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 Mar 01, 2008 02:15 am Post Subject:
Wow I am so very sorry for what you are going through. You really do seem to be depressed, I am trying to be honest here. Have you talked with anyone? I think all these doctors are nuts and I want you to stand up and tell them you aren't taking it anymore. THERE IS A DEFINATE TEST FOR RSD!!! Please demand it. It is called QSART. Please this will tell you at very close to 100% if it is RSD. Once they rule that out then they can move on with another pronosis. You can not ever be happy taking all thmedication that you are and it probaly isn't doing your mind or body good either. 17 months is too long to bet answers.
I had refuse most medication and treatment until after testing. I refused to be treated for something "just in case". I let them know this. I really believe some doctors out there hear the word car insurance and sometimes start playing around. This simple tests could give you the answers that you need. I know I sound like I am begging here but I guess in a way I am. Think about it. Even after they get a definate diagnosis and hopefully fix what is broken so to speak, you still have to deal with getting all those meds out of your system that has been fed to you for over a year. I imagine some will be hard to get off of.
I don't know much on the brachial plexus injury. You need to research it. I hate to see them put you thru more of these uncomfortable tests and treatments for no reason. I'll let ya go but keep in touch. God Bless and Good LUck.
Posted: Tue Mar 04, 2008 03:19 am Post Subject: car accident
Hi fireyone, Yes! i am going to ask the dr about the QSART test i have too. oh the cd was about implanting a device to stimulate the nerves, i feel like a ginny pig but I have to get better before june 11 when I have to return to work or i will lose my position, though nothing has changed in my pain situation i cant see going back with no relief not sure what i can do. yes I have to talk to a specialist about this hopefully that will help me. oh does that qsart test hurt?i will have to look it up. good luck on your procedure.
keli
Posted: Tue Mar 04, 2008 11:01 am Post Subject:
Good desicion Kelli. The QSART test is as far from painless than you can imagine. When I went to have it I was sooo nervous. I thought that since they were messing with my bad arm there would have to be some pain in it but I was wrong. Its pretty hard to explain the test and how it works but go ahead look it up and you will get lots of info.
I think what the other thing is your referring to is like a TENS unit. I know someone who got this implant system and have hope he swears its the first real relief he has had. He was in a mining accident and was really messed up. That is the next step they will do for me if the shots don't work. I know you probaly do indeed feel like a ginny pig because I felt the same way. What I have come to understand is that everything is a process. They have to try things in a numbered order. For example...Even though the TENS unit gets the best result before the insurance company approves it you must have tried the ganglion block. Its not exactly fair is it?
Posted: Tue Mar 04, 2008 11:37 am Post Subject:
Was he able to go back to work after the accident in the mine by using this device?
Posted: Tue Mar 04, 2008 11:42 am Post Subject:
He wasn't allowed to go back underground but he was released to light duty. He refused a desk job. He was pretty messed up afterwards with screws in his back and all but he swears this unit helped him. Seeing him today he doesn't seem to be in much pain. I think he is actually suing the mine and not going to return there. He did try once after the accident but it caused one of the screws to break and now his doctor forbids him to go back underground...well off to the school bus with one kid and then off to pick up the other one's laundry..Ahhh....motherhood.
Posted: Sun Mar 16, 2008 05:12 pm Post Subject: car accident
Hi fireyone, Did you have the block yet? I also want to ask you do you see a neurologist? my primary care dr said my neuro will be the most important person to help with this rsd, so i went to see her for the second time and she was like im so sorry but i just know the basics of rsd we neuro drs dont treat rsd and that my anesthesiologist is the dr whom will help and follow me the most, The neuro dr is very nice and compassionate but this is not their field? im confused. So now im waiting on cervical root block and then the dr mentioned a neurostimulator, which is darn scary, I told him i have only until june 11 before my six months are up for leave of absence and how can i go back to work when nothing has changed, he said we havent lost all options and gave me an rx for methadone. I cant take all these meds its awful as you know, I even sorta wrote to my lawyer stating " I dont know what to do" I have to work to pay bills, I have a desk job doing referrals for an urgent care but even doing a desk job doesnt allievate the pain situation any different you know the pain is there 24/7 I am such a nervous wreck, I have to either have a pain pump or neurostimulator inplanted to get me back to work even though i dont want such an invasive procedure or a foriegn object inplanted in me but obviously i have no choice, I wish someone had an answer on what I can do its really scary. Sorry enough of me, Let me know if you had the procedure and if it helped cant wait to hear..
best of luck always
keli
Posted: Sun Mar 16, 2008 05:14 pm Post Subject:
oh by the way i brought up the qsart to my neuro dr and she didnt know who adminsters it and if my ins would cover it and did state mabey i should go to a specific hospital and try and find a dr who specializes in rsd.
