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 Story Without an Ending 
After reading lots and lots of stories, I finally decided to post mine. In October of 2006, I was diagnosed with an inflamed nerve in my leg. This was after numerous trips to the doctor and emergency hospital due to the most excruciating pain I had ever experienced. Finally, a pain specialist put me on Neurotin and Vicodin. On January 1, 2007, my horse fell on me during a competition, breaking my foot in thirds. This was the same side of my body where I was already experiencing the leg pain. The podiatrist casted and recasted my foot as I continued to complain that my foot was burning and stabbing pains were going through it. He finally told me he thought I had chronic pain syndrome. I had no idea what he was talking about. He wrote a referral for a pain specialist. My general doctor canceled the referral, stating he could take care of my pain. I changed medical groups so that I could get a new primary doctor. I was referred to a new podiatrist who gave me the news that I should have had surgery to correct the shifted bones in my foot. It was too late by then, of course. I also was sent to a pain specialist where I was diagnosed with RSD By the time I had my first nerve block, the pain in my foot had now become the pain in my leg. My skin changed color and temperature like a chameleon. I was on so many drugs, I had a memory that lasted about 5 minutes, and I had been on crutches for six months. Everyday I prayed to die. My husband was my only support. No one else understood what I was going through. This was June of 2007. As of November of this year, I have had 11 nerve blocks. My pain is much more under control. I still take 900 mg of Neurotin a day. Nighttime is still the worst; sometimes I am sure that the bones are popping out of the bottom of my toes, and I have to look to convince myself they are not. However, I live my life to the fullest possible. I work a job that is more than full time, I ride my horses, and I have resumed running (despite the arthritis that has developed several places in my foot). My worries are that the pain will worsen, and that I will have to endure again what I have been through. I don’t think I would make it through a second time of pain that intense. I believe that my strong will and refusal to allow my life to change substantially have helped me get this far. If I were to give advice, I would say to force yourself to do what you enjoy. I believe the worst thing you can do is allow yourself to become more and more sedentary as that is when the RSD “monster” will feed on you. I will never quit hoping that someday there is a happy ending to my story.
December 2008
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