Living with RSDThis section is a place to share stories about Living with RSD Below are entries of those who have already shared their stories. We hope that you find their experiences helpful to your own situation. You may also Help others by sharing your story. To quickly access health information from your website's browser, download Chronic Pain RSD Neuropathy 
I am 55. At age 20 I was involved in a serious industrial accident, partially severing my right arm and damaging my right iliac crest. I went through 4 surgeries on my arm and two surgeries on my hip over the next year. During the first surgery the doctor used bone from my iliac crest to rebuild my arm. I worked as a teacher for more than 30 years. During that time I experienced constant pain in my right arm above and below my elbow. Additionally there is constant pain in my right hip and a loss of feeling in my right thigh. In October of 2002 I fell while changing a light bulb in a ceiling fixture at my home. I fell into a glass shower enclosure and landed on my previously injured right elbow and dislocated my right shoulder. I was taken to the emergency room where they repaired the dislocation. They did not x-ray my elbow. During the next few weeks the pain in both my shoulder and my elbow became unbearable. After 2 visits with the first orthopedic surgeon I went to another orthopedic surgeon who X- Rayed my elbow and shoulder and found that they were both broken. He put my elbow in a cast for six weeks. I went back to work in two weeks with the cast. The pain in my shoulder and elbow was excruciating. After the cast was removed I visited the surgeon several more times. The pain was still horrible in both my elbow and shoulder. The doctor told me that the pain was probably due to a combination of the earlier injury (1972) and the recent injury and was “Chronic”. He prescribed a variety of pain medications. In early January of 2007, I saw a Dr who diagnosed me with Adhesive Capsulitis of both shoulders. Additionally Dr. House sent me for X- Rays and an MRI which showed deterioration of several cervical disks as well as bilateral media nerve entrapment and entrapment of my right ulna nerve which Dr. House said was contributing to pain and loss of use of both hands and arms. I was diagnosed with degenerative disc disease which had caused the deterioration of several of my cervical disks and nerve compression. The doctors evaluated my case and suggested that I undergo Anterior Cervical Disectomy with Fusion Surgery. On January 30, 2007 I had ACDF surgery to repair cervical disk damage. The damaged disks were removed and replaced with donor bone and instrumentation. Although the surgery was successful I continued to experience excruciating pain in my neck, shoulders, arms and hands. I am still experiencing this pain. Approximately 7 months after the ACDF surgery I am still experiencing severe pain in my neck, arms and shoulders. An EMG test showed several serious nerve abnormalities . The EMG test which showed bilateral abnormalities in my median and ulnar nerves as well as radiculopathy changes in my C6, C7, and C8 Spine areas. The surgery had made my spine stronger but has not alleviated the pain due to compressed nerves. I am really getting discourage and the pain in unbearable even with Lyrica and Opana! I had a consultave exam with SSDI this week and the examiner was amazed that I could function at all with the level of pain I am in. I was awarded full SSDI. The problem is that the pain has gotten worse since the surgery and seems to be random. Sometimes it is so bad that I stay in bed for weeks at a time.
January 2008
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