Don't Ignore Personal Injury

Years ago I started having ankle and foot issues. They started as just basic sprains and breaks but over the years, this led to a whole new list of problems. After a couple more injuries due to my field of work, (bartending) and complete negligence in a couple of cases over the years, I ended up needing reconstructive foot and ankle surgeries. While I’m not sure whether there was much else I could have done that would have stopped everything from progressing or not, it is imperative that you not only seek medical advice, immediately after a personal injury of any kind but also seek help from a professional. Otherwise, you may end up where I am. Which is not necessarily a very fun place to be! 



From red, hot, burning welts to severe swelling to several pain layers to torn tendons, I deal with a great deal of symptoms and only seem to get progressively worse. On top of that, my surgeries were scheduled and only one was ever completed because that first one was a failure.

I was diagnosed with RSD (CRPS) shortly after my surgery. RSD is a progressive disease of the Autonomic Nervous System and more specifically, the Sympathetic Nervous System. Besides being extremely painful, this also ends up causing things such irreversible tissue, muscle, bone, and joint damage. This is just one of many problems you could end up with and this can stem from a very small injury as well.

Of course, I am more prone to breaks and sprains and they do happen often! Tendonitis is another disorder I struggle with that only started to be a problem after spending years wearing walking casts and working as many shifts as I could. (Even with an injury.)

I was always worried about losing my job if I would have attempted to apply for workers compensation or contact Tampa injury attorneys. I wish I had known then what this could turn into and I wish I would have known what options I had. Especially for my family. It is very hard to try to move each day and depending on the swelling, the weather, and what the activity is. I find myself rescheduling more often than anything and it definitely puts a strain on my husband and children. There are so many things I can’t do anymore and so many that it takes so much longer to do and most of the time, we just have to wait until the day of or at least the day before to even see if whatever it is will be possible or not.

If you are unsure about whether or not your personal injury is going to turn into a settlement of any kind, you could always call someone like personal injury lawyers Tampa. It’s best to check with a professional before ignoring something this important and before you end up hurting yourself even more in the long run.

Be sure to keep a record of any symptoms, injuries, medications, medical records, letters from a doctor, witness information, cause of personal injury, your attorney’s contact information, any friends, relatives or co-workers who can speak on your behalf, and anything else you might think is important to your case. Maintaining proper records and having good communication with everybody involved is an excellent way to make sure you have everything covered.

You can also find some more information about personal injury claims, here. There could be time limits in your state so, it is very important to check on things like this before you end up waiting to long! You don’t want to end up being completely immobile or having more diseases, injuries, or disorders piled on because you didn’t take care of things properly the first time around. If there is a chance for you to get the proper care right away and have these things resolved before ruining your credit, take it! You owe it to yourself and your family. Your health should always be top priority!

Dear Trump Administration, Signed, Chronic Pain Patients

** Credit for this letter and all information due to Joe Aquilino, a very helpful chronic pain activist. Ever since I have been diagnosed with RSD/CRPS and had a Facebook account, Joe Aquilino was one of my first chronic pain friends. If you are not familiar with him, check out his podcast! 


Here is a letter that you can copy and paste to the Presidents Commission for Opioids. We need everyone involved to fight to get the opioids back. You just need to put their name after the dear and after the sincerely your name and city and state 


Dear [Name],
The published schedule for the Commission calls for review of a draft report to the President just ten days after your first working meeting. This is not a substantial amount of time to review all of the public comments and emails in regards to this issue, nor is it enough time to fully consider the many intricacies of this issue and come up with a solution that does not adversely harm particular populations such as the 116 million Americans suffering from chronic pain (Institute of Medicine, 2011), or the 5-8 million receiving long-term opioid therapy (Kroenke and Cheville, 2017), the majority of whom reap greatly improved function, quality of life, and are even able to work a job and/or go to school. 

With no intention of discourtesy, I must seriously ask whether you wish to have your name associated with such a transparently political agenda that has the potential to harm and even kill 2millions of people if not executed in an extremely precise manner. If the "fix" involves the further restriction of when, where, or how doctors may prescribe pain medication, it will cause a multitude of unintended harm unless doctors who treat pain from a variety of chronic and painful conditions on a daily basis (such as Dr. Forrest Tennant who is also an expert in the treatment of addiction) are not actively involved in the effort to reduce overdose deaths. If people suffering from persistent pain are about to be disregarded and abused by their own government once again, in the name of trying to solve an opioid crisis that isn't their fault, it will result in more overdose deaths from people in pain left with no other options who turn to the black market, and the suicide rates of veterans (and people suffering from persistent pain more generally) will also sharply increase,–the reduction of which the commission discussed as a goal– and the problem of overdoses won't be helped in the least by denying people suffering from persistent pain effective pain management. 

Consider for a moment that many authors, including (Inturissi, 2002) (Fishbain et al., 2008) noted that the rates of addiction in chronic pain patients receiving long term opioid therapy were particularly low (below even the population average) because persistent pain seems to interfere with the intrinsically rewarding nature of opioids.

Much of the stigma against opioids that is driving restrictive prescribing policies is based in doctors’ lack of knowledge about pain (and subsequently the public’s misconceptions), about how to treat it, and about the difference between dependence and addiction (Rich, 2000). These issues can be resolved by simply educating doctors more effectively. 

