First I want to say thanks for all of the great feedback! All of you are awesome!!

Karen... you explained the SMP and SIP so perfectly (thank you!). I was at a loss on how to explain that part of our conversation but that is what he said he was concerned about... that the nerve damage was SIP. What he was talking about now makes perfect sense!

Anyway, one week since my (lower lumbar sympathetic nerve block) and I have had a change in my pain pattern but not the good change we had hoped for. The block has made my entire leg very angry… mornings it's subzero with purple toes and ankle then by afternoon, intense swelling, burning heat and the pain deep in my bones has been off the chart. The spasms and twitching has never been this bad.

He called me yesterday to get a 7 day progress report, he said that he feared I was not going to respond very well to the procedure but we had to complete the series of blocks (3/3) to know for sure that blocks will not help me. The next plan of treatment is RF - Radiofrequency Ablation/Lesioning. He is nationally known both in the US and Canada for this procedure and said he has had good responses with RSD patients with SIP nerve damage. He really thinks this will help me.

So, I am now researching this one (I guess I should start a new thread on this procedure)!

All I know is that the past 7 days have been really rough! I am so tired of hurting and was not expecting this type of negative response from my leg. I guess I am emotionally disappointed… This monster is wearing me out!!!!