New find of CRPS after Final Admission of Liability

[lefty]

UndercovrAngel Wrote:Lefty,

I am sorry to hear about the DX for RSD/CRPS. I was diagnosed with this in my right foot after tarsal tunnel surgery in October of 2007. It has now spread from my toes to my hip and "mirrored" into my left leg, from toes to hip. I am waiting to get my medicare in Feb. 2011 so I can return to my pain management Dr to see if it has also spread to my right arm from shoulder to fingers since my WC injury in 2008.

Surgery is possible with RSD/CRPS, as long as you have an anethiesiologist that is familiar with the disease and is willing to do blocks before, during and after the surgery. And it isn't a given that the disease will spread because of surgery.

WC is very good at denying RSD/CRPS exists, so you may have a very long uphill battle proving that it was caused by your injury. However, once/if accepted, about all WC will do is cover treatment and medications. Though they may deny some meds as they are/can be prescribed for out of formula useage. If your attorney is worth anything, he will fight to get them accepted. It may also take a letter from your prescribing/treating Dr to get them accepted. I had that problem when my pain management Dr put me on morphine. Eventually the insurance company (health not WC) accepted his reasonings and I was on morphine for over a year before losing my private insurance.

Hopefully, your Dr's have you on some form of anti-depressant, as this will help with your anxiety over this issue, and hopefully help to get your blood pressure under control. Stress plays a big part in adding to the pain that those of us with this disease experience. I have been without medical care since I lost my insurance in February 09. I have found that deep breathing, in through the nose and out through the mouth when totally stressed out, aids a great deal in bringing my pain level down. Also, avoiding food/drink that contain caffiene and chocolate helps in keeping pain down.

I am including a good website that has a lot of good information regarding RSD/CRPS on it. I hope that you have a good pain management Dr that is willing to work with you on finding the right mix of medications to help you deal with this disease. Unfortunately, it is one of those hidden diseases that is so hard to explain to others. But I generally tell people that it is a cronic pain disease that has rewired my brain into thinking that I am in pain 24/7, and that on the pain scale, this is the only disease that rates higher than cancer. I get a lot of strange/angry looks when I get out of my car in a handicap parking space and have it look like nothing is wrong with me.

Here is the website

http://www.rsdhope.org/

I hope that it will be of some help to you. Also, if you have any more questions, feel free to either pm me or send me an email.

Angel ^j^

Angel, I thank God that you took the time to read my post! You've given me a lot to consider, a lot to think about, a lot to pray about. One of the medications that I'm on is Ultram...lol I'd rather be eating candy for all the good it does. I had my secon block last Thursday, and for the most part it did well. I had three to four days of no pain. Then the monster can back just to let me know that it wasn't gone, but just buying time. Since the block I've had half of days with little to pain, to pain ranging to plus eight and higher.

Angel, I want to ask you this question. Does CRPS effect old injuries? What I mean is that I had an injury of my low back sicatic nerve in 1998, and now I can't walk more than three feet before I get extremine pain, and burning in my back down my thigh!!!!!!!!!! I can barely left my right leg to walk! My God this is in a word (hell) to walk!!!!!

Angel no one has sat me dow to tell me what to expect. Everything I've learn has come from this community, or internet.
I saw an attorney for SSDI today, as requested by my attorney.
Talking to her made me even more realize how (jacked-up) I really am. I not use to this kind of thing, I'm a up beat out going and always willing to learn more about medicine, from being in the medical field since 1977. Now I'm lucky if I can remember any of it. Sorry to ramble Angel, but I am so sick of this W/C stuff. I am a fighter, and they are in for the fight of the century!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I just wanted to know was with this new dx will w/c start my case over again, and if so what does that mean?

Lefty
God bless you Angel.