Dependence is simply the presence of withdrawal symptoms upon the cessation of a drug, (Inturrisi, 2002) which happens every morning to much of America as they make coffee. The grogginess, headache, and nausea are withdrawal symptoms of caffeine, and these are ordinary citizens, not addicts–addiction, which is something that a person must be genetically predisposed to in order to develop–is an entirely different condition that is a neurological disease (Morgan and Christie, 2011) and requires considerations separate from the domain of doctors’ prescribing patterns. In order to have the capability of developing an addiction, a person must have disturbed caregiver attachment bonds, caused by trauma at an early age, and it involves widespread alterations to the reward system in the brain that you simply do not see in chronic pain patients, as well as continuing to obtain the drug despite harm to others, a hallmark of addiction (Flores, 2004).

On the other hand, in chronic pain, although the patients require their medication to avoid withdrawal (dependence) and to avoid severe pain, chronic pain interferes with the intrinsically rewarding tendencies of opioids (Inurrisi, 2002), meaning that because the medicine is being used properly under proper supervision, that in appx. 98% of chronic pain patients receiving opioids long-term, addiction doesn’t occur (Fishbain, et al., 2008) (Burgess et al., 2014). The last conflated term, tolerance simply means that the body is habituating to its environment, the way the human body is designed to (Inurrisi, 2002). There is nothing inherently wrong with this, as it is an important survival mechanism built into the human body.
Another author noted the usefulness of long term opioid therapy in chronic noncancer pain, and the outlandishness of using addiction as the rationale to not to treat pain: 

“A Cochrane Review on long-term opioid management for chronic noncancer pain published in 2010 reported similar findings, with an estimate of opioid addiction of 0.27%, leading the authors to conclude that the risk of iatrogenic opioid addiction is low. [Hojsted, 2007]” Burgess et al., 2014 went on to summarize Boscarino’s 2010 study stating: “One of the most consistent risk factors predicting opioid abuse/addiction, is a history of opioid abuse (odds ratio of 3.81).[Boscarino, 2010] Patients with a history of severe…abuse had an odds ratio of 56 for developing abuse/addiction. [Boscarino, 2010] Weisner et al surveyed patients receiving long-term opioids in two large group health plans and found that patients with a history of opioid abuse had a prevalence rate of opioid use approaching 50%, compared to patients without a prior opioid abuse history of 2–3%.” (Burgess et al., 2014)

The nature of the so called “opioid epidemic” has been misunderstood, and as a result the responses have been directed at the wrong targets. “Heroin and fentanyl have come to dominate an escalating epidemic of lethal opioid overdose, whereas opioids commonly obtained by prescription play a minor role, accounting for no more than 15% of reported deaths in 2015.” (Kertesz, 2016)

"It is commonly thought that opioid dependence often begins through an initial, possibly chance, exposure to a physician-prescribed opioid, although data from studies to empirically evaluate this claim are lacking." (Barnett et al., 2017) In other words, people do not simply become addicted by being exposed to opioids, and there is no evidence to support this claim. There is however limited evidence to suggest that chronic pain patients receiving long term opioid therapy have extremely low rates of addiction (Fishbain et al. 2008) (Burgess et al., 2014) (Hojsted, 2007) and many derive greatly enhanced health, wellness, quality of life, and function from long term opioid therapy (Furlan et al., 2006).

When addiction is looked at as an attachment disorder (that also happens to be neurological disease), it becomes much clearer why some people suffer from addiction upon exposure to drugs and others do not. Those that do are using a drug (it could be nearly any drug) to replace the comfort that social interaction and healthy peer bonding provides to non-addicted individuals (Flores, 2004), this is when addiction develops. This is markedly different from chronic pain patients who are able to socialize, function, and live a fulfilling life because of opioid medications. 

The Furlan et al. literature review on the efficacy and safety of long term opioid therapy for chronic noncancer pain concludes that while the studies are limited, there is sufficient evidence that opioids are beneficial for some individuals with chronic noncancer pain, and considering the complete lack of alternatives with similarly efficacy, there is no rational reason to deny treatment to these individuals, especially considering the deadly consequences of doing so. Leaving pain untreated, as restricting pain medication further tends to do, is condemning the well over 25 million people with severe and intractable chronic pain to a slow, agonizingly painful death, feeling betrayed by their government, their physicians, and life itself. (Grol-Prokopcyzk, 2016) (Epel, 2004) (Mcewen, 2004) (Lohman, 2010) (WHO, 2000)

Restricting opioid prescribing as the CDC recommended for primary care physicians only would have dire consequences if it were implemented as a policy of any kind. It would disable the 5-8 million people currently on long term opioid therapy who are able to live a normal life because of these medications. Those who are not currently on medication have either already been stripped of their dignity and quality of life by needless suffering, due to the immense difficulty involved in finding a physician who is willing to treat their pain, to the point where most are totally disabled (many of whom re receiving social security benefits, who could be made able to work again if they were given adequate treatment that such a policy would completely prevent) because of their pain, and are causing a totally unnecessary financial drain on the U.S. government in the order of $560-635 Billion per year (Institute of Medicine, 2011). The cost of this could be almost entirely eliminated (or at the least greatly reduced) if the availability of opioids were to increase substantially. (Seya et al., 2011) (Sessle, 2012)

Richard Lawhern writes as a non-physician writer, research analyst, patient advocate and website moderator for chronic pain patients, families, and physicians. My wife and daughter are chronic pain patients. His 20 years of volunteer experience has produced articles and critical commentaries at the US Trigeminal Neuralgia Association, Ben’s Friends online communities for patients with rare disorders, US National Institutes for Neurologic Disorder and Stroke, Wikipedia, WebMD, Mad in America, Psychiatric News, Pain News Network, National Pain Report, the American Council on Science and Health, the Global Summit for Diagnostic Alternatives of the Society for Humanistic Psychology, Psychiatric News and Psychology Today. He wrote a piece that is extremely relevant to this issue.

