A couple of wins to report. I went to the grocery store last night and walked all the way through the store. I was ready to sit down by the time we were done shopping, but it felt good to be able to do it. With a few exceptions, we've been getting by for the last two months on quick trips for necessities and eating out of the pantry and freezer. Now our kitchen is restocked!
Win number two is two days' worth of stand up showers. I've been sitting to shower since I got my cast to keep the weight off my foot, which makes getting clean a little trickier than I anticipated. Fortunately, we have a built-in bench in the shower, but granite seat + winter + water = cold bottom! (And yes, complaining about the granite seat in my shower is the textbook definition of a First World Problem.) It's amazing the things you take for granted.
I did not include a lot about RSD in yesterday's post, because it was already longer than I intended. So today, I will try to give you all a brief rundown. I am stealing some of this from various medical websites, but translating it into my own words for simplicity's sake.
Cause: for people who have RSD (more on that below), it can be triggered by an injury that is unrelated to the nervous system, or by an injury to the nerve itself. In my case, since it manifested in a foot that was already injured, that was likely the trigger. (I've read that in some people it can even be triggered by stress or loud noises.) The "sympathetic" nervous system overreacts to the injury and goes into panic mode, cutting off blood flow to the injured area and flooding the brain with pain messages that are out of proportion to the injury. As I told my mom, I had an inflamed joint, but my nerves think my foot was cut off in a saw mill accident. Apparently my nerves think I work in a saw mill.
How do you get RSD? That's the million dollar question. There is a lot of research going on in this area, but it is still not really known. It could be a genetic predisposition. There is also research now indicating it might be an auto-immune malfunction, in which your immune system attacks your nerves. The mean onset age is 42, although it is starting to be diagnosed more often in children and teens. This may explain why this is just now happening, when I've had multiple injuries/surgeries in the past that could have triggered it. I feel fortunate to have a doctor who is very familiar with it. He has treated many others with RSD and keeps up with the latest research. I think of him "an RSD nerd", but I mean that as a compliment. (Hope he would agree. On second thought, don't tell him I call him that...)
Symptoms: there's not a simple test to determine whether you have RSD. There are some tests that can give clues, but it is based mostly on physical examination for symptoms. Here are the potential symptoms, according to the Mayo Clinic website:
- Continuous burning or throbbing pain, usually in your arm, leg, hand or foot
- Sensitivity to touch or cold
- Swelling of the painful area
- Changes in skin temperature — at times your skin may be sweaty; at other times it may be cold
- Changes in skin color, which can range from white and mottled to red or blue
- Changes in skin texture, which may become tender, thin or shiny in the affected area
- Changes in hair and nail growth
- Joint stiffness, swelling and damage
- Muscle spasms, weakness and loss (atrophy)
- Decreased ability to move the affected body part
Treatment: I gave you the rundown on the course of treatment recommended by my doctor yesterday, but there are other treatments that can also be attempted if the others are not successful. I'll tell you about those if we get there. RSD can't be "cured", but it can go into remission, and that is what we are working toward. Part of the treatment also includes coping skills in the event it doesn't go into remission.
For the next week and a half, my main goals are to stay busy and take my meds. One day at a time. Many of you have already heard this story, but I'll tell it again just in case. A few weeks ago, while I was still on the knee walker, I went to a birthday celebration dinner with some close friends. As we were walking out the door, a group of (apparently inebriated) 20-somethings were walking in. One of them gave me the thumbs up and said, "Keep on truckin', little one!" Thank you, drunk boy. I believe I will keep on truckin'.
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