[kimberlyabort]

I recieved a call yesterday from the nurse telling me they moved my operation to March 25th from April 22, Just has I was on my way to the neuro....I am not joking I was in the car and driving to his office when I got the call......
I am suppose to go to pre op today at 1pm......MY neuro told me not to have the operation...due to the RSD ....He couldn't believe how frozen my foot was. He told me that like 2 times and he told me he want to do a nerve study on it April 8th......I am not sure if I want to wait any longer due to my pain 24/7 and due to my limp and how much it hurts to walk
I am going in to have a fusion Operation..... the Dr. is going to remove bone from my pelvis and fuse it to my great toe because to much bone was removed during a simple bunion
operation.....which he thinks that it is causing to much trauma with each step I take and that is why my RSD isn't resting after I have blocks ect......I also have hardware that is in need to be removed Pins and screws and my toe joint is shot (I have bone on bone) and the toe sets up in the air which makes all the other toes stand off the ground so I am walking on the side of my foot.

I am also going to see a Dr. that I am sure everyone with RSD has read about or maybe even seen.....Since I am lucky I live in Cleveland. (S.H.) YOU might get it, What I am saying. Well he is in Europe at this time so I have to wait till he is back in town.....That is all he deals with, You have to have RSD to see him. I figure I will have operation and recover and then see him to settle down my nerves....and I am praying I can have my life back.

I didn't think a bunion operation would turn out to be so life taking......I was a DANCER for 15yrs. Now I can't run, walk right, or for long periods, work out (I did that 3-4 wk) or take care of my family like I use to......Believe me I am a very STRONG WOMEN and if this takes me down then I can only imagine what it could do to a average person....(I had many operations for other major problems starting at the age of 2) That is why I have such a high tolerance to pain...BUT THIS IS A NIGHTMARE THAT NEVER ENDS!

Please if any of my RSD bro's and SIS's......LOL....(WE R FAM) ;)
have any in put on what I should do......PLEASE HELP ME MAKEUP MY MIND......before I make the wrong choice AGAIN.............I am having a very hardtime trusting theese DOCTOR'S....I use to think they were like GOD and they could fix just about anything :( WRONG AGAIN

[Bussey]

HELLO KIMBERLYABORT,
I'M VERY SORRY TO HEAR ABOUT WHAT YOU ARE DEALING WITH. YOU ARE DEFINITELY CAUGHT BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE. I UNDERSTAND YOU CONSIDERING HAVING THE OPERATION TO ALLEVIATE SOME OF YOUR PAIN. HOWEVER, YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT IN MANY INSTANCES, SURGERY CAN POSSIBLY CAUSE THE RSD TO SPREAD. I HATE BEING THE BEARER OF BAD NEWS, BUT I THINK YOUR DECISION SHOULD BE AS INFORMED AS POSSIBLE.

IF YOU BELIEVE IN THE POWER OF PRAYER, PRAY WITHOUT CEASING.YOU WILL BE IN MY THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS AS WELL. I BELIEVE THINGS CAN AND WILL WORK OUT FOR YOU!

BUSSEY

[kimberlyabort]

Bussey, I want to THANK YOU for reading and repling to my post, today is my first day up since my operation (yes I went ahead and had it) as It stands today I will be off my foot for about 4 months, I see the Dr. every 3wks. for x ray's and my pain Dr. is keeping me on some very heavy meds to keep the RSD calm.....which when I get up with my walker (I would only kill myself with my crutches. due to the meds....LOL) Now my whole leg to where they cut the bone out of my pelvis is Purple, Red, blochy.....I am having a real big problem with my foot being frozen feeling. I did have that before too.....but It is worst now......I am just in SEVERE PAIN!

I am amazed at the support given on this site, and that isn't much and I truly want to Thank You again for your reply to me.....I feel so alone and this was my first forum I have ever joined this past year, I will keep you up dated, I have to go back to bed now cause of the pain and I will check in with hope that there are other's feeling down and out like I do

Bussey, I pray so much I put my will in his hand's..............I felt so bad I couldn't even give my kid's their second Easter....But, I keep on PRAYING this will go away.