I urge you–indeed, I IMPLORE –to read the article in which this summary appeared. It is titled "Warning to the FDA - Beware of 'Simple' Solutions in Pain and Addiction." It may deserve to become a part of your report to President Trump. It demonstrates that the balance between concerns of people in agony and those of families who have lost children to opioid addiction have become seriously skewed in utterly unproductive and dangerous directions. It also demonstrates that the March 2016 CDC guidelines on the prescription of opioids to adult noncancer pain patients are seriously dangerous due to weak evidence, scientific errors and outright omissions of vital medical science. The guidelines are already killing patients across the U.S. (Webster, 2014). If enshrined as mandatory limits on opioid prescription, they will kill many thousands more.

Visit this link! 

Sincerely, [Your Name, City, and State]
Sources
Barnett, Michael L., Andrew R. Olenski, and Anupam B. Jena. "Opioid Prescribing by Emergency Physicians and Risk of Long-Term Use." New England Journal of Medicine 376.19 (2017): 1895-896. Web.
Bartleson, J. D. "Evidence For and Against the Use of Opioid Analgesics for Chronic Nonmalignant Low Back Pain: A Review: Table 1." Pain Medicine 3.3 (2002): 260-71. Web.
Baumeister, Roy F. "Suicide as Escape from Self." Psychological Review 97.1 (1990): 90-113. Web.
Boscarino, Joseph A., Margaret Rukstalis, Stuart N. Hoffman, John J. Han, Porat M. Erlich, Glenn S. Gerhard, and Walter F. Stewart. "Risk Factors for Drug Dependence among Out-patients on Opioid Therapy in a Large US Health-care System." Addiction 105.10 (2010): 1776-782. Web.
Burgess, Harrison J., Afreen Siddiqui, and Frederick W. Burgess. "Long-term Opioid Therapy for Chronic Pain and the Risk of Opioid Addiction." DRUG AND ALCOHOL DISORDERS AND TREATMENT (2014): n. pag. RHODE ISLAND MEDICAL JOURNAL. Web.
Epel, E. S., E. H. Blackburn, J. Lin, F. S. Dhabhar, N. E. Adler, J. D. Morrow, and R. M. Cawthon. "Accelerated Telomere Shortening in Response to Life Stress."
Fishbain, David A., Brandly Cole, John Lewis, Hubert L. Rosomoff, and R. Steele Rosomoff. "What Percentage of Chronic Nonmalignant Pain Patients Exposed to Chronic Opioid Analgesic Therapy Develop Abuse/Addiction And/or Aberrant Drug-Related Behaviors? A Structured Evidence-Based Review." Pain Medicine 9.4 (2008): 444-59. Web.
Flores, Philip J. "Addiction as an Attachment Disorder: Implications for Group Psychotherapy." Group Psychotherapy and Addiction (n.d.): 1-18. Web.
Furlan, Andrea D., Juan A. Sandoval, Angela Mailis-Gagnon, and Eldon Tunks. "Opioids for Chronic Noncancer Pain: A Meta-analysis of Effectiveness and Side Effects." Canadian Medical Association Journal 174.11 (2006): 1589-594. Web.
Grol-Prokopczyk, Hanna. "Sociodemographic Disparities in Chronic Pain, Based on 12-year Longitudinal Data." Pain 158.2 (2017): 313-22. Web.
Hojsted, Sjogren. "Addiction to Opioids in Chronic Pain Patients: A Literature Review." European Journal of Pain 11.5 (2007): 490-518. Web.
Institute of Medicine. "National Pain Strategy A Comprehensive Population Health-Level Strategy for Pain." National Pain Strategy. N.p., 2015. Web. 26 May 2017.
Institute of Medicine. Relieving Pain in America: A Blueprint for Transforming Prevention, Care, Education, and Research. Washington, D.C: National Academies, 2011. Print.
Inturrisi, Charles E. "Clinical Pharmacology of Opioids for Pain." The Clinical Journal of Pain 18.Supplement (2002): n. pag. Web.
Kertesz, Stefan G. "Turning the Tide or Riptide? The Changing Opioid Epidemic." Substance Abuse 38.1 (2016): 3-8. Web.
Kroenke, Kurt, and Andrea Cheville. "Management of Chronic Pain in the Aftermath of the Opioid Backlash." Jama (2017): n. pag. Web.
Lohman, Diederik, Rebecca Schleifer, and Joseph J. Amon. "Access to Pain Treatment as a Human Right." BMC Medicine 8.1 (2010): n. pag. Web.
Mcewen, Bruce S. "Protection and Damage from Acute and Chronic Stress: Allostasis and Allostatic Overload and Relevance to the Pathophysiology of Psychiatric Disorders." Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 1032.1 (2004): 1-7. Web
Morgan, Michael M., and Macdonald J. Christie. "Analysis of Opioid Efficacy, Tolerance, Addiction and Dependence from Cell Culture to Human." British Journal of Pharmacology 164.4 (2011): 1322-334. Web.
Rich, Ben A. "An Ethical Analysis of the Barriers to Effective Pain Management." Cambridge Quarterly of Healthcare Ethics 9.01 (2000): n. pag. Web.
Sessle, Barry J. "The Pain Crisis: What It Is and What Can Be Done." Pain Research and Treatment 2012 (2012): 1-6. Web.
Seya, Marie-Josephine, Susanne F. A. M. Gelders, Obianuju Uzoma Achara, Barbara Milani, and Willem Karel Scholten. "A First Comparison Between the Consumption of and the Need for Opioid Analgesics at Country, Regional, and Global Levels." Journal of Pain & Palliative Care Pharmacotherapy 25.1 (2011): 6-18. Web.

