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!

No Pain No Gain?

It's funny how pan/chronic pain works. Sometimes, a new layer of pain just hits you out of nowhere and you wish for it to subside a bit or just go away for good but it usually always just sneaks up on you again. (If it disappears.) It's like having a new "demon" and just when you think you can not handle anymore, BOOM! Here comes more pain layers, just to prove you wrong unsure emoticon
Your first thoughts are, "When will this go away?", "Why is this happening?", "I can't live like this!"
and then, you go to get your xrays, mri's, ct scans... sometimes they come back and say maybe it's just getting worse. Maybe it's just hitting the next level. Or, oh, there seems to be more going on in there. Your plantar fasciia ruptured, (or fill in the blank with whatever bone/tendon/joint/tissue).... and the horrific words, "There really isn't anything we can do but help manage the pain."
Depression sets in and you hate yourself and everything makes you sad. Your kids say, "Mommy, I thought they were going to fix your ankles and feet so you can run again?" and you just collapse and hobble to the bathroom to cry without anybody looking.
That typically lasts for a few days, maybe a week.
Then you start to get stubborn and refuse to accept it. You Google search as much as you can, is there anybody out there who can fix me?
You laugh and say it doesn't matter because it isn't going to hold you down and you refuse to accept that this is just the way it will be.
Then, you try and focus on the fact that, "Somebody is always worse off." and you even see FB posts of those who are worse off. It's not that it helps you feel better. I don't wish for anybody to suffer. But, it puts my life into perspective and reminds me to stay strong.
So, you end up realizing finally, that you're not going to get better. This is it. Meet the new you.

 "Hello, new pain. It's nice to meet you. I hope to gain something out of our time together. Possibly you will teach me new things or make me aware of something I never knew?"
No, usually the new pain doesn't answer. But, it'll always let you know it's there. The throbbing, burning, searing, electrical shock, stinging, cramping, cracking, popping, pounding signals that always lets you know, "You're still alive!"
Sure, there will be days when you just want to sit and cry. There will be days you wish you could wear shoes, take your kids to the playground, play soccer in the yard with your kids, walk through a store without needing a cart or shelves to keep your balance and all of those other fun things other people get to do.
There will be days when you just want to hide and not have to go outside only to be stared at because of your enormous, elephant legs, or your huge ankles or the stupid clothing you have to wear because everything hurts when it touches your skin.
Then you start wishing you could buy the newest, brightest sneakers that came out, shave your legs regularly and maybe walk like a regular person does.
But, after a few bouts of crying, wishing, hoping, praying, you have no choice but to get right back up and fight.
There aren't any choices anymore. You just HAVE to deal with it and there isn't anything anybody can do to take it away.
Just accept that this is you and count your blessings now.
It makes me laugh when people ask, "Why would you get such a stupid tattoo? Why on earth would anybody want Pinhead on their back?" LOL well, after laughing and replying with some smartass comment about how it is none of their business, if the person is still listening or shows some kind of interest...(this maybe happened 3 times LOL) then, i'll start to explain the reason. (Not that it's any of their business, but sometimes people are just curious.)
 I always did love horror movies, especially Hellraiser. Pinhead has always been the coolest horror dude out there lol, (to me at least.)
I always thought it would be the neatest tattoo ever, (and I can't wait to be able to get finished!) but, since my dilemma with chronic pain/RSD/bones/tendons whatever else is on my "list" on my medical papers, the movies, the story, the meanings behind some of my favorite Pinhead quotes, lol, made more sense. Maybe they are just my meanings, since some of the meanings seem to have changed to more inspiring things, that fit my battle to a T.
As stupid as it sounds to people, it has helped to inspire me and helps my outlook on life and where I am and who I am today.
I used to laugh at the Nike quote, "No pain, no gain" but over the past 10 years, I've found that to also have new meaning too. I don't know if Nike meant to do that. But they did. Even if I can't wear their sneakers lol.
So, now, I'm in this place, sure it's very painful and it hurts in more ways than one. But, I accepted it and will focus on gaining more strength, mentally and physically. I found new hope, maybe it's ridiculous.But, I will be focusing more on my left side, hoping for some surgical procedures, injections, etc and the left can be my crutch for now. Well, when and if I can manage to get it on track.
I will not sit in a wheelchair just yet. I firmly believe I have millions more steps to take and I won't give in to these disorders/ortho issues, at all.
I know there are many, many people who have no choice and I also know there are people who are bed ridden and I am very sorry for them. I wouldn't wish any of this on my worst enemy.
All I know, is that for me, I won't go down without a fight and I will continue to make whoever it is who keeps throwing these hurdles at me, really angry.
I also won't let sadness and depression get the best of me. I just don't even have time for that, at all. Sure, I am sad quite a few times a day and some days are better then others but, I can't let go of that thread of sanity that connects me to the rest of the universe.

Knock Me Down I'll Just Come Back Running...

That has been my motto for many years, well, as long as Tool has been around ;)
I try my best to live by this, no matter how hard it gets and it really does get hard some days. Being positive and grateful for what you have, is just one of those little things I learned as a child. I try to teach my children the same, I think I'm doing ok...

I recently started a couple of other blogs so I could use one as my "pain diary" and maybe use the other as an extension of this blog but maybe slightly different, more for personal opinion about current events and such. I have so many notebooks, filled with thoughts, opinions, viewpoints, dated with notes on specific events, anything and everything that pops into my head. But, this pain diary blog is constantly trying to get into 1st place lol.

I keep putting it off, I don't like to dwell on negative things. Especially when I feel like I am dwelling on my own problems and drama and I know so many people are going through so much.

There is always somebody worse off than you... (That is just another one that keeps me going.) Even though it makes me more sad than anything. I don't like to see or hear that anybody is suffering, it is to depressing. But, it also sure puts your own life into perspective.

The ups and downs are usually evened out but it seems some days that everything just goes downhill. Yep, and it also seems to hit all at once! I swear, when to many things are going right, I am just sitting on edge, waiting for that one "bad" thing to happen and like dominoes, everything will start to topple over. It doesn't have to be that way though, right? There is always that silver lining?

