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: Tue May 20, 2008 03:37 am Post Subject:
Hi Fireyone, so so sorry on how things are with you, I feel exactly the same way! and I know what you are going through and it sucks ( sorry had to say that) yes i noticed the longer it kept going the worse my moods are, you actually pointed that out to me, and thats why i finally went and got a therapist, i did not want to go through the insurance bit and all as its so emotional and it took me almost three weeks to find one and by that time i was really pissed, our emotions,stability and all the tension we are having makes us so angry! we cant help it. I like talking to the therapist but at the same time im thinking oh i feel bad telling her my problems when she must have her own its my ocd. Yes i can relate on you wanting to chill for a bit we are just angry and we cant help it, but ill tell you go find a therapist it helps.You take care and just relax and ill write you back again soon, i dont know how i will feel after my surgery but i pray they find a tear and that i dont have rsd thats my greatest fear at this point and time i am trying to accept the worst but hope for the best. ill be thinking about you!
love
keli
Posted: Wed May 21, 2008 10:15 am Post Subject:
Kel...I hope when they do the shoulder scope they get some kinda concrete diagnosis to go on. I truly hope you do not have the RSD either. There are days I just feel like quiting. My arm locks up and cramps sooo much. I am not a person who lets things get her down and always tries to find the bright spot. I just can't seem to do it this time. I am seriously thinking of a phycologist.
What great news that your job is being held for you, even if it isn't a long time but hopefully by then someone will know what is going on and find a good course of treatment. I know its probaly hard to get your hopes up. I find myself gaurding my feelings alot. I recently just got fed up hoping something works and said to myself "Expect the worse and pray for the best". I am gonna wait a little longer and request going back to do the trigger directly into the arm and NOT the elbow. Keep me updated. I also think of you all the time. I imagine it has to be hard going this long especially with no answers an d no results. Good luck.
Posted: Fri Jun 13, 2008 08:48 am Post Subject: car acident/rsd
Hi fireyone, well the scope was done, ortho did not want to do it if i had rsd but he was the only dr out of four others whom thought i did not have rsd. so he decided to do it. so the surgeon wrote down findings to give to my brother as i would not have remembered. Findings= no labral tear mild instability small area of abrasion and partial thickness tearing of rotator cuff, the ortho dr just sent me the report and it states post op diagnosis= rt shoulder pain and impingement with partial thickness bursal-sided tear of rotator cuff , procedure rt shoulder arthroscopy with subacromial decompression. under his indications in the report it states about options discussed, it was discussed at length that she had many symptoms that could not be directly attributed to subacromial or glenohumeral process and that it was not expected to relieve all of her symptoms, it was discussed that a diagnosis for her might not be adequately idenitifed and that she could have persistence or even worsening of symptoms. Possibility of regional pain syndrome given her initial characterization of her pain and her need for ongoing pain management was discussed at risk.So basically i still could be diagnosed with rsd, though some symptoms have been allieviated my arm is still killing me, i actually fell against my sliding glass patio doors 34 days after surgery then two days later i tripped over a bucket and mop outside a facility and fell on my shoulder then that night i fell off friends couch after nightmare of accident and friend had to help me up, i called ortho monday 3 days later and told receptiionist what had happened and if i should see him sooner as i am gettinng electrical shocks from my shoulder to my four fingers then my hand cramps up and fingers turn blue, but he said i could wait till my next appt at the end of june, thank god i see pain dr tomorrow because i could have torn cuff again, my pain dr has actually put me off work until 12/08 so bad to good to bad to good to bad so it wasnt in my head after all but scared i still might have the rsd, i dont know how long i should feel this pain so i will get answers hopefully tomorrow, I still cant believe i had this damage and had a neg mri and waited 18 months! I have to now see a psychciatrist as my meds are making me very unstable, whom i see now is a family counselor and she suggested i see psych as well. so its just so unbelievable, i was happy he found something but sad after getting or report of still poss of rsd. how are you doing? hang in there!