Cortisone Injections Stole To Much Of My Time And Well Being

Recently I started having some strange symptoms that I don't recall having before. Except for this one time, a few months ago, when I suddenly came down with something and I wasn't sure what happened. Then, just like that, it all disappeared. Luckily, I keep a pain diary for my pain management doctors and for my own research. (Yes, I still firmly believe that RSD/CRPS will be cured by some "regular" person who can fit all of the pieces of the puzzle together.)

Sure, I am 41 but, would menopause be something I should be concerned with right now? I wasn't sure and assumed maybe that was my problem and I started to get a little more sad than I expected I would when this occurs. I am done having babies at this point. (Jeez ums I would like to be under 75 years old when they all move out!) Or do I? I don't know. This was an issue I struggled with over the past few weeks. Maybe just the thought that the decision is no longer mine? I don't know. Either way, it's been a little scary, to say the least.

I haven't said much about all of this to anybody, except for my doctor, finally. My husband probably just thought I was being an annoying girl all along and had no clue what was going on. (I planned on saying something soon at some point because I was having difficulty with regular housework, errands, everyday life.) But, I think it was a little embarrassing and then I thought, if it is something even more serious, I won't be putting that burden on anybody. Not around the holidays.

Hot flashes, night sweats, heavier periods that never stopped and then, just came to a halt this month.  (But not the cramps, bloating, headaches or any of the fun parts of periods!), heart palpitations, heart burn, nausea, more aches and pains than "normal", stress, tightness in my chest sometimes, a lot of scary stuff. Of course, Google is a help but you have to be very cautious and take into consideration that you must talk to your doctor rather than self diagnose and sit up all night, worrying until the stress causes even more problems. However, it can be a relief too.

I started to try to think back at the last time this happened. Why was it 3 months ago when this started? If it were menopause or peri menopause, wouldn't this be consistent? At least each month? Why were my periods such a mess a few months ago and then they came back to normal after a bit? Did I do anything different? If it were something very serious, I would think there would be more signs, more symptoms, and they wouldn't suddenly stop and get back on track. Would they?

I went through every day from August through last week. Nothing changed. Gosh, the weather is almost the same! (We hit 72 degrees on Christmas day and I'm in Pennsylvania!) Although, it just started getting a bit colder. Food, medication, everything is the same. Maybe even healthier since I have been making a lot of changes all year. I sat here for days, and tried to pinpoint why this happened twice and I noticed that at the beginning of the year, I had a few similar symptoms written down that didn't match my usual symptoms. The only difference between now and the first time and the second time that was not as bad as now, is that everybody came down with a cold/sinus/sore throat/stomach bug that seems to be staying through until the new year. UGH!

Then I noticed that I had cortisone injections a couple of weeks prior to every single time I started writing about interrupted, heavier, periods, hot flashes, palpitations, etc etc. I only started getting cortisone injections in January of this year and they seem to work a little bit for my ankles but, they don't help 100%. (Every little bit counts though..) I had a cortisone injection in August, before we went to Cedar Point and I just went in for another one about 3 weeks ago. I used to get lower lumbar sympathetic nerve blocks and they just stopped working after several years so, I stopped bothering with those. I don't recall any side effects from those injections but, again, I am still fairly new to cortisone.

Each time I go in for cortisone injections, they give me the paper that explains all of what could happen and then you sign it. The doctors go over everything again but, there isn't anything about any of my symptoms. So, I thought I must be mistaken. There has to be something else. But, something kept telling me that this was it. So, I Googled a bit more and found countless threads, posts, message boards, all about the exact same problems and all were related to cortisone injections. It seems that doctors either have no idea or care to tell you about the other side of these injections. They usually just concentrate on the "possible infected injection site" and "chance this won't work or you end up with more pain" blah blah blah blah. But, it has to be tied together if several, and I do mean, several, other females are going through the same thing.

I emailed my doctor about this and heard back from a nurse who said that, "yes, yes indeed, this could all be related to the cortisone injections" But, I am to decide if it's worth the 20% relief from some of my ankle pain, (Again, this doesn't help RSD in any way.) It just helps arthritis and tarsal tunnel and bone and joint problems. and even then, it isn't enough that I want to sit here and waste yet another entire month of my life that I could be spending with my children, my husband, getting work done, and everything else moms do. I am annoyed, no, I am actually furious, that these side effects weren't explained to me and I wonder how many other females go through this, never knowing that it could be something as simple as a cortisone injection that is to help them. Not hurt them even more.
(Apparently there are a lot.) Which makes me then wonder, why aren't doctors telling their patients about these side effects??

So, I am almost back to "normal" since these hot flashes, palpitations, and just downright icky, scary, night sweats, menopause symptoms, or even pregnancy type symptoms at times, have subsided. I still don't feel like I'm back to my usual self but, I still have this stupid cold we have been passing back and forth for weeks. The only other problem is this period dilemma. I never thought I would ever in my life, say that I am anxious for my period! After a couple of weeks of a delay, I am hoping for it to just hurry along and get here so these nasty PMS symptoms can disappear with it!

Have you ever had a cortisone injection of any kind? I would love to read comments from anybody who has any advice or can share a similar story!

I am Fine, Thank You! (Not Really) How are You??