THANK YOU, Kim

[Bussey]

Hello Kimberly,
I'm glad to hear that the operation was successful. Hopefully, you heal quickly. Your doctor is wise to be cognizant of the RSD possibly flaring after surgery, and medicating you accordingly. Has the doctor ever suggested applying heat to the foot? It definitely helps me, but because of your history, I am not sure if it would help you.

I appreciate you keeping me in the loop. I look forward to hearing good news from you real soon.

God bless! You're in my prayers.

Bussey

[meglaser]

DONT DO IT!!!!!! THIS IS HOW I GOT THIS EVIL DISEASE!!!!!!!!!!!! I would be afraid as well. Do you have a good pain mgt doctor??

I ask this because on two different occasions my doc was able to stop the pain, the discoloratiion of the the foot as well as th the temp change just by a nerve block! Good luck with your dicision

[reruho]

Kimberly,
I hope things are improving. I have a friend that had foot surgery several weeks ago and they gave her a scooter that she puts her bad leg on the seat and just scoots around on. It is really a neat looking thing. She is going in every 3 weeks to check the progress of her healing. They won't let her start PT until the bone has grown around the pins and the wound has healed more.

I too have the problem with the cold. It is caused by the blood vessels spasming reducing the blood flow. I did some research on a similar condition called Rayneaud's Syndrome, which is a circulation problem that causes the freezing cold and pain. I asked my doctor about medication to improve my blood flow. We tried Trental and it has helped tremedously. I still get cold but it does not get to that freezing cold pain. I also apply heat to the opposite side of my arm to warm the blood flowing in my arm and that helps too. When I was going to PT for my wrist, we used the Fluido machine. It is a large box with ground corn husks and it is flooded with warm dry air. It was very good at warming up the blood that warmed up my freezing upper arm.

Trental is a blood thinner that improves the viscosity of your blood making the red blood cells less sticky, it does not affect the clotting factors. Talk to the doctor about w3hat you can do to improve the blood flow and reduce the freezing pain. That freezing pain is a horrible pain.

Getting that blood to flow will help you heal faster. that is one of the purposes of PT, to improve blood flow to promote healing.

[meglaser]

Well how was your surgery? did they keep u hospitalized for a few days? I need the same 1 but after rsd started from my 1st bonion surgery and the next 1 needs bone graphing like u i will wait until i no longer can walk which my back & RSD keeps from that now anyway!

How do u feel?

[kimberlyabort]

[quote="meglaser"]Well how was your surgery? did they keep u hospitalized for a few days? I need the same 1 but after rsd started from my 1st bonion surgery and the next 1 needs bone graphing like u i will wait until i no longer can walk which my back & RSD keeps from that now anyway!

How do u feel?[/quote]


Hi! This is my 2nd time back on the forum....and the answer to your question is, SEVERE PAIN!!!!! I am not sure I did the right thing by having this operation. I had it a little over a month ago, and I have been to the DR. a few times and I have been in bed for a month now. This past Friday my RSD flaired up with a vengance.....I truly wish I was DEAD.......The pain was so severe my fiancee didn't know what to do, he was carrying me to the bathroom and putting me on the toilet. I was holding it in as long as I could. I couldn't move in the position's that would help for just a short time and he would have to gently help me find another position to put me in. all the crying and begging him to help me....I put so much on him and I feel so bad my children had to hear and see me like this....We called the Dr. and he said go to the ER and we both looked at eachother lime how I can't move.....We knew the ambulance wouldn't come out cause of RSD let alone even know what it is.

