really scared

Nana, I just looked up one website but I didn't see anything about it being fatal - but sure doesn't look minor, either. I hope you don't have it...

It is scary if you've never known anyone with a disease, so you don't know what to expect. That's how I felt when my dad got ALS.

But try not to get too worried unless you have to!

Debbie

Hi Nana,

My dad has RSD now called CRPS. I'm sure as you have read it is also a chronic pain condition. When I was diagnosed with Fibro we were convinced that there is a hereditary component to this all. Anyway, my father was diagnosed about 12 years ago. He has it in his leg. He was in for a surgery to remove a benign tumor on his neck and the surgery took way longer than the Drs. expected. The anesthesiologist left him on his side for the entire surgery without repositioning him and that's what caused the damage.

Right off the bat they knew something was wrong. It took a long time for an actual diagnosis. I only know my father as an example of someone having RSD/CRPS, however, there are very noticeable physical features of the disease. His foot on the affected leg is always blue/purple and cold to the tough, his toenails are sick, his skin is scaly and he has very strong pain in the leg - electrical shocks, tinglings, burning, itching. Many of the feelings we have throughout our body, but focused in one small area and sometimes very very intense. Like many of us, he is in pain when storms approach, stress and fatigue effect him a lot also. Many of the same medications prescribed for Fibro sufferers are the same for RSD/CRPS.

Everything I know and have seen it is not fatal. Like Fibro, the medical community does not know too much about RSD/CRPS except that there is a nervous system malfunction of sorts.

I would talk to the podiatrist about if he thinks you have RSD, from what you describe it doesn't sound like it to me, but perhaps there are different degrees and my father has a severe case. You mention pain all over, this is definitely more Fibro, my father's pain is limited to his "bad leg". We often debate who has it worse - horrible pain in one area or diffused like mine. Obviously neither are ideal. We also both do not take medication for our pain so we can have some pretty rough days but both work full time and have professional careers despite the pain.

Good luck and let me know if I can help answer some questions, I'll do my best!

I have so much feet pain now, but I am waiting for medicare to kick in. I hope I can get an x-ray then. It sounds scary to me. I take Ibprofen now and it helps at night.