I have been going a bit nutty lately, (nothing really new, lol, but more so then normal).
I apologize beforehand if you are reading this and maybe are sick of hearing about RSD or CRPS or about how I am in constant, real pain, but I can't sleep right now, and I haven't been able to catch up very good lately on anything with this blog, because of this awful disease. I am never, ever the type to sit here and wallow and think that I am worse off then anybody else, I am the opposite, but I do have days when I am in pretty bad shape. That has been pretty often lately...
I am actually anxious to be going to my family doctor first thing in the morning because even if I don't have health insurance right now, I need a trustworthy person to talk too, and hopefully re evaluate and re structure my pain management. I also like to hear from time to time that I am not crazy, because sometimes I wonder how this is possible and how can I be in this kind of shape, I mean, I don't "look" disabled, and my life isn't threatened in any way, I am just in constant, consistent, pain.
So, I wrote up my pain diary, 5 pages, both sides, covers the last week or so, and i am hoping he has the time to listen to the newer additions to the now, 40 layers of pain that I go through at any time. I need a new plan or some sort of hope, something to look forward to, I need to be able to catch up with books, book reviews, and housework, coupons, my little ones, and get back in the swing of things. But the newest symptoms have led to some rather horrible days and nights, some where I can barely move and I have to at the least, have some sort of way to get the newer pain, to come to a halt. I am planning on soon raising enough money for Calmare therapy, which isn't covered by insurance anyway, and is going to cost a little, and some travel. But not to much, and I am able to see the light;)
Instead of being "hit" with pain episodes, I am "hit" with small, short fragments of bearable pain, or enough strength to force myself to do what a mom, or a wife, or a human, or a blogger has to do, and wants to do. When I am "hit" with these good times, I spend most of the time, frantically trying to figure out what in the world I can quickly accomplish, often times, I only figure it out by the time the burning, or the tingly, electric shock pain start. Then I am back to being "me' again.
If you ask me what RSD is, I would have to say I don't really know! Other then the R standing for REFLEX and the S for SYMPATHETIC and the D for DISORDER, I have been diagnosed 6 years ago with this, and still have no idea what to do or what to expect. I have no clue as to what is normal, I don't know really anybody to communicate with who knows exactly what I am going through. I have some friends online, but this disease seems to be very different in all of us.
What I do know, is:
I have dealt with chronic pain for several years. I finally gave in and had reconstructive foot and ankle surgery about 6 years ago, it failed miserably, and the surgeon kinda just shooed me away and referred me to pain management. They basically said, "You have RSD, physical therapy, medications, injections, nerve blocks, blah blah blah" Well, I got nerve blocks, epidurals, they helped a little at first, then gradually stopped helping at all. (Sorry!! I am trying to make this as short as possible, I don't want to bore anybody!! Lol!!)
What I make of this 'disorder" is, it seems that any type of trauma, pain, injuries, pregnancies even, even bug bites, sunburn, anything that maybe caused any type of pain, on any level, is repeated over and over and magnified on so many levels.
My RSD started in my feet and ankles, and started to spread to my legs, my knees, then to my hips, then my back, jumped to my right eye, now my whole back, and the limping causes more issues, and I still have tendons that are torn, bones that are crushed, and metal that needs taken out of my ankles.
Each part of the affected parts have had some sort of trauma, and I started to realize this when I started getting a piercing, sharp, burning pain in my right eyeball. The ankle, feet and leg thing was going on for a while before my RSD set in, so that was pretty understandable. But my back, apparently just spreading??
Then I finally got a tattoo I always wanted, which is on the top of my back, I absolutely love it!! It really didn't hurt when I got it, but now, I am ALWAYS being tattooed! Crazy!! It hurts very much, always burns, always sharp, razor type slicing in my skin, and nothing seems to help.
The most recent of my pain, just the last few months, I thought I was going insane, for real this time.
I have 4 children, 2 boys, and 2 girls, ages 20, 9, 5, and 2. My pregnancies with the little women weren't bad at all, a breeze actually! The boys, way different story! Twice as much weight gain, and twice the cramps, and the contractions!! OMG!!! My 9 year old, caused some pretty intense back labor, not long, (all of my babies were born within 3 hours, and got less time with each one), but the intensity was terrible and even though it immediately stopped the second he was born, it left lots of achy, dull pain behind! My 2 year old, yikes! I had this horrifying squeezing, like a snake, squeezing my insides and letting go every few minutes, both of these contraction types are now happening on a regular, daily basis today. (NO!! I'm not pregnant;)
I guess one of the points I am trying to convey here is, I have no idea what is happening to me!! I have found that everyday is different! Odd things like certain noises really hurt and radiate on so many levels! I have hot, burning welts that appear out of nowhere on my legs! Contractions every morning for a few hours, and sometimes they last all day, and I really need them to stop!! I need some answers, some sort of light at the end of the tunnel, and I would love if any of you have any advice or tips or know anybody with this disorder that maybe has had any relief from anything.
I have to get it back under control, it seems I had it under control, it didn't fade, but I was used to it. But, everytime something new starts, it takes a while to understand what is happening, and well, to get used to it. I really miss my normal life, and I hate that some of my children never really knew the real me. They only know me as this mom who limps around, and can't take them to the park, and can't get up and down steps, and can't get everything done.

Noxicare Natural Pain Relief Cream Review and Giveaway

Some of you might know a little about me, and my diagnosis with RSD about 6 years ago, (among other chronic pain issues), so I guess it wouldn't come as a surprise that I would have a review and giveaway for some pain relief cream;P
I have to be honest, I haven't heard of Noxicare natural pain relief cream until this review opportunity, but I will say that out of all of the ointments, creams, roll ons, and all these supposed topical pain relief products, I certainly will be adding Noxicare to my mix of RSD HELP!! I also am not so sure that I ever really seen any other brand claim they would help RSD type pain, but I asked them and they said yes indeed, and they are right...I actually started this review, with an attitude, I really never would have imagined that a cream would provide any amount of relief whatsoever. Of course I will never find a cream, a pill, anything, that will take all of the pain away! It unfortunately is not possible. But, when a few things are taken, done, together, and they all add a little bit of actual relief for chronic pain/RSD/CRPS, you will be certain to keep those items as close to you as possible;)
Noxicare is an all natural pain relief cream that can be used for several types of pain. Tension headaches, neuropathy, arthritis, athletes, Musculoskeletal Pain,and fibromyalgia. I have quite a few things going on, which leads to a lot of problems, since there is always something that something is for, and then I have to take a different pill, or get another procedure, for the next pain dilemma. Noxicare actually just about covers all of it, with just this one cream.