Friends and family are often rolling their eyes at me because I am always able to find one thing, even if it is super tiny, there is always something that we gain from everything that happens to us through our lives.

I know, this post is kind of all over the place, lol, but I have a point somewhere, I think. Maybe I'm just trying to find that silver lining right now and writing helps me with that. If I put my thoughts on paper or draw an outline or type, something comes up and my mind starts going towards the "good side". I guess I am trying to find that right now.

Ok, so, I recently found out that I have a tendon issue, again. That icky, stretchy rubber band like thing that connects your heel to the rest of your foot, the "Plantar Fascia" is the medical term for it. Well, it ruptured and I live with chronic pain/nerve pain/bone/joint/everything pain on a regular basis. This new pain, is a bit above what I have had to deal with so far. I'm shocked to be honest. I mean, I have counted now, about 56 different layers of pain with all of my ailments and all of a sudden, here comes something new and something I haven't experienced yet. I have had a ruptured achilles tendon in my left foot and that was eye watering and was enough to knock me down. BUT, I got back up.

I can't see it this time, I don't know why. Maybe because this rupture is in my "crutch", my "better foot". Now, I don't have a crutch. (Unless there are walls around.) I feel so sorry for anybody who has to endure any amount of pain and I wish there was enough information out there to maybe help chronic pain patients. It seems it is easier for doctors to give us a whole new face and body then it is to treat chronic pain, successfully. Sometimes, I wonder if maybe somebody who isn't a doctor has the ultimate answer to this pain dilemma.

Originally, when all of this started happening to me, I thought it was to slow me down, force me to spend more time with my family and make me stop working all of the time and just rest and relax and stop moving 24/7. I am still a very busy person, even busier then before. But, I am at home with my family a lot more and able to do a lot more with them. I have been blessed with a pretty sweet husband who helps a ton and also is able to provide for all of us so that I am able to work online and grown my business and work just once a week at my job. Or vacation as I call it :D I do get out of the house once a week and work and it is a bonus since I don't have laundry, dishes, cooking, kids screaming, fighting with each other, or 3000 things to do al at once. I do like that though, it's my "normal" and if 3000 things aren't happening all at once, I start to go crazy.

Every time I start to accept my new "normal", something else starts or something goes wrong or something breaks, tears, rips, ruptures, spreads, but, after it's all said and done, I end up enjoying my new "normal" and I find a way to figure it out. We find a way to figure it out. 

I have been learning so much, maybe that's the goal here? I'm not sure. But, if so, I am actually anxious to see what I am going to learn next! I spent the last decade, learning and researching and studying so many things! Everything from weather, to making a lot of our products, blogging, social media to organic and all natural lifestyles, to new cooking and baking tips and tricks to reading lots and lots and lots of good books! We make so many crafts and so much of "our own" everything at home and we have a lot of fun doing it. Maybe something else will pop up and end up being my new hobby or my new project that I try to turn to my new "expertise"?

Accepting the pain, no matter how bad it is, seems to be the way I can manage to live with it. Unfortunately, I have lost faith in anybody helping me to alleviate any of the pain, at least any more then it is already managed right now.

While I would give anything to get rid of some of this pain, I would never, never trade anything in the world, for what I have learned over the past 10 years.

Update On My RSD And Bone And Joint Debacle

I spent the day at Hershey Med Center and got some good news!!
 I have an awesome surgeon who will schedule surgeries, whenever I want them. But, only surgeries to cut scar tissue out, remove some metal and somehow take some rheumatoid arthritis out so that I can have a little pain relief from injections.
I can get a series of 3 injections, 3 times per year and they actually help the top of my left foot and I'll be able to move it a bit better, just for a month, so, I have to schedule them for the best times. The first few days are way more intense then my regular eye watering, ear piercing pain levels, but, it subsides and helps that 1 section. (which is 1 of the worst, because, I can't lift my left foot up and it always feels like there are cinder blocks on the top of my foot.)
I still won't be able to wear shoes BUT once neurology, rheumatology and pain management give him the go ahead, he can start more bone fusions and fix the distorted fusion I had done on the top of my foot.
I just have to go into some sort of remission before he even thinks of scheduling those surgeries, but, at least I can have the others for now
It wasn't more than 2 months since my last emg, mri and blood work, but at least nothing went downhill as of today's tests, so, that's also kinda cool. 

This winter has been crazy for pain! Well, this winter has been horrible for many things! No internet service, ice storms, snow storms, high winds, wind gusts, below 0 temperatures, it has been freezing cold! There are days that Alaska was much warmer than Pennsylvania and I just can't believe that, lol. I can only hope that this is soon over and spring is almost here. I just want to open the windows, go outside without having to ice skate, start our garden and pick strawberries and chase the kids out the door everyday so they can play and get fresh air!! 

We have had a storm almost every 3 days since the beginning of the year. I know there are other areas that have had much worse conditions and some areas who have been getting hit with strange weather that they aren't really used too. Fortunately, we are used to this in PA. Well, maybe not the extreme cold and having ice storms so often, but the snow is pretty typical here. 

I believe the weather has a lot to do with my pain levels and on many different levels. Rain, snow, cold, humidity, wind, thunderstorms, snowstorms, ice storms, you name it. But, if I could just get outside, I would be so much happier!! 

I am looking forward to meeting with a fresh, new team of doctors once in awhile and getting some new brains in there to help try and figure out what we can do here. Hopefully, these injections will help for a little while, until I can get into a remission of sorts so that I can hit my new surgeon up for some, well, surgery. Not that I want any more surgery, but, some of this has to be fixed so I can get around a bit better. 