keli
Posted: Fri Jun 13, 2008 10:25 pm Post Subject:
Hi again, well i just came back frompain management dr and very sad as he said the torn rotator cuff and impingment injury is not all i have , he said i have brachialplexsopathy, poss nerve damage and poss rsd, so i am now shattered as can be he also wants to get a neck mri and have me go for a consult for a neurostimulator transplant in my spine, damn i thought this was it and now its not, how much dissapointment can one take! hes weaning me off the diazepam and giving me ativan and somthing else, i cant remember, i stopped my cymbalta and my seraquil as it made me so unstable thats why i have fallen per my counselor, so again like you my hopes are dashed, but let me tell you something that just happened, my son is bi-polar and manic depressive and on my moms 12th year death anniverssary we got a letter from a lawyer for probate of will for a deceased person it turns out to be my sons dads stepfather died and i called the lawyer and he said that the deceased has left my son a trust fund, i know it was from his dads mother as she said when he was born that she was setting up a trust fund for him, i found out she had died in2004 so she probally sent everything to her ex, hey i dont even know if they were divorced, i never met him before when i dated my sons father, and actually my sons fater said his dad died when he was a baby but on geneology i found someone looking for my sons dad and it turns out that this one guy came out from louisianna and met my sons dads mom married her and was still married to his other wife, i have discussed all this with my sons stepbrother and we decided not to tell him anything yet, but i am so happy that my son gets to meet his dad after 27 years, my son does not even have a pic of him and i think it will fill a void that my son has had all his life and i told him its up to him and his father if they wish to stay in contat and start a relationship, just overwhelmed that this was done for my son and that he now will be able to put a face to a name. so i am going to try and be more positive about this whole thing andwell last weekend my neice took me camping in tahoe but i forgot my norco bottle but had 10 in my mon-sun pill box and i was up every three hours in my car had to triple my methadone and take two tizanadine and a diazepam just to help with the pain but i got out and i will try again to go out, I actually have a date tomorrow which i cant go to cause my shoulder is worse, but you to need to just try and walk, i know that is so damn hard also its eaiser to lay in bed, but if im trying i want you to try for me and we can get through this together, you have been such a great person and you show so much empathy towards others and i am the same way thats why i am in the medical field and sad that i probally will not go back as i like to help others before i help myself. take care hope to hear from you soon and please try and get out sometimes.
love
keli
pain free :hug:
Posted: Sat Jun 14, 2008 11:01 am Post Subject:
Kell, Sorry to hear you are having such problems. Still praying for you. I also think it is wise for your son to meet his father. My sons father died when he was four and I know it really does leave a void. Not too much changing here. I have been sticking to the trigger points. It helpd some. My RSD progressed into tendinitis in my elbow. I am just dealing with it day to day. Keep me updated and good luck.
Posted: Thu Jun 26, 2008 07:18 pm Post Subject: TO Keli
ARE YOU REALLY PAIN FREE NOW IF SO HOW? WHAT IS A NEUROSTIMULATOR TRANSPLAT?
Posted: Sun Jun 29, 2008 05:36 pm Post Subject: pain free?kammi
I dont believe in my last post imentioned being pain free, Thats a long shot! actually I am worse. A neurostimulator stimulates your nerves that travel down from the brain via your spine, are you having a pain problem?
thanks keli
Posted: Mon Jul 14, 2008 11:35 pm Post Subject:
Hi fireyone, I see you havent been on here as well as my self, I hope you are hanging in there! like i said before i am so much worse even though they fixed my rotator cuff and other things, The pain is so damn bad I had to go to er a couple of days ago, and the physician was so nice, did not treat me like a drug seeker, "actually my norco is not helping at all!" so they gave me a shot of dilaudid and it helped for two days and im back to square one, pain drs staff manager should have gotten auth in may for neurostimulator and mri as i mentioned i fell after surgery on my shoulder three times! and i called her for over a month and now i dont have ins! i will pay my $586 for cobra so things get retroactive but thats how i have to do it, if his manager whom does authorizations did her job I should have had an mri and the neurostimulator authorized when i had ins, it ended july 1st, I am so damn angry at her! I did referrals for urgent care and got them done asap, we have over 100 people in our clinic a day and many stat mris, cts ect and this just eerks me, I think i will go to er tomorrow for the hospital i work for and they can just bill me and it will get paid aretroactivly, I cant wait anymore, I dont know if pain is from rsd or brachialplexopathy or if i tore my cuff again, all i know its pretty damn bad way way worse! and to have to wait over a month is just not right. anyway er dr here in town again was so nice and i really wanted an mri but it did not happen but he did say please dont worry I want you to come back if you still have pain and he made me feel ok that i went. it was my first trip ever to the er. I now have to apply for ssdi and they are so rude i could not handle her over the phone so i hung up, I have to do part on the internet now then bring in forms to office, boy am i dreading that. also just had lawyer write letter to job asking them to reinstate my benefits and my leave as its questionable under calf medical and disability laws while undergoing treatment. so i sure hope something good comes out of it. Thats about all i can type these days have to go lay down and hope to hear from you soon. take care hope you are doing well.
keli :x :cry: :?
Posted: Mon Jul 14, 2008 11:47 pm Post Subject: car acident/rsd/fireyone
actually in my post june 13th i said i fell 34 days after surgery it was actually 3-4 days, I can hardly typr anymore, neck on rt side is swollen as well as my upper arm and yes my elbow hurts like hell and i get the bad cramps also, darn this stuff! i keep thinking should i have ha dthe surgery or not! so much worse! its like being in hell 24/7 i know what you are going through and i feel really bad for you! ill write you soon
keli
Posted: Thu Jul 31, 2008 12:52 pm Post Subject:
Know the feeling but I am hanging in there. My job just recently let me go labeling me as a "liability". There are some days I myself wonder "how much more?"
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