These videos will have plenty of information for you, and there are many more on their site. You can check them out here!
One of the things that fascinated me the most about Noxicare, (of course the fact that it really did help me with my own pain), is what is actually in the stuff!
Turmeric ( root ) Turmeric has antioxidant and anti inflammatory properties.
Willow Bark ( bark ) Willow bark has antiseptic and anti inflammatory properties.
Ginger ( root ) Ginger has digestive aid and herbal catalyst properties.
Holy Basil ( root ) Holy Basil has anti viral and anti microbial properties.
Rosemary ( leaves ) Rosemary has pain reliever properties.
Alpha Lipoic Acid ( found in vegetables and animal protein ) ALA has antioxidant properties.
Boswellia ( leaves ) Boswellia has anti inflammatory properties.
taken from Noxicare's site:
Noxicare is based on 7 proven natural remedies that have been used for centuries. Founder Dr. Reza Ghorbani chose each centuries-old ingredient not only because of its proven singular effectiveness for different types of pain, but understanding that each ingredient served as a catalyst to the other ingredients to boost the effectiveness of the formulation as a whole.
Well, makes perfect sense to me, and anything is better then most of what a chronic pain patients options are, so....
Again, I can not say that this cream took away all of my pain, and I was able to run and walk and skip and jump! Noxicare doesn't make that claim anyway, but what this product will possibly do for you, is together, with any other pain remedies, work together, much like the ingredients in Noxicare, when combined, and provide you with a much more painless day.
My other favorite points about Noxicare, it is NOT greasy, it does NOT smell bad at all, matter of fact, the cream is pleasant smelling and very light, definitely not what I was expecting. (Considering others I have previously tried)
I noticed they also have capsules on the way, the website says summer of 2012, so I am going to be checking back for those!!
of course there won't be enough to cover half of my body, or anybody who has full body RSD or any kind of pain, but I use this mainly while on the computer, after working at the bar, or when I will be doing housework and things. I use it for the tops of my feet, which are typically the worst pain, and my ankles. It would cost a fortune to get enough of this to cover both legs, and feet and ankles and my lower back, lol, so maybe we can talk Noxicare into selling vats at a discounted rate?
I am pleased with this product, and the fact that I will get relief from some of my sharp pains, sudden stabbing pains, and even a little of the electrical shock and fire, burning pain, when in my ankles or feet, have been letting up a bit when I apply this cream!! (Thank you!!!!)



I don't have an issue with the price, ($19.95 for a 3.5 oz tube) although, I wish it were a little cheaper but compared to others, this is more then reasonable.
Plus, I did notice that they have a Facebook page, and a Twitter page, and I was happy to see an active giveaway and a tab for savings, so.... I will just be sure to grab when I see deals;)
I would be very interested in any ideas, thoughts, your reviews, what do you use for pain relief? What have you tried? What pain syndrome have you been diagnosed with? (if diagnosed at all)
I know it sometimes, like in my case, takes several years, before you can find a dr you can trust and who knows what is going on. I am very content with my current doctor and my pain management team. Although, there are a few things I wish I could try, but with no referral, approval, or even insurance payments, some "experimental" type procedures are not acceptable. I am thinking very hard about doing something about Calmare Therapy, which is not covered by insurance and not well recognized. But I have been seeing and hearing many good things about this!
ONTO THE GIVEAWAY!!!!!!!!!!!!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Dear RSD,

