Irritable Bowel Syndrome Message Boards

Hi everyone, Heather called and said everyone sent hugs and was worried, thanks, I appriciate it. I haven't had time to catch up on posts yet but I'll update everyone on what happened.

Friday am, tested and got a BFN (thats a negative pregnancy tests for those not up to date on the lingo!) Went to foot dr to have cast removed. Removing the cast was horrible, it hurt SO, SO much! My leg from the knee down was fire engine red, swellon and very painful. It hurt just to touch me skin. The dr came in and says, "well, gee, it shouldn't be hurting this bad still" He just lightly touched my skin and I grabbed his arm a screamed at him IT HURTS DON'T TOUCH IT!!!!!!!!! Well, that got his attention!

He had me see a different specialist who said I had developed Reflux Sympathetic Dystrophy. I was sent straight to the hospital. RSD is a problem with the sympathetic nerves. The sympathetic nervous system controls things like, perspiration and your eyes dilating with bright light. Normally, these nerves do not have pain receptors. For whatever reason, these nerves have gone haywire in my foot. The only way to re-set the nerves is by doing a series of "lumbar epidural injections." They take a big needle, stick it in your side until it reaches the spinal cord and injects it with an anastetic. NOT FUN!!!

If this isn't treated quickly and aggresively, it can cause permanet nerve damage and permanent pain. Besides the ankle pain from the sprian, I know also have all this pain form the RSD. My foot is red and feels like someone is pouring battery acid on it. The pain is burning and shots all the way up my leg. Its still black and blue from the sprain and I still can't put any weight on it.

I had one of these spinal procedures done on Friday. It hurt like hell!! Afterwards, my blood pressure dropped to 60/40, I throw up and almost passed out. After an hour my bp was up to around 90/75 so they let me go home. All the way home, I felt awful. I was so weak it was all I can do to make it from the car to the house. As soon as I stepped in the house, my bp dropped again. I throw up again and almost passed out. Hubby finally carried me to bed. All day Saturday, I was very weak and sick.

I was given instructions to call this pain clinic by my house Monday am to schedule these spinal block procedures 3 times a week for a month with physical therapy an hour after each procedure. When I had the procedure done on Friday at the hospital, the started an IV and gave me what the DR called happy juicein my iv. I wasn't asleep but was at least drugged up. They then take a small needle and give you a shot of numbz it stuff in your back before they put in the big needle. They do a series of x-rays and shot dye in so they can see where the needle needs to go. I was very uncomfortable but my foot did feel a little better afterwards.

So, I called this am to get this stuff scheduled and I've got nothing but the run around!! I'm just in tears!! My foot is hurting again really bad, I have to be at the office and I've been on the phone for hours and still don't have anything scheduled!! At first they were telling me that they won't sedate me at all the do this and I told them they were crazy if they thought they were going to stick a needle the size of a garden hose into my spine and go rooter rutting around without giving me some drugs first!!!

The lady finally called back and said she talked to the dr and they will give me SOME sedation but now they can't get me in to do the physical therapy right afterwards!! What happens is after they give you the spinal injection, my foot is supposed to feel a little better, at least from the RSD. They want me to do the physical therpay right after so it won't hurt so much. I'm getting SO frustarted!!

Oh, I told them I had been trying to get pregnant so they made me pee in a cup before the procedure. They said they say a hint of a second line so they ordered a blood test. An hour later the blood test came back negative so they went ahead with the procedure. I retesting at home Sunday and it was still negative but I expected AF today and she hasn't arrived. Just one more thing to worry about! Because of the dye they inject and the x-rays taken it is unsafe to do while pregnant. I was told to "take a break" this month from TTC!

I was mostly ok with this until I've had such a hard time on the phone this morning, now I just can't stop crying!! Patients at my office are mad because the office is going to have to be closed a lot. I have to take the whole day off when I have these procedures done! I'm feeling very depressed and overwhelmed, not to mention the pain I'm in! Sorry to be so whinney but how much must one person suffer in one year?? I think 2 miscarriages and a sprained ankle are enough, now they say I have this RSD and my have permanet nerve damage and pain!!!!!

Somebody just shoot me please!!

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Taking it one day at a time.....

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