If you are a fellow chronic pain/auto immune/obscure disorder, neurological disorder patient, please comment and find me online! I always love to chat and sign up with support groups and meet new people. Sometimes just talking helps ;)

My Chronic Pain is a Blessing in Disguise

I keep thinking I should stop with this nonsense that I am going to find somebody to fix my weirdo problems with these obscure neurological disorders, bones, joints, tissue damage, missing tendons, LOL and whatever else I forgot to list. (I'm sure you get the picture.)
I've tried, for years, to find a doctor who would be confident and successful in trying to repair, even the slightest parts. (Since it requires a team due to so much going on.)
I feel bad a lot, because I am blessed. Believe me, even this chronic pain/neuro issues, have been a blessing in disguise. (In some ways.) 
When I think about whether I would trade in my ailments for my super hectic, fast paced, workaholic life again, I think I'd stick with this, since it has slowed me down a bit and has allowed me to work from home and spend more time with my family.
But, I feel bad a lot since I keep trying different doctors & specialists, thinking somebody, somewhere, one day, will have a solution for even 10% of this. There are people who have much, much worse going on and I know it could be worse and even though, living with serious pain, several layers of pain, not being able to do normal things, like, walk, run, jump, lift my foot off the ground, vacuum or use a hair dryer without electrical zaps going through my body for 3 days straight, certain sounds set off so much pain, (it's unreal!), not being able to shave my legs, wear jeans, shoes, walk uphill or downhill, up or down steps without it taking an hour, etc etc, is a bad place, it could always be worse.
I'm very stubborn and I believe that sometimes when you're fighting for something constantly, maybe you are a bit blinded to the consequences. I wonder if running to doctors, researching, trying to fix 1 part so that more can be fixed, etc etc, maybe will end up causing more problems in the long run? 
I took a big hit today. I had super, duper high hopes for this and it ended up being much worse then I was, (yes, it's temporary.) but, again, I'm told, "Well, this is last resort." Uh, how many times will I be told that? Lol! It's always, "this or that" "no more solutions", "this won't work", "this is it.", OK, SHUT UP! I don't believe it because I have been told this for a decade and they still say it and still come up with something.
I think the second I give up, it will consume me and I will end up in a wheelchair or the RSD will cover my body completely and I'll be in my house, 24/7  That's why I keep fighting and I'm getting worried I'm running out of options.
At the same time, I also believe that the more I fight, the more I push, the more problems can pop up. 
Yes, I try and use several all natural options but a lot of my issues are actually bone and joint issues, like, real ones that actually need fixed and nobody can fix it, yet.
Natural remedies help a little with MS & RSD but they to are temporary and also help a little, not a ton. (Which is fine and I'm grateful) but there are some layers of pain that NOTHING touches.
Those are the layers that I have a 50/50 shot with getting worse if I continue to fight. and every time I feel I'm getting closer, something comes and knocks me down further and adds even more of a dilemma.
Back to square one again  Completely unravel all I thought and did and start back at the beginning and add more drama to the twisted outline of things that need fixed before attempting a shot at remission so that more can be fixed so that more can be fixed so that more can be fixed, etc etc etc etc etc. It sometimes feels like a never ending road of insanity and it becomes so overwhelming that it takes over my regular, every day to day activities. (along with the pain, old and new.)
So, do I take a break?
Do I keep up being a stubborn, rebellious, hopeful person?
Or do I keep fighting and reading and researching and trying new things?

In Search of Fellow RSD Survivors

I don't know how many years I have to have this very strange disorder before any of it makes any kind of sense to me. Although, from what I understand, it doesn't seem to make a whole lot of sense to a lot of people, including many of our doctors and specialists.
Sometimes I feel like an alien from outer space, (It would be kind of cool to be a one eyed, mini, glowing, green martian!) but, really, most people tend to stop paying attention or even caring, after saying, "So, what is RSD?"
I know, it isn't the easiest thing to describe or explain, every day is different and I don't believe I have ever had 2 days that were the same, yet.
I keep a pain diary and try to find some sort of cause, solution, reasoning, anything but every time I think I am getting close to the culprit, it gets even more mysterious.
I wouldn't say I'm Horatio Caine or anything but I feel pretty close to a CSI. Maybe, if Horatio reads this, he can get down to the bottom of this within the hour?
What is my goal with this post? I'm not to sure just yet, I just feel the more I write about my struggles maybe somebody, somewhere will read this and say, "OMG! I know exactly what she means!!" Anybody, I don't care ;)
I have been blessed with friends, (online mainly.) I have found quite a few beautiful people who have big hearts and are fighting the same fight as me. The odd thing is, we aren't the same. None of our cases are the same. We may share some similar symptoms but something that causes a flare up in my friend, Mindi, won't cause one for me and vice versa.
Ok, so, maybe that is the point? Here I am!! Screaming across the internet for any sort of help, maybe advice, maybe let me hear your story and maybe hear mine? As interesting as this disorder is, (don't ask me why, maybe I am a nerd but science and the most peculiar things in the universe are some of my favorite things!)
I'm thinking of publishing my pain diaries on one of my new blogs, I think that will benefit me and more importantly, will help somebody else.
I write and write and write until I get these annoying lumps on my fingers, where the pen sits. Often, I do find that just getting frustrations out helps a lot but, the physical pain is still there. I think I have lost hope of being pain free at any point in my life but at the same time, this disorder has been nothing but a magical blessing in disguise.
If you are somebody who deals with chronic pain or neurological pain, please leave me a comment! If you have a blog, a Twitter, anything, I would love to follow you there and read what you are going through.
I truly believe that the cure for this is quite simple. I don't know what it is just yet but I assure you, it is on the tip of somebody's tongue and I won't lose hope.

#FastAdvil Please!!

* I received a sample and coupons from, Advil and Crowdtap, in exchange for my honest review of this product. My opinions and views are always my own. Free products, samples, affiliates and paid posts  will never change my honest opinion about any product or service.*


