Bobbiejo Roseboro

Okay. I have come to your website several times, and thought of writing about my story. I have just been too shy, until tonight.

My name is Bobbie jo Roseboro. Up until January 9th 2003, I was an RN on a very busy medical floor. I was the nurse that others would call when they couldn't get an IV started. I was good at my job, and I loved it. On January 9th I was in a patient's room, conversing with her (actually I was providing empathy). I saw that her IV was unclamped, so I reached over to clamp it. All of a sudden I felt pain and I knew that I had broken my ankle. My patient (who was blind), said "I heard a snap". The pain was bad, and my ankle had swollen up to the size of a grapefruit. I was taken down to the ed, where I was diagnosed with a "sprain". They put on an aircast, and sent me home. I drove an hour home, crying all the way. Needless to say, I went for a second opinion the next day, and was told that it was broken. The swelling was so bad that he had to put on a temporary cast (you know the kind with the plaster and ace wrap) for the weekend. In three weeks, the doctor took the cast off (I was so eager to go back to work). For three days I was in extreme pain. I went back to the doctor, who said "maybe the break hasn't healed enough". He casted my right foot again, for another three weeks. Again, in three weeks, he took the cast off.

This is where my story of RSD begins. After the doctor took my cast off, I knew that my foot wasn't "RIGHT". I couldn't bear weight. And the color of my leg was unreal. It was so purple! So I began physical therapy; but it was soooo painful I had to quit. My doctor was dumbfounded. He ordered an MRI. It showed "Tendon Synovitis". He mentioned RSD, but didn't explain it to me. Although I was a nurse, I hadn't heard of this. I searched for a second opinion. My next doctor looked my MRI, and offerred to send me to a pain doctor. I asked him about RSD , and got the worst explanation ever. Let me tell you what my leg felt like then. I felt like there was a bolt going through my ankle to the other side of my foot. It was still swollen. My foot would change temperatures, and colors. So I went to the pain doctor.

He diagnosed me with early RSD. In the early days of my injury, I was on percocet5/500. It was then increased to 7.5/500. I want to tell you what I have gradually increased to. I went from the percocet to oxycontin (all different strenghts), to a duragesic patch, to ms contin. The ms contin seems to be helping, I also have 15 mg msir for breakthrough pain. Here is a list of meds I am on now:

I was diagnosed with a stress fracture on the top of my "Frankenstein" foot as I call it. Now I have another cast on. My life is so miserable. I am married to a pretty good guy. He was always the stay at home dad until this happened. Now he is out a lot looking for a job. We need the benefits so bad. I have four absolutely beautiful children. BUT I am still so unhappy. They don't know what it is like to have pain all the time. I wake up at night with sharp pains shooting down my leg. Up until my injury I was very active. We live at the beach. Almost every day last summer we went to the beach. Now my trips consist of going to Wal-mart, or the grocery store.

The reason I chose to write today is because I had a car accident today. It was my fault. I was driving with my cast on, and the effects of the clonopin from last night were still in my system. I hit someone in the rear end. Can I not do anything anymore? I am so depressed I could just die.

I don't want to see my leg after the cast comes off. I am afraid I injured it in the wreck (the side of my foot hurts), but I am not going to tell anyone. I am so sick of my leg. I am sick of the purple color it has become. Before my cast, I noticed that the skin on my right foot has become shiny. Lord knows I am not trying to be a big crybaby, but after today, I just don't know.

I am changing the subject again, but has anyone heard of stress fractures related to RSD? The doctor told me thaat RSD pulls calcium out of the bones. I have never heard of it.

I am going to go now. It is one o'clock in the morning. I hope to hear from someone soon. Please tell me that I am not a basket case and that one day I will be near normal again!

1. You are not a basket case
2. RSD doesn't take calcium from the bones, but inactivity does. Even though it hurts, it is essential to get RSD limbs working again to prevent atrophy and consequent lost of bone density. (Editor)