I am not sure if you know who I am, or who my family is, and I was wondering if you knew how our lives have changed since you decided to take over.
I don't appreciate the sleepless nights, or the arguments it causes, or the missed free time I have for errands, grocery shopping, or time with my children. I also don't appreciate the many different layers and types of pain and no matter the weather, the severity of the pain, and my children don't care for it either, especially since we can't go for walks, since I can't walk on uneven surfaces, up or down hills or steps, or even for a half block. And that's if I can lift my feet up at all. Thanks by the way, for the enormous amount of pain and crushing feeling on the tops of my feet and ankles, and the forceful pain that makes it impossible to lift my feet to take a step!
My children and I also don't particularly care very much for the fact that I can't coach a soccer team anymore, or help out with different activities for school. And although we do enjoy shopping online, it would be nice to shop at a mall, and be able to get through the mall, and even a grocery store, the whole way through without having to pay for the walk later.
We also aren't real thrilled about the missed work, and income, and the medical bills. My husband and I especially thank you for all of this! I am disappointed with lots of different parts of my life since you forced yourself here, and turned our house upside down. Everything from my job, our income, our children, medical expenses, medications, some that have made me ill, most that make me tired, groggy,unable to do things with my family as often as a mom should be able too.
You have made it impossible for me to walk through an amusement park, which by the way, was one of my favorite things to do, and I had fun with Bethany, our oldest daughter, going on all the roller coasters. I also looked forward to Aaron, Genevive, and Deegan, to grow up, and go with me to places like Hersheypark, and we always plan on taking small field trips to museums and fun places the kids would have so much fun at, but can't until Deegan is a little bigger and can walk around places like that all on his own, without wanting to be held, since I can no longer carry a child and walk more then a few steps at a time.
I miss wearing regular clothes all the time, and I do miss shoes a great deal! I miss being able to shave my legs, and not "prepare" to shave for 3 hours beforehand, with very hot water and 9 times out of 10, I can't shave anyway. I miss not having to be embarrassed when I at least can wear capris, and have to have slippers on and not be able to cover up my giant swelled up legs, especially my ankles. Why doesn't the swelling ever go down???
I miss not having to take tons of pills, I am happy that I don't take all of them, even with half, I have no idea most days, how I will get through the day without them and I hate the headaches that come from some.
I miss being able to drive for long periods of time, and drive without pain, I miss being able to sit without having to shake my legs around and have to take a few minutes each time I get in and out of the truck and having to prepare myself for the brutal pain that's coming after I get in or out! I miss working without pain, well, at least half the pain would have been ok, but you had to come and take over my entire body.
I miss my shopping and coupon trips with my mom, pain free days, walking with my children, Deegan has very rarely been in his stroller, I miss being able to go out for a few drinks with my husband and I miss having family and friends over for drinks and food and boxing matches. I miss the way I was once able to live and I would appreciate it if you would please give it all back.
I am sick and tired of the embarrassment, the swelling, the red welts that burn like fire that appear and disappear on my legs, my giant ankles, the electric shock pain, the feeling that my legs are on fire, the tingly pain that never ever goes away, the crushing pain on the tops of my feet, the crunching pain in my ankles, the numbness in parts of my feet, my ankles and my legs, the part when it feels like cinder blocks are on top of my feet,making it hard to walk or even limp and I have to then drag my feet behind me in order to move, the goofy colors and changes in my skin and nails, the bruises and discolorations on my legs and ankles and feet and how the burn blisters that I get from time to time when I didn't burn myself, and how they take months to heal. I hate feeling like I am burning from the inside out, and the prickly, stinging feeling that travels up and down my legs, all day and night. I can't stand the part where if I get sunburn on my legs, the pain from it is magnified a million times, and Noxema doesn't work anymore. The same thing with mosquito bites, every time we go camping, I am stuck with giant, ridiculous mosquito bites that burn and hurt a thousand times more then normal, and they never go away and nothing not even Bactine helps! I am sick of how the bug bites and sunburn come back to haunt me, it seems, throughout the year, as if you are just reminding me of the pain again and again. I hate the ice cold and bluish purple bruises on my right leg and how it gets ice cold, Sometimes when it hurts to wear anything, socks, slippers, pants, I just want to scream!! I have been trying to find relief and it doesn't seem possible.
And when will you seriously stop spreading? I really hope I don't find out at the eye doctor today, that you indeed did spread to my eyes. What happens then? Where will you show up next?
I do have to thank you at the same time, although I am disgusted and in horrible pain this morning, I must say that thanks to you, there have been some positive things happen due to this mess you have put me in.
I have had quality time with my children and husband, with all of the missed work, we have had to find more frugal ways to live, and that is a very valuable lesson to learn, and we have relearned a few things. I do believe everybody needs to re learn some of these types of lessons several times throughout their lives, just so they aren't forgotten. I have also found a neat outlet online with blogs and social media, and I have learned a lot of new things about all of this. I also met a lot of wonderful people online, and I do still have my legs, whether they work or not, they are still there.
But please all I seriously want is some relief, and if I can't have that, can you just please not spread anywhere else? I don't believe our family can take anymore, and I really hope you will just leave my eyes alone.
I would appreciate it! Thank you for your consideration.
I wish I could say it has been my pleasure, but it hasn't.