As many of you are fully aware, I have RSD. What is RSD, you ask? Well, it is usually pretty hard to explain, but I will try for the gazillionith time....
It is a neurological chronic pain disorder. Many people suffer from this but not all of us have the exact same symptoms, so I will share some of mine.
I have burning pain from my hips down through my toes. This is the most painful part and can last for hours or even days on end when I have an outbreak. Outbreaks are everyday, sometimes they don't seem to end. I also have electrical shock pain and this just comes and goes, as well as regular old soreness, aches, irreversible bone, tissue and muscle damage and rashes, discolorations, welts, hyper sensitive nerves, hyper active senses, hmmm, I actually keep a pain diary and have 43 different layers of pain but I won't force you to read all of that! This isn't school and if I were to list them all with descriptions, I would need an overhead projector and a pointer and I don't, so....
Anyway, on top of my alien like disorder, I was also diagnosed with MS a couple of years ago, after an accident. I can't claim expert on MS because, I really don't know much about what I am dealing with in that realm just yet.
I can tell you that I have had a long history of broken bones in my feet and ankles and some torn tendons, heel spurs and drop foot. All of this finally led to re constructive foot and ankle surgery, which led to this horrific chronic pain disorder.
I have a hard time finding any sort of pain relief, especially after a night of work or even a night at home. (One weird thing about all of my disorders and injuries is that it seems to hurt much, much more if I am resting and then stand up.) I also have a severe problem with swelling. I also can't shave very often due to my skin and nerves being so super sensitive.
I rely on pain medications to help me move, even though they don't work so well. So, I tend to try and find healthier approaches but again, there isn't much out there that alleviates all of this pain. I simply would like to find the perfect combo so that I can keep my pain levels down a bit so I can be a regular person.
(Well, I don't really want to be to regular, that would be super boring!!)
I have found that a good mix of hot water, elevation, no electricity, or at least a small amount of electricity, (I have a strange sensitivity to electricity that becomes very painful as well.) and sometimes heat pads, but most of all, something to make it possible to go to sleep and stay asleep.
I often use, Advil, it has always helped with swelling and made it easier to move and function throughout the day. I do like to have as much help as I can find, to get the edge off a bit.
A lot of people think a pain medication will take all of their pain away... this is not the case. Pain medicines, even prescribed medications, only take away the most brutal, sharp, stinging, excruciating pain that you sometimes deal with, or all the time deal with.
Advil is good for this. I have been a long time, Advil fan, for everything from headaches to after having a baby to migraines to breaks and sprains. Out of everything I have tried over my years on this planet, Advil was already the fastest acting medicine that I could find.
Another reason I always preferred, Advil, over all of the rest, was because of the coating. I have a hard time swallowing pills and can take a few minutes just to down one. This sucks, because, it starts to melt and taste chalky and that is one of the grossest things I have ever tasted.
Advil is coated, which makes it much easier for somebody like me to cope with.
Now, Advil came out with this new product, Fast Acting Advil Film Coated.
First of all, I was pleased with them to begin with and at first I thought, well, maybe it's just me and I won't notice much of a difference. So, I put these heaven sent pills to the ultimate test, after a 9 hour shift bartending.
I have a 30 minute drive home from work and when I get home, I can't get out of my truck very well. I end up sitting there for a while and trying to decide which foot to land on. I usually end up crawling to the porch steps to get into my house since my left foot will not move up at all, I have to use my right leg for support. Well, after a busy Saturday night at the bar, that side isn't even good enough to rely on.
I figured since the old Advil, worked fast enough, I would be able to take 2 of the new Advil, drive home and notice a difference by the time I got home.
(Oh, another form of pain relief for me is music, anything to help me escape.) I drove home listening to the newest 311 CD, screaming along with the lyrics as loud as I can. (That's just another form of therapy I like to use!), got home, parked and wondered how this was going to work....
I did notice the throbbing had calmed down some, I didn't even have the usual problems trying to press the gas and brake pedals and my ankles weren't as inflated as they usually are after work.
BONUS!!!
I am not going to lie and say, I was pain free! (That doesn't happen) but I will say, I am very impressed with, Fast Acting Advil. I didn't take my prescription medicine before I left for home, just the Advil, so I could have a proper review and the funny thing is that I noticed more of a difference with the swelling and throbbing more then with prescribed medications.
I have one more sample pack left and will be using this in the morning which is when my pain levels are through the roof! Plus, it is supposed to rain all night and day and I have a busy day filled with errands and a Halloween parade.
Would I recommend Fast Acting Advil? Of course. I would recommend this to anybody who has to deal with any amount of pain, no matter how big or small. My husband used a pack of these for his back pain and his headaches he seems to have every morning. He also reported that they helped quite a bit with swelling, which, we all know, leads to less pain!
I would highly suggest that you speak with your doctor regarding any possible allergies, drug interactions or pre existing conditions that would make it that you would not benefit with Advil, as you should do with any medicines.
Will I purchase Fast Acting Advil? Yes, matter of fact, I will be using one of the coupons I received, tomorrow.
I will be adding these with my pain regimen, mainly for weekends at work and for rainy or snowy weather.
I am not a doctor and I do not know the pain you may have, but I hope this review has helped you in some way. Maybe you relate to me or maybe you don't. I would love to read comments about your pain relief regimens, have you tried Fast Acting Advil? Did you notice the difference in the time relief starts? Have you ever thought about adding Advil for fast relief from swelling. headaches or minor pain or even breakthrough pain?

Please Treat Invisible Illness Sufferers with Respect

If you see somebody parked in a handicapped spot and they aren't in a wheelchair, bent in half, using a walker, please be decent and mind your own business.
They most likely are good at covering up any visible signs or there aren't any visible signs at that time.
Same goes for if you see somebody trying to climb into a bus because some jerkoff refused to let you have a handicapped spot because you have a history with the nasty bus driver and he's never been anything but very cruel to you, (that's a whole other story) and he happens to be the slob who is directing traffic and laughs and tells you there aren't any handicapped spots, even when you see them just fine and he laughs and tells you to get out and walk like the rest of the parents.
Ok, I will and thanks, because it took 30 minutes to walk and I missed a few classrooms at open house tonight.
I don't know how people can be so rude.
I couldn't get on and off the steps on the bus without crawling and the 1st bus driver threw a tantrum because he has a schedule to keep. The 2nd explained I shouldn't be scared and I can stand and use the railing like the other parents. Then of course, some ass behind me had to laugh and moan because he had to wait 30 seconds longer to get on the bus.
I hate having to explain what is wrong with me because I absolutely hate it. It hurts enough to have to be "abnormal" and not be able to do simple things.
I try my best to ignore a lot of symptoms, I cancel dr appointments most of the time and I don't pick up half of the medications I'm to take.
I would like to be a regular mom, a regular person, a regular wife, who doesn't have to crawl and can't complete simple tasks and can't do simple things like : walk up & down steps, walk on uneven surfaces or inclines, walk without dragging my foot, or feet, I mean, it isn't any freaking fun and besides all of that, it freaking hurts, terribly bad!
I'm not good at giving up and I'm very stubborn and I like to think of myself as a fighter, so, I'll keep fighting. But, have some freaking respect. Don't laugh and call somebody names or bitch because you have to wait an extra minute, and the ignorant faces just repulse me.
Maybe try having some compassion for once.
 You never know, you may get stuck here like me or the person you are laughing at.
(I just may slice the tendons in your feet and ankles just so you feel a fraction of what I feel, if you catch me on a bad day

