by fireyone » Mon Jan 07, 2008 11:45 am
About 6 months ago I was invovled in a car accident. A lady driving too fast for weather conditions totaled my truck with her car and was cited on scene. My jaw was slightly disaligned for which I now wear a retainer at night, whiplash and right arm trauma (used it to block the airbag). What I thought was going to be a quick recovery turned into a nightmare. After months of Phy. therapy, chiropractic care and medical test I was finally diagnosed with RSD (chronic pain syndrome) in my right arm. It is still very swollen and slightly discolored and they say this is all the better it will get and may actually worsen in time. Tomorrow I go to the pain clinic to find ways to manage the pain. This coluldn't happened at a worse time since my husband and I was building a home and both HAD to be working. Now I am buries in finacial woes and get depressed thinking that it is really going to be never ending since my earning capacity is knocked to nothing. My right arm is my dominant one and my job requires a lot of lifting and physical ability (when and if I ever can do it again). I was released to light duty before being diagnosed with the RSD but my job was done for the year . I usually spend every winter working part time at a clothing store, then in the spring return to the greenhouse. Does anyone have any idea how long a claim like this will take to settle? I hear when your done doctoring but in my case that will never be. What is a amount that I can expect from this claim? I really need to shed some light down this dark hole.
Posted: Sat Feb 23, 2008 05:38 pm Post Subject: car accident
Thank you fireyone, good luck I hope yo have some relief even if its not long, It makes you so happy to be pain free even for a few hours and it gives you hope, let us know how it goes!
Keli
Posted: Sun Feb 24, 2008 01:13 pm Post Subject:
I will keep in touch. Let me know how your second round goes and how long the relief is. I hear that if these shots don't work or even don't work well that they can try a TENS unit. It is suppose to work more than anything else but the insurance company doesn't allow it until the shots fail. Did you ever hear of it? I looked it up and it doesn't seem to be a bad option.
Posted: Sun Feb 24, 2008 01:29 pm Post Subject:
Hi fireyone, found this information for you on the TENS unit
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Posted: Sun Feb 24, 2008 06:38 pm Post Subject: car accident
Hi fireyone, I had tried the tens units many times when i was in pt, it felt so good but after it ws done pain was still there, but I now am going to ask dr for a script or put in for auth through my insurance as it does feel good and mabey if one wears it for a prolonged time it may indeed help.
keli
Posted: Sun Feb 24, 2008 07:34 pm Post Subject:
FYI...
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Posted: Mon Feb 25, 2008 01:12 am Post Subject:
Sounds like a good home device to have, I have had physical therapist use this on my back in an office setting but never used one at home. Would be great to have one for my back.
Posted: Mon Feb 25, 2008 01:28 am Post Subject:
They work great, I know a lady who has one, like kelli said though, once you stop using them and you put any use on the part of your body that you are using it for, the pain all starts again, they are a temporary fix.
Posted: Mon Feb 25, 2008 12:26 pm Post Subject:
The kind that tthey prescreibe at the clinic may be a lttle different. There is actually something small implanted in your spinal column and you carry around a small device in your pocket for when you need relief. I just found out that my brother-in-law had one put in after a mining accident. I got some info from him and he swears by it. I would love the chance to not have to take meds. Number one...I hate putting medication in my system especially one that is taken daily...Number 2...why not let your own body take care of the pain. I get these shots in two days and I don't like the thought of feeding a novacane like something directly into my veins or the needle that goes with it. I'm following doc orders..for now.
Posted: Thu Feb 28, 2008 01:05 am Post Subject:
Well went out on the bad roads early this morning to go get the stellate ganglion block but The doc wouldn't do it. I had the start of a sore throat and when he examined me he said he did not feel comfortable doing the shots with inflammation of mu throat. Sice the shots themselves cause temp. swelling he didn't want the two to combine and I have trouble breathing and swallowing. He was kind and took the time to talk with me on what to expect when I go back in two weeks. It helped calm me down alot.
Posted: Sat Mar 01, 2008 12:28 am Post Subject: car accident
Oh thats too bad but also good your dr is safe and not just trying to pocket monies! glad you are feeling better about the injections. I just came back from f/u visit with pain dr and I told him I had 5 hours of relief after the injections he stated he was not happy with that and it probally was the sedation med, Im confused as everythig i have read on the internet states that one should keep track within the next 4-6 hours after the block to see what your pain level is and that mine also was used as a diagnosis tool so i did have relief but not what the dr expected! I am really sad and frustrated to my point break, hes really not sure if it is rsd and now i have to go for a cvervical nerve root block which is done under anestheisa and he said its a more complicated procedure, scares me as he had said this before but he wanted to try the stellate ganglion block first, he also like i said before i could have a brachial plexus injury, I was on the verge of crying as i havent had a diagnosis for 17 months and after reading about the stellate ganglion block and what you should watch for i thought hey thats what i have but he said for me not to worry that we havent exhausted all are options, ie diagnosis proceduresand he gave me a cd to watch, it is for neurostimulation therapy, Im not sure what it is about and I am not in the mood to watch it today, I am so mad as my last pain clinic just gave me pain meds and nothing else, new pain dr is more aggressive but i have only until june 11 to keep my position at work, I told him this and he perscribed me methadone, as the duragesic patch was too strong for me I almost crashed my car at least 10 times! I am so frustrated as i am not suer now what my diagnosis is though he states rsd or brachial plexus injury, i just need to know so i can start the appropiate treatment asap and return to work, its so damn hard taking all these meds and now i have yet another! I have until oct 08 to settle my claim but that is such the futherest from my mind now I just want to feel normal again. I will let you know what the cd is about and get back to you all soon. Since I feel so openly able to express myself to you all thought id let you know where i live and hope to hear back from you all, its so nice to know you are not alone no matter what injury or pain each one of us has and too know its everywher. I live in vacaville calif about 55 miles from san Francisco which is where i just moved from. Take care I think about you all!
Keli
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