a photo diary of the whole mess from presurgery (Dec. 2) to post sympathetic block (Jan. 2). It actually looks ok today (relatively speaking). It got deep red and hot a few hours ago, but is back to "normal" now. I've been on the phone with friend all night. I am exhausted. Will see you all in the morning!!!

Restful sleep to all!!

Originally Posted by GalenaFaolan

Here's your walkthrough! It's really easy.

When you reply to someone or start a brand spankin shiny new post you type inside this awesome little box with [b]all[/] those buttons at the top. **

There's a icon in the bottom row....a little square box that is yellow and looks like it has a couple of mountains in it, right underneath the little arrow arcing to the left. See it there?

Ok, now click it and you get a thingy that says to put the URL of your image. What goes there is the IMG code from where your pic is at, like photobucket. It's the only one I can think of where you can upload your pics online for things like this.

Then click ok and WA-LA!!!

Hope I did a good job explaining, if not...reach out and smack me and then tell me what you don't understand. LOLOLOLOL

***The first sentence in these instructions is not meant to be taken in a mean way....like you're an idiot and don't know how to reply or something. It's meant in a funny ha ha way. I know the typed words are sometimes taken the wrong way so thought I'd clarify.

Hugs,

Karen