My Uphill Battle

I believe this whole ordeal I found myself in, 8 years ago, after going through hell, and finally accepting the fact that I needed reconstructive foot and ankle surgeries, (which sealed the deal for this ridiculous RSD), was all for a reason. A few reasons really. Maybe I'll keep finding those reasons or maybe I'm just making this all up in my head? I don't know but even if I am just making them up, I guess it's my way of "coping"? This pain keeps getting worse, and lasts longer, and the things that gave some relief before, don't do much at this point. (No wonder this is called the suicide disease!! NO, I don't plan on ever doing that! But I can understand why somebody would find themselves in that situation, sadly.)
The days in a week that I can walk without hanging on for dear life are getting smaller, the hours in a day that I have to get things done and be without pain, or can even move, are getting shorter. 1 good thing is, it seems to have stopped spreading for now!! Maybe it will stay in my hips, down? I'm not sure..... But, I have days that are a little better then the last and sometimes, if I start to get upset, I end up thinking and realizing that this seems to be some sort of blessing in disguise. (no, this won't kill me, so I don't sit and dwell and mope very often, actually, that's rare. There is ALWAYS somebody worse off)
When I turned 14, (legal working age), on my 14th birthday, I ran to school to get my working papers, and found a job that same day. From that point on, I worked nonstop, sometimes 2 and even 3 jobs at a time. I am a major workaholic, working for everybody and anybody, rarely taking off, for years I'd leave 1 job and have an hour before I had to start the next job.
 I broke my ankles, my feet, sprained ankles, and I'd beg and plead with the doctors to please just let me have a walking cast, I promised to take care of it and stay off my feet, then I'd leave and go back to work.....never allowing for anything to heal properly. I canceled doctor appointments and figured if it doesn't hurt that bad, I'm fine, and invincible........until that started catching up with me. and even then, before we moved, it started to get progressively worse and I couldn't move or lift my feet off the ground all the time and the pain was starting to become unbearable, but, I kept working and tried to ignore it. I always figured nothing can stop me, and nothing will knock me down, so I kept doing it.
 I had to start taking nights off of work at the bar, and tried to cut a day out of my 7 day work week, then another, and another.....then, I finally found a job closer to our new town, and I worked like crazy there, but less then any other job I ever had. That went downhill pretty fast. Almost immediately after working there, it was almost impossible to lift my left foot off the ground, so I just started dragging and limping, causing my other foot to get worse.
So, I gave in and went to the doctor and got more xrays and they were all shocked I was even walking at all......so, surgeries were my only option. We couldn't find a surgeon who would do 2 reconstructive foot and ankle surgeries, we went through 6 of them, and they all shook their heads, or said, "I won't be able to help you. I don't know if there is anything I can do other then amputate, this mess" and I thought this was absurd! Surgeons can do organ transplants, give people a whole new face, how the hell are they going to say they can't fix a few issues with feet and ankles?? (well, lol, I guess it was more like 100 issues) So, I just kept jumping from surgeon to surgeon until I found one who swore she could do it, 1 at a time. The left would be in 2 surgeries, the right in 1. Ok, no big deal....well, it all went downhill rapidly.
Then, 1 day, while I was at work, I couldn't move. (Luckily there were a few friends there at the time, 1 also being a bartender/coworker), and I had to sit in the back, while she helped through my shift. I just couldn't do it. I made an appointment to get more xrays and they pushed my surgery date up since there was even more damage done, and I even tried to put that off. Just the thought of having to be on crutches and in a wheelchair made me mad, but I still went in, expecting to be back to work in 6 weeks.... and then it all went downhill, again. She screwed up my surgery, after a few more months, she said she wouldn't be able to finish it, nor would she do the other, and nobody else would even think about trying, so I was stuck. I called and called, asking for help, and a note to get back to work...nobody would help, again.
 My family doctor called and said I'm going to have to go to pain management, since everything was getting so much worse and all of these new, crazy symptoms were starting, that made absolutely no sense whatsoever......and so, I went, reluctantly, but figured they would say, "no worries! You'll be fine in a couple weeks!" But, they didn't.
 I'm not going to go into even more detail about this nonsense........my point started out as being why I think this happened to me. For one, I know this happened, to slow me down and spend more time with my family, for that, I am grateful for this disease.
 The 1 thing that has bothered me most of all when I get into these nutty moods, is that all my life, I didn't really have the greatest self esteem. I wasn't ever the type to dwell on this and think about it much, but it's the way it is. The problem is, I always prided myself on my work ethic, and skills getting a lot done, always moving, running, being the most efficient and fastest bartender ever, and having cool hair and I was able to wear a skirt without having to hide my damn legs. So, I was content.
 But this wicked RSD started in my feet and ankles, and almost immediately attacked my legs, now, its the whole bottom half of my body. I have to hide all the time, I can't wear skirts, unless I'm wearing leggings underneath, my ankles are swollen, discolored, I can't wear shoes, I have scars everywhere, after working, they turn black, even in summer I can't stand the welts, scars, purple, blue, black, scabs from being ripped open because they itch so bad 24/7, I can't shave my legs half the time, razors feel like they are pulling my flesh off, it's a mess.
But, still, I can deal with it. It just sucks. It's taken everything I had going for myself It's taken everything away, and it's only getting worse. (I only recently accepted that fact, because I firmly believe that a persons attitude and thoughts, have a huge impact on their health), But, even the best most positive attitude doesn't always help reality......so, that was another belief down the tubes. Which leads me to believe, on top of slowing me down and making it that I have more time to sit back and enjoy life and my children, this disease, in it's own psychotic way, is forcing me to find something else to be happy about with myself.......so, I'll be working on that, I guess ugh. But, maybe I'm being punished? Maybe when I find all these answers, (I've long since accepted and became part of the agonizing pain, even though it doesn't alleviate even half of it, but it has helped me deal as best I can), maybe I get the gift of remission????????