Brandy Oliver

Learning How to Deal With CRPS or RSD

Just a few days ago, I think I finally realized that this isn't going to get any better.
I have always had a very hard time accepting things, life changing events, and things that aren't what I would prefer were happening. Not that I try to pretend that it isn't really happening, or that I act like
it isn't there. But, I try to steer clear of discussing my fears and have always tried to stay strong and be happy, no matter what.
One thing I will never understand is how some people go through horrifying life changing events, and how they stay strong, and I will never understand why and how people get through chronic diseases, being told they will die from something, or that they have only a few months to live, etc etc. These things bother me, and I have a problem with trying to imagine what it would be like to be that person, and how I would cope. I feel sorry for these people, and families, and I feel guilty sometimes that I am happy and content where I am, and that I complain about things that seem so irrelevant, when there are people out there living in the streets, dying from cancer, and being told that their child just passed away from cancer. I think this is why I have always taught my children, and myself, that there is always somebody worse off then you, no matter what. This is true, and it helps to cope with things that are happening in my life that aren't what I would consider, positive.
I believe this is also a fault in some ways, and I tend to then overlook what is happening in my own life, and when I am in pain, I think in my head, over and over, to stop complaining, because all I have to do is turn on the TV or the Internet and I will see somebody who has it much, much worse then me. That normally stops me from being so miserable about my own life and situation.
I still can't grasp the fact that I have a real disease and that even though I may not die from it, I have had to endure and will continue to endure, some fairly rough changes. I tend to feel selfish when I think about what I think may be "small" changes in my life, but then again when I look at what has changed in my life, how it has affected my husbands life, my children's life, and others around me, I start to think that RSD is a pretty awful disease. I would never wish this on anybody, and feel terrible for the "new" RSD sufferer's I meet online and at my doctor visits. They have no clue, I think to myself.
It has been several years since I have had to deal with constant pain. It started a long time ago, back when I was a teenager, when I would walk to the mall, school, my friend's houses. I just assumed it was weak ankles and I did walk a lot! Plus, it wasn't constant, yet. I did have some sprains and joint pain, and never thought for even a second that this pain would end up following me through the rest of my life.
When I was a mom for the first time, I took my little princess everywhere;) We would walk in town to eat lunch, shop, and walk around the malls and shop, lol. We would go for walks, and go to the park, and a few years later, when she was a toddler, I also started working a few jobs, (I guess to pay for all the shopping lol!!) I always waitressed, and also took a few pt jobs when I could, normally seasonal, at toy stores, video game stores, (they always at least gave a nice discount for employees;)
Anyway, my point is, I was on my feet, much longer then normal, and I figured that was why my ankles hurt like crazy. I have been a bartender since 18, (just about 20 years now), and as much as I love my job, it seems this is the real always opted for a walking cast, although now, I have no idea as to why the patient was allowed to choose this option! But, I wanted to make sure I didn't miss work, or anything else that is important to me, and having a cast would have driven me nuts!
Thanks to my ridiculous choices, I ended up with several busted bones in odd spots that just never healed and arthritis, a couple torn tendons, and of course some major pain! But yet, I still tried to hold treatments off. I just didn't have the time to deal with such an issue, and I didn't seem to have a doctor any of the times that I did break a bone, who told me that it doesn't matter what I have time for. So, I continued down this path of being, well, a complete moron lol!
Years later, I finally had enough, after lots of arguing with my husband and my mom, and the fact that I really couldn't walk without limping and crying in pain with each step, and sometimes, I couldn't lift my feet off the ground, I couldn't wear shoes anymore, due to the pain and severe swelling. I had/have to drag my feet, due to some unseen force that makes it impossible to lift either foot, (typically my left is much worse)
I went every month for about a year, each time with even more swelling, and pain, and it definitely wasn't getting better. He finally sent me for x rays and sure enough, had a few page report from the hospital about my feet and ankles. He had already started to search for somebody to help me, and was having a hard time doing so. Quite a few doctors stated, "I wouldn't know where to begin", or "I would rather not be involved with that mess". I should have realized then what exactly that meant, and I wish I would've searched for a surgeon, rather then accept the first one who said they believe they can help me...
Finally, after another year, I had my reconstructive foot and ankle surgery done. She was going to do my right foot and ankle a few months after the left one, but due to all of the unforeseen circumstances, that never did end up happening.
I will have other posts about this ordeal, and I am sure you are getting bored and wondering when this will end, lol, so I will skip some of what happened next. (You are welcome:)
Anyway, a few months after this "surgery", my surgeon would no longer see me, return calls, or give me a note to return to work. I went in the horribly busy facility and demanded to be seen and finally a nurse came out with a referral to see pain management and even though I couldn't walk, and they knew what job I had, she asked if I feel I can go back to work, I replied, "I don't know how, but I have too! This is why I have been trying to get a hold of my surgeon!" and she stated that she can't release me for work until I just answer the question with a "Yes", so I did, and she quickly wrote a note and told me to make an appointment with pain management.
I am very grateful for my pain management doctor, She is really an excellent doctor, and so are all the nurses and staff. I do feel I am getting the best care and treatments I can get at this office, whether I like what is happening to me or not. The diagnosis I received, RSD, or CRPS, I had never heard of, and had no idea what either meant. I asked tons of questions and they answered them all, and no, I did not/do not like the answers, I am happy I have a doctor I can trust.
For the past few years I have had to cancel quite a few appointments and reschedule and I hate doing that, but I have 4 children, 3 that are still pretty little and have their own appointments and the travel time is tough, plus, I know now what some of the answers are and some days I just don't feel like being let down again.
I figured the last few years, that this will go away and I will get better, and I keep thinking positively. Even though I have yet to meet somebody who has "gotten better", other then the small possibility of a remission period, I kept thinking that there has to be a cure, there has to be somebody who knows how to fix this. I had lots of hope for the future of this disease and for myself.
I can't do a lot of things anymore that I once could, even with the amount of pain I had before RSD, I was still able to do certain things, and as much as it hurt, I just dealt with it and did what I could, of course a HUGE part of me is very, very stubborn.
I can't work like I once could and I can't figure out how to make up the income I have lost over the years. My husband works like crazy with our small trucking business. (he is our only driver;) and so I started the online earning opportunities. However, a lot of the time, sitting and even lying down, are much more painful and almost impossible, compared to walking or standing.
I am always trying to find ways to earn money, so I can stay away from having to apply for disability, I feel like I would be giving in if I apply, just as I felt when I finally gave in and took advantage of my handicapped parking placard. So, we have been doing without some things, and I do work pt at the bar, and I work on my blogs. But until we win the lottery, or until I end up as big as some other bloggers out there, I need to do something.
I don't know what it was, maybe the new layers of pain that just started last week, or the realization that this just keeps spreading and getting more painful and harder to sleep at night or walk or sit. But, I feel that if I apply for disability, I am succumbing to this disease and that is one thing I do not ever want to do. Stubborn or not, I have to do something. It is for my family, and I think that is what finally got to me
I consider this a fault of mine. Not wanting to accept things like this and just when I think there can't be anymore new types of pain, worsened pain, more spreading, there is. I started to wonder just last week, when does this end? Does it spread to your whole body? What happens next?
I am still learning about this disease, and what I am learning, I am not to thrilled about.
I will be starting my adventure on finding help and accepting my "fate". I do hate this and I hate to have to depend on others and I am not looking forward to this , don't think I have a choice anymore.
If you have any suggestions, tips, advice, on RSD/CRPS, disability, anything, please feel free to comment below!! I enjoy meeting people who share this horribly painful disease with me, and I hope to help others out there too!
In the meantime, please consider donating for RSD Awareness! There are tons of beautiful RSD angels out there, and they long for people to be aware of what happens to us, what RSD is, what it does, and maybe to help find a cure.