I want to remind everyone, that I am not a Doctor or in any way able to give you medical advice on a professional level. I can only help with questions on RSD, by my own personal experiences with RSD and the life with it.

I guess RSD in my body started back in the early 70’s if not sooner. Know one can really say, because I really was hard on my poor body when I think back that far. I worked hard when I was young and there was nothing that could stop me. Until, one day I hurt so bad and was in so much pain that I thought I would die. I went to my mother and she said you couldn’t be in that much pain you didn’t do anything to cause it. Then the cycle started I didn’t hurt and it was all in my head, My mother said so.

I suffered for years and I did a life of a lot of drinking and went into depression. I believed I was nuts and that I didn’t have pain, but it did hurt and it was real. I had two really bad accidents, the first one I had torn ligaments in my neck and back and smashed my knees into the dash. That started the burning pain in neck, back and the legs. I went to the doctor and he said it’s healed and you should not have pain. Ok! Then what is wrong, it still hurt and bad, I told him. He said I wanted to find attention and that it was all in my head. RIGHT! Two years later, I had another car accident and the same thing neck, back, legs the whole lower part and neck, hurt so bad and constant pain, burning, stabbing I was on fire and turning purple on my limbs. Still no one had heard the cries for help, not the medical field, my teachers or my own mother.

They told everyone, I had psychological problems and needed help. I ran and left home and went to work and fought the pain I ways living in because, I thought no one cared what happened to me. So I lived my life the best way I could. I literally block out my life and the pain I was in.

Then in June of 1993 my life went completely upside down and all heck broke loose. I had gotten hurt at work and the battle was 10 times as bad. I had then torn something in my neck and torn my rotary cuff in my right shoulder. Now this happened at work so Workman’s Comp. Got involved, My nightmare started! They made me go to there Doctors and they pushed me into all kinds of crap to do. Sever Physical therapy and they push it on me and when I said it hurt worse, they just told me to stop being a baby. I went through Hell and they keep pushing and after 2 years and more damage. They said I didn’t want to get better. That was bull! I really tried to get better and then when I needed help to function as a wife and mother, I knew I was in trouble and I felt alone and really went through a really bad depression. Always asking why did it happen to me. I went on with the pain and for 2 years with the bull from Workmen’s Comp. Until they came to me said let us settle this claim and I did. That was in 95, I then tried to get SSD and that was another 3 years of fighting.

I’m now on SSD and SSI after going in front of the judge. Thank God! I was sure that my family would loss everything. I was in trouble after 1996, My husband became Ill with sever Respiratory failure and sever COPD and was in need of me taking care of him. He spends most of his time in a wheelchair. We have three children and at that time, they needed their parents and it was really effecting our kids. They thought their parents weren’t going to be here to see them grow up and things just fell apart. But we found the hope and faith from some where. We are still here and it has not been easy, but I feel that the man above won’t give us this much with out a reason.

I have found help after all these years and I’m still in constant pain and on a lot of medication for the pain. I also get never blocks, but I have a lot more to fight for and I will continue to fight. I have other health problems that don’t help me diabetes and a bad heart. So things are still up in the air for the pain I’m in and the future. I have left it up to the man upstairs to decided what to do with me and I feel mentally better. Doctors say RSD and I don’t want to scream anymore. I have gone on with my life and I’m here to help others. There is no reason for you to feel alone with this monster. When they whisper in your ear and the words Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy and chronic pain are heard, just remember you are not alone in the fight.

We as RSD suffers, need to spread the word. TO STOP THE PAIN AND TO START THE FIGHT TO WAKE UP PEOPLE, THE GOVERNMENT AND THE MEDICAL PROFESSION! Make them help us stop the pain and for them to understand what we as RSDer’s have to go through to be heard. If they felt just a little of the pain we have to live with. Then maybe they would understand and feel what we go through every day of our life!

I hope my story we help someone out there, so they don’t have to go through what I did for all those years. I personally know that we, all are still having are own personal battles with the disease of Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy. Maybe if we can all stand together in finding a way to STOP the PAIN. Acknowledgment from the Government and the health professionals would be a start and we need to start thinking about the future of other suffers of RSD and how we can help them so it won’t be as bad for them. I believe someone, like the man above decided my future a long time ago, so I could help others in there battles ahead of them. It just took along time for me to figure that out. I’m here for anyone that needs me, so please don’t feel alone and think you have no one. I’m your friend in good and in bad times.

I want to also say THANK YOU to my family, my friends and a very special person, that if it wouldn’t have been for him I could have never done this. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for being there to help me.