Grand Reopening, RSD, OH, and A Giveaway!!

I have a lot of super nifty things planned for this blog and a few others I have been working on, since I was out for a bit, due to health issues..
I am starting a "Grand Reopening" event, which includes giveaways for each week!
I will be posting more about our, "Grand Reopening" and everything we are adding and doing here, in the next few days.
So, for now, I am starting a giveaway, for a box of sample, trial and full size beauty products, that I personally love!!
This will be filled in more tomorrow, or this evening if I am not so busy at work :)
In the meantime, please enter as many times as you'd like, and share with friends!
Most of my readers from this blog, know I have RSD.. which is most of the reason I haven't been here very often in 2013, along with an accident that affected the beginning of the year last year.
No, RSD doesn't seem to disappear, but I am able to function quite a bit better these days, mainly due to medication changes and stopping the treatments that didn't seem to be doing much for me anymore, and a few changes to my schedule with my pt job, and little ones.
Of course, I will always have hopes for a cure, and I am always willing to try new treatments, so any recommendations any of you may have, would be greatly appreciated!!
Enough about that, (more on my life with RSD, some other time).........
I am more than anxious to get back to work on this blog, and I have tons of interesting things to write about and share with you, I am thinking, if it isn't busy at work tonight, lol, I just may be back to chat a bit more!
Please check out the Rafflecopter below, and enter and share with anybody you think would love to win this giveaway!
Our tabs and pages are under construction right now, so if you see a goofy page or an empty tab don't fret! It will be filled in with something so uber fascinating, in just a couple days!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Jow Natural Pain Relief Review

By now, most of my readers know a lot about my health issues, so I won't go to much into detail. But for any new readers, I do have RSD and have had chronic pain for several years, more so after a reconstructive foot and ankle surgery that didn't work out so good about 7 years ago. I was also recently diagnosed with MS and I also suffer from arthritis and a few issues that need fixed as soon as I can ever go into remission with RSD and possibly find a surgeon who is brave enough to fix up some ripped tendons and remove hardware.
For now, I have to just deal with it all. I have been through lots of shots, medications, treatments, all the home remedies, extra vitamins, and anything else that comes my way. I am also planning on figuring out how and where to gather the money needed for a treatment called, Calmare. (this is very expensive and a bit far to travel, but they can possibly bring pain levels down from a 10 to a 5, with boosters every now and again)
As soon as I hear about a new, all natural pain relief cream, or gel, I jump at any chance I have to try it out, and although I have found a couple that work pretty well, I don't find 100% relief. (and this is fine, since none of these companies have ever made such a claim, but as with other things, I am always on the lookout for something better, or at least something that can help alongside another product)
What is RSD? RSD stands for Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy or is sometimes called, Chronic Regional Pain Syndrome.
It is a chronic pain, neurological syndrome, that is actually a failure of the central nervous system. I guess in short, my nerves are hyper active and hyper sensitive in the affected areas, (it spreads, and sometimes rather quickly), I now have RSD in both feet, ankles, legs, hips, and into my back. My doctors have also suggested it has somehow managed to travel to my right eyeball, but I sure can't use any topical creams or gels there;)
I constantly have problems with swelling, since the nerves are hyper sensitive, it is very hard to even wear clothing sometimes, and the pain intensifies a lot, sometimes daily, and is mainly a very severe, fire, burning, and stinging pain, that is so deep inside, it literally can disable you at times.
Being a mom and a bartender, it is my daily priority to try my best to have at least a tiny bit of a low pain day, so when I try out these pain relief gels and creams, I start using them the second they get delivered!!
Since I have tried and posted about a few other pain relief creams in the past, I was trying to find the differences in Jow, and what makes it stand out. There are a few interesting things as a matter of fact, and just the fact that it is all natural, is a plus in my book!
Like I said, I have found others that provide some relief, and I actually have 2 different brands that I use on a regular basis. Both of those tend to help with different types of pain, and I found a 3rd type of pain that Jow has helped me with TONS!
Like I mentioned above, RSD pain is typically described as burning, I also have this deep electric shock pain that tends to penetrate so deep it really makes it hard to not cry, and it leaves me motionless. (this is common for me in the mornings, and at night). I actually keep a pain diary, and have counted 44 different types, or layers of pain, so my goal is to try to find something that will help with more then one layer, or at least tackle the biggest problem pains the best.
The stinging pain usually occurs in my thighs the most, and my heels. The electric shock pain usually starts in my hips and works it's way down my legs and into my heel, and when I walk, it starts in my heel, and shoots up the backs of my legs, it gets so bad, it really is enough to make me double over in pain. Interestingly enough, I have found that, Jow, works pretty well for both of these layers of pain. Of course it may not stop the "electric shock" pain from starting, (sometimes I have no idea when it will start or where from) but the throbbing, radiating pain that comes immediately afterwards, which usually turns into even more of the burning, has actually lessened quite a bit!
I thought it was a little odd that Jow, would help those layers, I mean, it's a gel, and even the prescriptions I have been taken for so many years, new, old, regular daily meds, NOTHING has taken that pain away, nor has it lowered the level at all. So, how would this stuff do that job??
Usually what I do, is when that pain strikes, and I feel it in my hips, I know it sounds strange, but I can tell which path it will take down or up, ,my legs, and it is very strange, but whether it happens on the right or the left side first, the opposite side will follow almost right after.  So, as long as my bottle of Jow, is nearby, I grab it as fast as I can, and shake it up, and apply it directly on the path the pain is headed!
Now, I'm not going to lie, of course it doesn't instantly heal and halt all of the pain! (If it did, this stuff would cost a million bucks!!), but again, nothing else has helped this part of my daily events, so this stuff deserves the biggest blue ribbon yet!!
With Jow, rather then the constant "radiating" and "throbbing", at a level of 20, it's taken down a few notches, and although it still hurts, I can still manage to not fall into the nearest chair. It tones it down just enough to satisfy me enough to buy some more. (and trust me, I won't waste money on things like this if I am going to be let down!)
Another fascinating thing about Jow, I believe are the ingredients. I found the list to be much different then any others I have seen, and I personally think it has a very relaxing and clean scent. (This would be another good point, have you ever smelled some of those creams and lotions that smell like medicine?? EW!)
Here is a list of what you'll get in this little magical potion:
Alcohol
Mugwort
Dragon's Blood
Frankincense
Peach Kernal
Myrrh
Chinese Angelica Root
Red Peony Root
Ox Knee Root
Himalayan Teasel Root
Safflower
Burred Tuber
Zedonary Rhizome and
Borneol
You will also find the inactive ingredients: Distilled water and Carbomer
They soak all of the herbs for several months, and then strain them and the result is the little bottle of Jow pain relief gel.
Since I love small business, I have to share that Jow is created by a small family run business, out of Rockland County, NY. (Yep, that is another reason to try this pain relief gel, or liquid, out!)
If you want to find out more, and maybe order a bottle or 2, check them out online!
and on Facebook!



