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ONLY 47 years old and I feel like I am 75!
This is the cry from a lady in Hawaii who has suffered from RSD since
1999. She has had sympathetic blocks and due to allergy she is unable
to use morphine. Managing to live with the pain she is later told that
she has cancer too and bravely manages Chemo and radiation therapies.
If you live in Hawaii or would like to write to her, she would love
to hear from you. Write to stories2@rsdalert.co.uk with Hawaii in the
subject for her contact details.
Here is another all too familiar story . . .
I was just diagnosed with RSD this past week. I fractured my ankle bone at Easter and was diagnosed as having an ankle sprain. A few days later, I was seen by a specialist. He took new x-rays and said I fractured my talus bone. He put me in a soft cast and boot cast. The swelling and pain was so severe that I was on Tylox. Last week, the swelling was so bad, I had to cut the cast off myself. I continuously feel like my entire foot is on fire. It goes from that to so cold. After injuring my foot almost 6 weeks ago, my foot is still all colours. I am so frustrated right now. I have little support from anyone. I will be starting physical therapy soon. It is a comfort to read the other stories and know I am not alone. If anyone has any advise, I would love to hear it. Write to stories2@rsdalert.co.uk with Maine in the subject for Rae's contact details.
Lorraine - Hampshire, England
I wrote some time ago, when I was addicted to the dreaded "SOLPADOL". I am so happy to tell you all, that at the end of this month I haven't taken any for a year, and the thought of taking them makes me feel sick. Ten, yes, ten years I took them for and dreaded the thought without them. I took it slowly and it was six months before I went without any. The way that I went about it was as follows: with a very supportive husband and sheer determination. OH! And knowing deep down inside that it wasn't going to be easy, I began by replacing one Solpadol with a paracetamol, I had always had soluble tablets, even though the taste was awful I enjoyed them, so the trial began. I was taking between 8 and 10 in 24 hours so for one week I had 7 Solpadol and 1 paracetamol, then the following week I would have 6 and 2 and so on until I got to 4 Solpadol a day, then I stayed on the 4 solpadols for two to three weeks but no paracetamol. The next step I went back to doing 3 solpadol and 1 paracetamol for a couple of weeks then 2 Solpadol and 2 paracetamol. Just 2 Solpadol a day… I couldn't believe it. However it was easier than I thought it would be, especially when in the past when I used to say to myself "I'm not taking them bloody tablets today" and would feel so ill. My symptoms: no energy, aches, depression etc. HOWEVER I was soon taking 1 a day. I remained on 1 a day for two weeks then took one every other day until I was off the drug altogether. It took me from April to the end of August 04. The result is that I'm living instead of just existing. My headaches are very rare, my eyes are whiter and I've lost 5 stone in weight. I really do hope that my story can help people who have this problem. GOOD LUCK! Regards Lorraine
I am writing on behalf of my mother who had broken her arm this winter (February 2005) between her elbow and her wrist (in itself the injury does not appear to have been a major one). Once the plaster came off she began to display the classic RSD symptoms. Although it was believed that the plaster may have originally been set too tight (un)fortunately, the doctors have more or less concluded that RSD is the probable cause of the searing pain she tends to suffer from all the way from her shoulder.
At first her hand was swollen and almost out of function, but after months of daily physiotherapy he situation got much better. Nevertheless, she still suffers from these searing pains (especially at night and in the early morning) and she is far from satisfied with the overall progress - and this is where the mental element of this condition probably affects its sufferers - judging from what I have been able to read so far.
So, I am just wondering if there is someone out there with a similar condition and, if so, what were the outcomes, treatments etc.? She is 55 years old and in good overall health. The only snag is, she is a dental surgeon and therefore would like to get back to work in the foreseeable future.
Many thanks in advance, Vedad