Posted by fiercebobcat (137.45.11.231) on August 13, 2003 at 01:20:18:
This is my first post on this website. I have been diagnosed with RSD (reflex sympatetic dystrophy) also known as CRPS (complex regional pain syndrome) almost 3 years ago. I was originally injured at work and during my second invasive surgery to my dominant wrist, I sustained median nerve damage while the surgeon was taking out three bones. It began in my two middle fingers and felt like lightning bolts were shooting out the tips and my whole hand was on fire and no way to put it out. Over the course of these three years of being mis/undertreated the symtoms spread to my elbow and on up my arm and I feel the lightning bolts clear through my shoulder and out my fingers. My whole arm feels like it is on fire now. I deal with pain that varies in intensity from day to day and most days it comes and goes in intensity like waves. Some days are better than others, some worse. Before my injury, I was very active in the outdoors. I was living my dream as a fishing guide but an accident at a fish hatchery during the winter season, changed my life forever. I have always expressed my greatest love for others by doing things, fixing things, making things with my hands. It has been very hard to go from depending on my physical abilities to virtually being handicapped. I know there are others worse of than I and I try to think of that when I get really down, but this is my life and I live with this every moment. It keeps me awake, like tonight. I wakes me up in the middle of the night. God forbid if I catch my fingers in the covers while turning over or just moving at night. I have point-specific spots that feel like an ice pick is in my wrist and they send out reverberating waves of pain throughout my hand. I have tried many forms of treatment to try and get some control over my symptoms such as a multidiciplinary pain clinic, physical therapy, massage therapy, accupuncture, occupunbcture, imagery, prayer therapy, reki therapy, light/heat visualization, nerve block shots, and pain medication regimines. Right now pain meds are all the relief I can hope to have to help bring the pain levels to a reasonalblly tolerable level; for some of the time. Despite the meds, I still have daily bouts with uncontrollable pain. It is hard to have hope for tomorrow when everyday is the same as yesterday. Over the past month or so, it has been increasingly worse. Are there any RSD sufferers out there who have had some gains with holistic/mystical healing?? I am willing to try anything that will help ease the symptoms I deal with everyday. Thank you.