To Hell and Back
By Tracy Zuckerman

An Airbag Changed My Life
The night before my daughter's Bat Mitzvah (a very momentous event in our family life), I was in a car accident that caused the airbag to inflate against my left hand and lower right jaw. Thereafter, the slightest touch or movement of my arm resulted in burning pain. I could not understand what was happening to my body. An injury to my left hand had spread to my entire left side!

For many months my hand was so swollen that I could not completely close it. The circulation was affected; my hand was completely discolored, appeared lifeless and felt cold. My muscles became so stiff and tight that they felt like a stretched-out rubber band waiting to break. I felt as though a bottle of glue had been poured under my skin, and that my connective tissue was "sticking together." I was suffering with deep, dull chronic pain... diagnosed as Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy.

What is RSD?
RSD is a progressive, multi-symptom disorder that can involve any part of the human body, a chronic pain syndrome that affects physical, emotional and sensory systems. A minor or traumatic injury sets off the fight-or-flight mechanism in the central/sympathetic nervous system. This response is part of an internal communications network that can affect every aspect of one's daily life. The mind and body are in havoc, leading to isolation and withdrawal. I was on a roller coaster ride of terror, frustration and disappointment.

My doctor encouraged me to pursue other options, including physical therapy and therapy with a certified hand therapist. I was told how important it is to begin an aggressive course of therapy, to help control the nervous system response. And I found out that the intensity of pain may far exceed that of the initial injury.

Next came a hand surgeon who sent me for bone scans and nerve entrapment tests. He also prescribed acupuncture and magnets. The acupuncture increased circulation, which helped decrease the swelling. I was given a variety of medicines, vitamin supplements and Chinese herbs. These helped alleviate my nausea, low blood pressure and fatigue, and may have strengthened my immune system.

A Revolving Door of Doctors
My life would start to revolve around my therapies and treatments. They consumed me, and I became a walking, talking RSD encyclopaedia. This isolated me socially, but helped me medically. RSD demanded my undivided attention and it became imperative that I stay entirely focused and dedicate to healing. This was my first lesson in learning to "think outside the box;" I was beginning to raise my level of awareness. I needed to establish a new relationship with myself. My body and mind were in the middle of a combat zone.

RSD requires a lot of trial and error. Six months after the accident my search led me to an anaesthesiologist who specializes in pain management. After an MRI scan and a few examinations, he determined that it was time for my first interscaline nerve block. This procedure would numb my entire left upper extremity, including my shoulder. I looked forward to the blocks in the hope that my left arm would start to feel "normal" again.

Imagine being sedated, in order to have a very long large needle inserted into your neck to reach the ganglion nerve area. Fortunately I benefited from these blocks, and I continued to have many of them for the next year or so. And I also received aggressive therapy to stretch the contractures in my hand. The amount of time and effort I spent on therapies was endless and extremely draining. Living with RSD started to take an enormous toll on me physically and mentally, as well as on my family.

During this period, I also started to see a physiatrist, a doctor specializing in physical rehabilitation and pain management. Over the next few years I received many trigger point injections for the constant pain from the spasms. This doctor helped to decipher the different treatments and medicines that I needed. He became the catalyst that would help direct me toward wellness.

Look and Think Outside of the "Box"
I continued to explore all sides of the box because RSD will cage you in if you let it. Awareness of my body and its symptoms guided me along a path of self-knowledge. This became a powerful tool I would utilize, to be a strong advocate for myself. RSD had created a war within me. I was struggling to accept this loss of health, and I needed to go through a grieving process.
A family therapist/psychotherapist also became part of my healing team, as I developed sleep and memory problems. Stress reduction techniques and relaxation hypnotherapy helped me learn how to redirect my emotions and energies.

There were many alternative treatments that complemented my therapies. The journey to healing is accessible and I encourage all RSD patients to look outside the box, and discover what works best.. RSD is a part of my life but it doesn't have to swallow me. I am not sure that any of us can completely understand this illness, but I have been able to overcome many of its challenges. I am thankful for the early diagnosis and know that without the patience and guidance of those around me, I would not be on the path to wellness.

RSD is not a "waste- basket" diagnosis, it's an illness that takes you on a journey and teaches you to "think outside the box" if you let it! This illness is neither who I am nor who I wish to become.

© Tracey Zuckerman 2004

Tracy Zuckerman can be reached on line at Tazraz4@aol.com