Twenty three years in remission...

RSD Alert

www.rsdalert.co.uk

Warning and encouraging

Those of us who are in the privileged position of having remission from RSD tend to ask how long it can last. Dianne's story is not a formula for every RSD sufferer, but shows what we may have to look forward to.

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I had surgery on my left foot in 1979 to repair a incorrectly healed break. Immediately after the surgery, I had this incredible pain; my foot was changing all sorts of colors and would not warm up. I was very fortunate in that my podiatrist was a doctor who was very involved in teaching and was in the middle of co-authoring a teaching manual. He was as up-to-date as any doctor I could have ever gone to and I am soooo thankful for that! He began treatments pretty near immediately. Local blocks with lidocaine and such and steroids. But the symptoms remained...

He had a friend - a Russian doctor - that was involved in many experimental neuropathic techniques. He got with this guy and the doctor from Russia came here to Houston with special permission from Hermann Hospital here. He did a procedure, which I believe related to something in the epidural sac (just exactly what is not clear to us now, but it was not a simple sympathetic nerve block). It was NOT a sympathectomy, but for several months after the procedure I had NO feeling in my entire left leg. When the feeling did come back (during a basketball game when an opposing team member stepped on it and the entire game was stopped because I was yelling that I felt it and my school KNEW what was going on!) there were absolutely NO symptoms.

I was told at the time of the original procedure that I should never have children, play sports or do anything that may injure ANY part of my body. Well, I had several children, knee surgery, shoulder surgery, more than twenty-three abdominal surgeries, bladder cancer, played sports and did all kinds of things that resulted in injuries. I also had two back surgeries without ever any sign of RSD or related pain or symptoms.

It was not until after the third back surgery last year, when they disturbed the nerve root, that I experienced any return of RSD. Again, I must say I am very, very thankful to have doctors that are aware of the newest and latest treatments and procedures approved or recommended for RSD. The doctor that did my back surgery knew of my history and I was fortunate to immediately receive the diagnosis and begin treatments.

I had sympathetic nerve blocks (lumbar), Physical Therapy and Aquatherapy, but with no positive results. So we stopped this after just a few weeks and nerve root blocks. I take the usual medications (e.g. neurontin, opiods and other common pain medications). That is pretty much my story....

On January 21st 2002 I went to have a Nerve Root Stimulator installed... I am aware of the pros and cons of Stimulators in general and for me, have decided this is the route to go. As I said, I began treatments immediately after diagnosis and do believe that this is my best option...

You may be asking--why don't you just find out what was done back in 1979? However. my podiatrist died in 1982 and Hermann Hospital states that they only keep medical records for 20 years and mine have been destroyed. I do not remember the Russian doctor's name or exactly what he did nor does. My Mom can't help because she now has very poor memory in general. My Dad, who would probably know, died in 1992.

I am young. I was in high school when it first happened to me, and you know how little you really pay attention to things at that age. I don't remember much of the entire deal... I remember taking lots and lots of pain medications and having the doctor make house calls to give me demerol.

I hope my story helps a few people. I am all for the further advancement for RSD awareness, and though mine may not be the greatest success story, I am a good case study!