I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Phase+ Diabetic Skin Care Duo Review and Giveaway!!

I have to start out first by explaining, NO, I am not Diabetic, I have plenty of Diabetics in my family, and I have gotten terribly close while pregnant a couple times, BUT I do not suffer from Diabetes. (Thank God!!)
 I do however, have major, major issues with my legs, ankles and feet and I have wished for several years for a product that would seriously help. I have RSD and have recently been diagnosed with MS. (I hate to sound like a broken record but I have to explain a little in each post, just
in case somebody new starts reading and is wondering, "Why in the world???") Before I was actually diagnosed with RSD, I have had nothing but problems with my ankles and feet. (My legs didn't start until later in life, and after a failed reconstructive foot and ankle surgery which almost immediately led to RSD and how fast it spread) Ok, enough about that!
My heels, ankles, basically my whole foot, top, bottom, ankle, and even my legs, are constantly changing, some days are worse, some days are not as bad. But for the most part, I have super rough skin, very dry skin, and I mean, very, very, extremely dry skin!! I constantly itch, on top of constant pain, I am up at all hours of the day and night, scratching and going crazy. Especially since even the slightest touch leads me into hysterics due to hyperactive nerves! It is really rare that I can even shave my legs because of the same issue. It drives me nuts all hours of the day and it is an odd disorder to deal with. Not to mention the affects something like this has on your self esteem.
 I tried the Phase + Diabetic Skin Care Duo mostly because I thought it would be great to have products that not only might help my condition, but also could lead to increased blood flow, (which I have a big problem with! am always being checked for blood clots due to all of the swelling in my affected areas), help with severely dry skin, and possibly help exfoliate and soften my feet and ankles. I am so ready for spring time now!!!!
 I can't wear shoes of any kind, well, I can wear Crocs, but only Mary Jane styles. Those still hurt like crazy and some days I can not even attempt to get these on. I wear slippers, year round, and slipper socks, and again, only Mary Jane styles. I have a long list of "issues" with my feet and ankles, and I suffer from drop foot, so even the slightest touch is brutally painful. RSD also causes this, so it's always a fun time to try to get something on just to walk outside. This also isn't something I am to happy with because my heels are always cracked, hurt, dry and you can see this through the shoes and slippers I have to wear. My ankles are especially bad after a long night at work, and they swell up sometimes it seems 6 times their "normal" size. Not good for confidence, not to mention, this just all adds to the constant pain. BUT, when you find a product that can truly help with these issues, the pain may also ease up a bit! (At least the pain that comes from swelling and dry skin) AND I have to say, Phase+ Diabetic Skin Care Duo has been and has remained a glorious asset to my nightly routine!
 Another thing that has to be mentioned, are the ingredients that are in the Phase+ Exfoliating Wash and the Foot Therapy.
 Foot Therapy: Key ingredients:
 • Peppermint oil is soothing, helps increase blood flow, and has antiseptic qualities.
• Ginkgo Biloba is an herb that contains antioxidants and has anti-inflammatory properties.
• Dimethicone is an oil that remains on the outer layer of skin making it an ideal ingredient for moisture retention and provides an excellent protective barrier for the skin.
 Exfoliating Wash: Key ingredients:
 • Petrolatum, an oil-based emollient, helps seal in moisture which helps skin from getting dry.
 • Grape seed extract contains antioxidants that help protect skin from damage. • Buffing beads help exfoliate thick, dry skin.
 Oh man! I am not used to products that smell so lovely when it comes to exfoliants and creams that are created for medical conditions. Usually, at least what I have tried in the past, yeah, they don't smell so pretty.
Phase+ Exfoliating Wash, has a very uplifting, refreshing, peppermint scent that lasts for quite some time. This is the perfect pick me up in the mornings, and is the perfect ending to my day of being busy whether I am at home here at our zoo, or at work on the weekends. (HINT: This is especially wonderful to use on your whole body too! Not just your feet and ankles!!) It goes well with my morning pot of coffee;) The buffer beads actually work too! I noticed a difference with the first use, and it only gets better from there!
When you pair it up with Phase+ Foot Therapy, you are getting close to heaven, and no, I'm not exaggerating! The Foot Therapy actually has helped quite a bit with my cracked heels and dry skin problems. The fact that it also helps promote blood flow is another gigantic plus for me! It's been a long time since I've had smooth, moisturized skin that isn't covered in rashes, bumps, and all of the other goofy visible skin problems that unfortunately come with RSD. Promoting blood flow for me and from what I see from family members who suffer from Diabetes, is pretty hard. So, when a product says it can help, and does, it's like waking up on Christmas morning as a kid! It softens calluses and helps your skin look much healthier. It feels comfy too and even with a pair of Mary Jane slipper socks, if you keep them on overnight, you will wake up to some almost sandal ready feet in the morning! ( I say almost for me, with the 1st use, this could be sandal ready for others who aren't as ugly as mine;)
I think this will be yet another addiction of mine, I don't know how I can manage to go without now that I have tried it and have seen improvement, lots of it just with the first set.
 I was also pleased to see that you can buy Phase+ Diabetic Skin Care Duo, at Walgreens!
 AND if you click here, you can be grab a coupon for $2 off!!

