JOANNE COHEN
Message 1 of 1
I was recently diagnosed with RSD and I am trying something new I had sufferes with RSD 15 yrs ago and no doctors knew much about it I was treated physical therapy and I could not get my shoe on for 6 months. I also had a full ankle reconstructive surgery done on my left ankle at that time and I developed the RSD about 6 weeks after. I never thought I would see the day when I could wear a shoe again. I recently as of 1/8/02 became an amputee and had right leg below the knee amputation due to the fact I had chronic osteomyelitis of my right ankle which I had suffered with for 0ver 14 yrs and also endured 20 unsucessful surgeries. I decided last july to become an amputee I did a lot of research and went to many orthopedic surgeons for second opinions. And they all agreed that this would be the best thing I could do. As of 3/02 I was on my walker getting out of my mother's car and my left foot landed in a rut and I twisted my left ankle and I know that was not good. It did swell I knew how to treat the sprain and I did the RICE treatment. After I received my prosthesis I was sent for physical therapy and my therapist looked at my ankle and said I needed medical attention, and I tried so hard to contact the orthopedic surgeon who did my amputation to let him know I had injured my left ankle and the swelling was not going down and that I needed to have an aircast put on it is something you can put on and remove yourself. I went to my family doc and he wrote out the script so I could obtain one. In the mean time I got an appointment with my orthopedic surgeon and he said at the time I did not have the RSD but I went to another orthopedic surgeon and he said I did. On his advice I now have a pain management doc involved and I am now using arthritis cream called capzasin-HP and the ingrident is hot peppers. But the deep heating which slowly get's into your pores makes it hot and it is suppose to releive the pain associated with the RSD and I also take prescription drug called neurontin which is really a seizure drug but helps with the phantom pain I have had to deal with since my amputation and now with the RSD. It is not a cure all but it may help. Have you ever considered seeing a pain management doc or receiving nerve blocks. They say you get some help out of those blocks. It is worth checking into.