May 9, 2012

Well it took forever and an afternoon but the results of my IME (independent medical eval) had finally came in. I was right all along that my hip pain has been caused by the spread of the RSD/CRPS up my leg. I felt justified when I was able to read that part but then my heart sunk when I kept on reading and got to the part where there is nothing more they can do for me. So if there is nothing more that they can do to help me then what's next for me? I suffer in chronic pain EVERYDAY and go through swelling and discoloration pretty much daily too, am I just suppose to suffer now...Are they kidding me, part of me is hoping this is a big joke and that someone will call and tell me they have an answer or at least something new to make me more comfortable.

3/10/2012

It's been a crazy time since my last blog. I finally got word on what our next move is. So it looks like I'm going back for a second IME (independent medical evaluation)....yup I said my second one. The place I get sent to is at least 40 miles from my home so I always need someone to take me as I'm not able to sit still and drive that far. During the long car ride I need to be able to move around quite a bit in order to stay comfortable, even with doing that by time we get there my leg will be purple and in incredible pain. This IME is to decide what to do about the rising pain up to my hip and to see that it is all related. I'm already praying that they come up with an answer and some form of resolution quickly, so until next time...please pray for me too.

2/27/2012

I guess its been about a week since my last update but I haven't been given any updates either. I'm starting to feel like it's a whole lot of hurry up and wait going on, the only problem with that is my pain doesn't seem to wait for treatment. Although I feel like a chronic whiner about the aches and pains this is a chronic pain diary right, a place where I can let it go. The swelling was very uncomfortable the other day so much so my shoe really didn't fit no matter how many times I unloosened the laces. I also noticed that the water in the shower again caused what looked like a blood type blister, where the force or temperature of the water brought the blood right to the skin and made that part of my shower painful. Let me not even go into shaving...I'm thankful it's not summer right not because shaving is painful, yeah painful. The best way I can describe it is to say it's like pressing something way to hard down into my leg and going back and forth.
Summer is going to good and bad, good because I can wear shorts and that will alleviate the sensitivity issues from the pants on my leg, but bad because I will have to shave. I will have to say the RSD has slowed down the way the rate of the hair on my legs does grow, so I guess that to is a small plus. I will have to wait to see if the sun this summer effects how I feel, it will be different this year as last summer the RSD was mostly contained from my foot to my calf and now this year it will be the whole entire leg effected. Well only time and the summer sun will tell.

2/20/2012

Again long time no write, sorry. Well, Friday came and gone and no shots. The insurance company decided to veto that saying it's "not related". Yup, your guess is as good as mine at this point. I had to go back in and see the doc this morning with some very old MRI's from like 2002 to show that "Umm, it is related." but now that he has all the information it's going to be a waiting game. He also believe that what was found in the MRI's has zero relation to my hip that the RSD has made it way on up my leg.
Sadly for me over the last week there have been a few nights where the pain has been so horrific that nothing I was doing was helping to relieve it and that's the ugliness of RSD. I also got disturbing news today that I was unaware of which was that it can spread past the limb...lucky me. I'll keep you posted as to whether or not I get those shots, I hope I get something, I will have to say I'm very thankful for the first time today he gave me a prescription for pain so I can sleep. Keep your fingers crossed for me.

2/10/2012

Well I know it's really late, actually now it's into the 11th but I wanted to updated everyone on my doctors appointment. As you know from reading my blog I had a CT scan on Tuesday so today's appointment was for those results. I went in at 10 am to see the doctor and with my fingers crossed...and not really sure what I was hoping for because I wasn't given any scenarios. Of course I was in pain when I got there just as I am right now and my doctor asked me about it. I told him nothing had changed and then asked, "so what's the damage doc?". I'll have to admit the funny part is that I really still don't know what the problem is but I'd venture to guess their is one. Why, might you ask...well, he told me he was setting me up two epidurals the following week and he said that should fix the hip problem.
Well we will just have to wait til after next Friday when their done to see about that. Unfortunately I don't have alot of faith in the epidurals as I've already had six in the past 7 months and they didn't do a thing.

2/9/2012

Well I know it's been almost a week nut it's been a rough week. I ended up going to see my doctor on Friday. He decided given the immense pain now going up into my hip that I should have a CT scan, so wrote me out a script. When I read the script I noticed that the scan was for my spine. Why my spine if the pain is in my hip? I guess he's the one with the degree so he knows what he's doing right?
On Monday the scheduling place called and got me an appointment for Tuesday afternoon to have my scan. The CT scan was really quick, uncomfortable but quick and the tech gave me a copy of the scans to take back with me tomorrow morning. At this point I'm just praying for something good, I don't know what good could possibly come out of that scan, but I'm guessing their is a whole host of bad things that can come from it and I don't want any of those things.
I'll be crossing my fingers all night tonight while I try and sleep.


***Sorry I had to come back in and make some corrections...my days these days seem to run one into another so I have the days here a little wrong. I saw my doctor on Monday and by Tuesday I was in scheduled for my CT scan...I know, wow they called that day (Monday) to set it up for the next day.
Thank you for understanding my craziness.

2/3/2012

Yesterday was one of my more painful days where nothing seemed to help. I changed the program on my stimulator 2 times hoping for some relief but ended coming back to my normal favorite setting in the end. I've noticed that the RSD/CRPS has definitely spread its way up into my hip which has now made walking more difficult then it already was but what I didn't expect was the extra troubles it was gonna cause me. My trip to the grocery store yesterday became more trouble-some because it was even harder to push the weight of the cart with my hip hurting, it was bad enough when it was just my foot and leg but now the hip too. Coming back up my stairs was a killer when I got home also, I never realized how much your hips impact your everyday life. Sleep...funny, I wish I was able to really get some. The nights have to be the worst, all pain seems to be at its peak then and mine sure was last night. I can't have anything touching my darn leg, not even a sheet or it makes extra pain, then I can't lean to my left because the hip hurts so bad or the pressure on the leg makes me insane. RSD/CRPS really sucks and to know it's here and here to stay is a very scary thought.