Hi all.

I was diagnosed with RSD of my left arm in 1995 and went thru all the steps the doctors recommended. I had so many nerve blocks I thought I was a pin cushion. I was on so many medicines just to make it thru the day. In 1999 I went into remission. I thought I was on top of the world. The pain was gone and I was "normal" again. I was able to finally return to work after 5 years off, I am a nurse.

 

In 2004 I broke my knee cap at work. I did everything I could think of to try and ward off getting RSD again. My doctor told me the first day he seen me that I was going to get RSD in my leg, but I thought "no way, not that again". Everything was going well for me until May 1st of 2006. I woke up and I was unable to walk. My leg from the hip to my toes felt like they were on fire, but my whole leg was so cold that they hurt. I was seen by my doctor on May 2nd where he so nicely told me that he was right and I now had RSD in my left leg. He tells me it is in the early stages and that we can ward it off with PT and sent me home without any pain medicine. I went to PT the next day and actually broke down in tears due to the pain. They all looked at me like I was nuts. ( I had to explain to them what RSD was, they never heard of it) When I had to take my out of work slip into my nurse manager she looked at me like I was lying. She told me that everyone has some pain and I needed to get over it. She told me that she has had leg pain for over 10 years and it doesn't stop her from working.  

 

How can members of the health care profession not understand what RSD is? Why do people always have to assume that you are faking or lying? I was never depressed with the first episode of RSD but rest assured I am getting very depressed already with this episode. I feel like my own doctor even thinks I am lying about my symptoms. In a matter of a few days I am unable to walk without the use of crutches. My leg hurts all the time and I am feeling very useless. I am looking for someone who is willing to just talk about this awful disease. Maybe I am so depressed because I know what is going to happen or maybe just because everyone is treating me like a lepord. How do you tell people that I am the same person they have worked with for years but now I have constant pain I have to deal with? How do we get them to listen?