Today he had to go back to work [he has taken to much time off due to all of this] and my children are in school. I am using a bed pan and holding it in aslong as I can again. I have my foot so elevated that's what the DR said to do, If I lower it all the blood rushes straight to my toes with in 5 seconds and all the colors start [purple blue, red] The burning omg enough to want to die.....I don't even want to go there

We waited and went to the Dr. yesterday, my Dr. wasn't in yet so another Dr. seen me, He bilaterly cut my cast and left it on and wrapped it with a few ace bandages to allow for some swelling. My swelling was so bad that my toes were turning blue, he said that my RSD has flared up and to call my PAIN DR. I am on alot of meds and they are heavier than percocets and vicodine es. And I am still feeling the pain and I am taking this stuff around the clock, He even told me to take the percocet for break through PAIN. I am eating theese pills like candy. It's really bad.........I can go on and on about all the "PAIN AND MISERY" I have gone through and my family is inculed in this.

Before I had my operation on March 25 2009, They gave me a epederal[i can't spell] When they put it in my back I passed out I have no clue why nor did they tell me, I was in the hospital for 6 day's and that wasn't enough but, I still felt the pain but not as severe, it took the edge off. I didn't want my boy's to come and visit me to see all the MISERY, but after I came home they ended up seeing it. I had a pain pump for 4 day's and other meds they where giving me...I don't remember all just bit and pieces.

If you can avoid having your operation PLEASE DON'T HAVE IT. I think I am worst now than before, even though I was in alot of severe pain almost daily and I had a limp and could never wear heels again or stand in lines for lonf periods of time or ride a bike or walk the mall with my kid's. My life has been robbed of all the thing's I use to do before I had that so called SIMPLE BUNION OPERATION and DR. saying you will be in your summer sandles in 6wks. and by your B-DAY your HEELS (June 08) I am a DANCER or shall I say WAS but it is in me, my heart, It alway's will be (for 20 yrs.) for the rest of my LIFE!

My other bunion will die with me, I only had this 3rd. operation cause the DR. said he dad to take out the shot joint and lengthen the big toe again (1st Dr cleaned out too much of my joint and took out to much bone from my metatosal whoch caused my toe to set up high and be to short) Then he said they will be able to calm down the RSD, I am so scared and feel like it is out off control now.

I wish you the best! I hope you make the right chose, and I am now in my living room ( everone got together and moved the mattress out on the floor( I was so tierd of the bedroom's 4 wall's....LOL Let me know what you are going to do.
xoxo My prayer's are with you all that suffer

[kimberlyabort]

[quote="meglaser"]DONT DO IT!!!!!! THIS IS HOW I GOT THIS EVIL DISEASE!!!!!!!!!!!! I would be afraid as well. Do you have a good pain mgt doctor??

I ask this because on two different occasions my doc was able to stop the pain, the discoloratiion of the the foot as well as th the temp change just by a nerve block! Good luck with your dicision[/quote]


I want to thank you fo your reply...i already did it, just read my other reply to the last one and I wish I hadn't. I am hoping my pain Dr. is doing the right meds for me, I did have a major flare up, He dosn't want to stick me with needles just yet.....I have had the nerve blockes before this operation and it would only work for a few day's. If you want you could just read last post to see how I am at this point.

I hope you are doing well as I wish and pray for other;s who are suffering too.......xoxo

[Bussey]

Hello Kimberly,
I am so sorry to hear about what you're going through. What in the world happened? Additionally, when you replied to me, I thought you were on the road to recovery. Obviously, things have definitely changed. Have you been in a cast since you had the surgery? Along with the surgery, having to wear that cast are probably what caused that terrible RSD flare up. Casts are one of the worst things that you can put on when you have RSD. I know you hate taking all of that pain medicine.
But, if it gives you even the smallest amount of relief, I suggest that you continue to take it as prescribed by your Dr. for now.

You are not well at this time. I know it's difficult, but try not to worry about your fiancé and your children seeing you this way. I'm sure they are very upset as you are. Thank God, you have a support system that is there for you when you need them. Some people have to go threw things like this alone. I'm so glad that you don't have to do that. You have people around you that love you. I do know how you feel, because I am bedridden, and my mom is my caregiver. She literally helps me with everything. I am so grateful to her.

Hopefully, you will see your pain management Dr. very soon. I hope he will be able to help immediately. Please don't give up, keep the faith. You're in my prayers.

Bussey