 I would love to hear from anybody who has tried these products! What did you think? Did they provide any relief?

GIVEAWAY TIME WOOO HOOOO!!!!

 ENTER THE RAFFLECOPTER BELOW TO WIN YOUR OWN SET, JUST LIKE THE SET I REVIEWED!!



a Rafflecopter giveaway  I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Ateevia Botanica PRIME Daily Pain Defense Cream Review

I have been diagnosed with RSD for about 7 years now, and I have been suffering from chronic pain for several years before this.
 Since my teen years, I had several sprains, and breaks in my feet and ankles, which I later learned, never healed properly. I was actually born with some foot problems, and even though I was in braces for a while when I was a baby, and a toddler, my feet still turned in quite a bit and I was diagnosed with "weak ankles".
When I was a teenager, I started waitressing at local pizza shops, and then a sports bar, which later led to my bartending career. (20+ years of being on my feet and usually always on cold concrete floors)
 Anybody who has ever bartended, know that this can be a very brutal job, long hours, no breaks, and very rarely sitting down!
 I found a surgeon after a few years off searching, to help me with a reconstructive foot and ankle surgery. She finished the left foot and ankle first and scheduled me for the right foot and ankle to be done 6 months later. Well, after a year, I was still stuck in a wheelchair, and in much worse pain then I ever was in my life.
 I ended up leaving several messages, asking what I am supposed to do, no answers, I went back to my family doctor and he sent me to physical therapy, and more orthopedic surgeons, and they just continued to refer me elsewhere and send me away after apologizing and admitting there was nothing they could do.
 I have been to several different doctors, surgeons, neurologists, pain management, and nobody can do much of anything for me, except "treat" my RSD.
 So, after all of my injuries, torn tendons, failed surgery, heel spurs, drop foot on both feet, and many fractures that made my feet and ankles even more weak, I ended up with RSD, a neurological chronic pain disorder.
 I have also been diagnosed with all kinds of arthritis, and most recently, MS. On top of this, the tendons that my original surgeon "repaired" have since re torn, and my heel spurs are back, and the hardware that was put inside my heel, foot and ankle, are supposed to be removed, except, I can't find a doctor brave enough to attempt this crazy mess I'm in!
This has affected my life immensely! My family has suffered a great deal because of this and I'm not always able to help or do as I used too. I still bartend pt on the weekends, even though it is getting much harder and it takes the whole week just to get back to "normal". There are days I can barely move, and there are days I just get terribly sick from medications, and from being in constant pain. I get very little sleep, and it takes an average of about 4 hours to just get into an ok enough state just so I can go about my day here with my little ones.
 I keep a diary of my pain for my pain management doctors and especially since RSD is such a weird disorder, something new seems to happen each day, as well as spread like wildfire throughout your body.
Pain management is something I can not always even get much relief from, if at all. On top of it being expensive, and after so many treatments, certain things just don't work anymore. I have had so many nerve blocks, and injections, and different prescriptions. If insurance would cover some better treatments for RSD, I could possibly take advantage of Calmare Therapy, Hyperbarrick Oxygen Chambers, and my newest referral is for nerve cutting surgery, which I really don't want. However I don't think this is getting any better, it continues to go downhill.
I have been going back and forth with different pain relief treatments, creams, vitamins, capsules, and I have tried so many different products over the years and have had some of the worst experiences and some that were not as bad but didn't help much of anything.
I recently had the opportunity to try, Ateevia Botanica PRIME Daily Pain Defense Cream, and I can really attest to the fact that this has provided me with a great deal of pain relief! (and it came at just the right time of year!!)
Ateevia Botanica, is formulated to alleviate inflammatory pain, such as: Arthritic Joints Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Tennis Elbow Tendonitis Lower back pain Heel pain and Sports bruises.
 Another reason I was interested in this product is because it is made in the USA!!
 Some of the other reasons: because Ateevia is an all natural formula that is one of the most therapeutic topical analgesics that are out there today. PRIME stands for, Phytonutrient Rich Inflammation Minimizing Extract.
 We've been trying to convert to all natural and organic in our home, and this is something I would love to focus on this year and hope to replace even medications that I am prescribed. Ateevia, is a good start!
 While my chronic pain disorder may be a little different then others, I do also suffer from a few other chronic pain disorders as I mentioned above. The arthritis, and constant, achy, soreness around my ankles and heels is what bothers me most mornings. It seems my doctors steer clear of treating this, even though I think and wish it could be treated separately because whenever I do have a little relief, I can get around a little better. It all kind of depends on the day and what hurts and bothers me most when I wake up.
So, anyway, I started using Ateevia on my ankles and heels, in the morning. I didn't notice a difference right away, (Ateevia doesn't claim that results will be instant, it of course will depend on amount of pain, type of pain, etc. You can refer to their website to read more testimonials about their product and more about how you may need to apply more then once a day, or even several times a day) I did notice my skin around my ankles was quite a bit softer, and that was instant! That was enough to keep me content! I have such bad swelling some days, and super dry skin. I try so many kinds of lotions, body butters and creams and they seem to soak right in and disappear. Ateevia, is much different and I am more then pleased with this. It's rare I can not be so embarrassed with my giant ankles, legs and feet;)
 The scent is also pleasant and I even received compliments on this. Oh, and it makes my hands very soft. Most creams and topical ointments I tried in the past have a very mediciny type smell to them, and they are pretty greasy. It seems to be, "just right" with Ateevia Botanica, because it does soak in and I firmly believe has actually started to heal my extremely dry skin from the inside out. (at least the dryness, but this is the worst of all of it with me.)
After a few more applications on the first day, I could actually notice a difference in the layers of pain that this cream helped! (The achy, bone, sore, beaten up kind of pain.) It has also helped with some newer pain I acquired since my accident a few months ago.
 Nothing ever will take chronic pain away 100%, but when you find another piece to the puzzle and you can get just one step closer to having lower levels of pain each day with a specific product combination, or even just by itself, your life becomes just a bit more bearable.
 I do recommend this for people who are struggling with various types of pain and inflammation. I will be adding this in the mix on a regular basis for my pain days!
You can also find Ateevia on Facebook!
I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.