Hi Everyone,

I really need your opinion. I'm really scared. Let me tell you what happened.

First, I've had RSD in my left arm since 8/06. It's gone to my right arm also. I had a spinal cord stimulator implanted in 11/08.

Two nights ago, my son and I were standing at the kitchen counter making our own dinners. My son is 12. He had some frozen food he put on a dinner plate to bring to the microwave. He dropped the plate on my big toe. Like straight down not flat. It landed right below the nail on my big toe. It hurt like I can't even tell you. I was crying on the floor. Well, the toe isn't broken but is severely bruised. I am in a lot of pain. I've had periods of burning on my ankle/leg and the horrible aching at night in my whole leg.

I am really scared that this will move to my leg. Thankfully, I've just had this in my arms where I am still able to get to work and doesn't affect my mobility.

Because I had the stimulator implanted, I also now have burning in my back.
FYI - the stimulator has done wonders for my arm.

Can anyone tell me what it felt like to have RSD move to another area due to trauma?

Thank you in advance for responding.

Is there any way you can run your whole scenario by your pain-managment doc? Perhaps an emergent block to help prevent pain signals from bombarding your spinal cord might help?

Hi Dubious,

Thank you for responding. Yes, I have a phone call into my pain doc. I honestly don't know if there's anything that they can do. I've never had this happen while having RSD.

I agree with Dubious that a block done right away might calm it down and stop it from taking over the foot and leg. In my, non doctor medical opinion, by they symptoms it sounds like the rsd is trying to take hold. Your pm doc definitely needs to know and do something right away.

I had all my spread in a short time and not due to another injury but when it spread, I felt the rsd pain in the spot it went to, got the color changes and skin temp change pretty much at the same time as well. The fact that you're feeling "the burn" there too seems to suggest the rsd is there now. I hope it just calms down and you talk to your doc soon.

Hugs,

Karen

Just wanted to say I am sorry this happend and I hope you get some direction from your doctor. I hope you feel better

Please keep us posted on what your Pain Doc says and does. Try to rest and take plenty of pain meds to keep the pain from taking hold (further irritating the sympathetic nervous system) until you can see your doc for a block or other treatment. Some of the pain at night may be due to muscle spasms from "guarding" against the pain. The feet are FULL of nerve endings so that could explain a lot of the extreme pain you're in. Check to see if you can increase your muscle relaxants for a short time until you can get in to the doctor. Try hard (a paradox in terms, I know) not to worry. That will only increase your pain and keep the SNS turned on full blast. It sounds like you're doing everything you can for now.

I'm sure you have already, but make sure your son knows he didn't do anything wrong. I'm sure he feels terrible seeing his Mom in so much pain and thinking it was somehow his fault. Accidents happen (I just washed my son's MP3 player in the laundry yesterday and ruined it.....I had to tell him this in reverse). I know that isn't a fair analogy.......but I have a SERIOUS guilt complex anyway and feel horrible!!!

Please take care and keep us posted on how you're doing!! I am inclined to think positively that it is just a nasty bruise that will resolve once the initial trauma goes down!!

Wom "mom!" LYou are too cool! You should have been my mom, had she washed my MP3 player (though they didn't exist when I was a kid), she would have only said "shouldn't have left it in your pants, now" or "you know you can wash your own cloths if you don't like it."

"Mom" rocks!

Ok.....now I feel even WORSE (because I THOUGHT each of those things your Mom would have said even though I didn't say it.....at least not to where he could hear it!!). Would someone tell my poor 15 year old that their "Mom rocks"??? He doesn't quite see it yet. Can I adopt you instead???

Totally and completely agree.

Mike

I am so sorry to hear that you are in such bad pain at the moment and really hope it starts to settle down soon and that you feel better - I am keeping you in my thoughts and prayers and sending you many pain-free hugs!!

I have RSD in my left leg and right arm. The RSD started in my leg after an ankle sprain and later spread to my arm after another injury when I fell and severly sprained my arm!! From what I have read on the internet and been told by my Pain Management Doctor, RSD does whatever it wants, whenever it wants unfortunately and it can spread from another injury and sometimes without a known cause!!

The most important thing I can suggest to do is to keep moving your foot ... I KNOW it hurts a lot and that you probably don't want to because of the pain but it is probably one of the best things you can do in the long-run!!

As the others have said, please make sure your son knows that it isn't his fault that this has happened!! I know you have probably told him lots of times already but it's important he knows that this isn't his fault and that accidents happen and that there's nothing you can do to prevent them unfortunately!!

I would definitely speak to your doctor when you can and see what he says! I know it's hard but please try and stay positive and not panic too much - that is only going to make things worse!!

I'm thinking about you and please keep us updated when you can!