Posted: Mon Mar 17, 2008 02:54 pm Post Subject:
Qsart is done in your higher ranking cities but I am imagine any state would have at least a few hospitols that would be able to do it. It has been around for roughly 10 or more years. My insurance must have covered it cause I haven't recieved any bills from blue cross. I was not sedated at all for the shot. They only gave me a regional pain eliever where they inserted the bigger needle. I felt some..not much relief. I had extremely bad headaches for two days after. I went for my post check up and got a totally different doc. Now he wants to do trigger-point injections instead to see if they work better. He says that will relieve me of the shots but in the end I may have to get them again. The trigger point treats the exact site of the injury. I am NOT happy about anyone even touching that area of my arm. I would rather have continued with the neck even with the pain and two days of blurry vision and headaches that went with it.
Yes I have seen a nuerologist. They did tests also. It took the qsart test to confirm RSD. I finally seen the results on that one and the doc who read the test listed definate RSD. I hope they find something soon that helps you. It seems your road has been long. I made my doc take me off the lyrica...side effects were awful when I took it. I couldn't do anything but lay around and sometimes sleep away my day. Half the time you can't even think. I quit taking it during the day long ago and only took it at night. They put me on flector patches (nsaids) because I told him I would rather walk around in pain than lay on my couch watching life pass me by. Keep me posted and hope all goes well. Praying for you.
Posted: Thu May 15, 2008 02:48 pm Post Subject: car accident
Hi fireyone,
How are things going for you? ? How are you, I havent been on this forum in such a long time,oh i see you had the block. sorry it didnt work, mine helped for 6 hours, also had headaches and blurry blood shot eyes for two days but the relief i had for 6 hours was worth it.I was given versed and demeral and didnt feel a thing.I had the cervical selected nerve root block on april 18th and it hurt like hell! did not work, i actually was in bed for 8 days didnt eat and lost another 12 pounds, after two days i called dr office and left a message that i had a fever and nausea and bad pain, they never called back, so i caled again the next day and left another message and then i had my son fax a message over again they never called, my neice was going to take me to the er and i said no so i called the surgery center where i had the procedure and they got ahold of the dr and he apologized on what happened, He said to go to er if i was feeling that bad but i didnt he said then come see him next day which i did, he did blood test, said i had a fever and put me on cephalexion, i did not have a bacterial inf so i stopped the med as it was viral, which i most likely picked up from the hospital, i later found out by the ma that the staff got a good lecture about what happened, my pain dr wants shoulder scoped due to the fact so many labral tears do not show up on arthrogram mri, so hopefully in two weeks i will have it done, I know the risks involved when one has rsd, but its the last of test to really indicate rsd. I took your advice and am now seeing a psych and i actually sometimes feel better, i also found out my job is holding my position for 3 more months, in june i would have lost my position but the medical director stated my longeviety and good work and she can hold it for 3 more months so thats a huge cow lifted off my shoulder! I am now taking valium which helps alot, oh i also have the flector patches and i like them alot it seems to help some, yea i quit the lyrica also way to dizzy!!!!!
what is your next step? I think about you all the time ill hang in there if you do the same! take care and please keep me updated on yourself.
keli
Posted: Mon May 19, 2008 11:47 pm Post Subject:
Long time Kel. I am doing trigger point injection in the arm and elbow. the ones they did in my arm help more than anything. For some reason they thought if they would do one in the elbow it would last longer. It didn't. I don't feel like calling them and saying this. I just want to be left alone for a little while. I am sure ya know what I mean there. My rsd has casued tendinitis so its already getting worse. My mood hasn't been the greatest.
I had a doc appoint. last Friday and she wants me to see a pycologist. She seem to think I have control and anger issues since the accident. Now I have been going to that office for twelve years and I don't doubt her diagnosis in anyway but what does anyone expect. Am I suppose to walking aroung singing "I love my Life?" Whatever. Of course I am angry. Who wouldn't be?
I see things are going along the same route with you. I cann ot believe not much has changed. I am sure ya probaly got some anger issues of your own..if not you have alot of courage. Well gonna go. Keep checking in. I usually buzz by here now and again. Depends if my hand is up to typing. Take care.
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