3/6/14. The post where I learn about the somatic nervous system.

3/6/14: had a doctor appointment first thing this morning.  Pain level was at a 7 and my foot had some pretty interesting color, so it wasn't difficult to explain to my doctor that the nerve blocks hadn't worked.  Fortunately, he was not stumped by the news.  

In most cases of RSD, the culprit is a malfunction of the sympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for the body's "fight or flight" reaction. For that reason, my first two nerve blocks targeted the sympathetic nerves.  However, in some cases (according to my doctor, approximately 25-30% of the cases he sees), the culprit is the somatic nervous system, which is responsible for voluntary movement in the body.  Since the first two nerve blocks were not effective, he believes I have the more rare somatic version.

So, not only do I have a fairly rare nerve disorder, I may have the more rare version of the disorder.  Because that's how I roll.  The next step, as you would probably expect, is two nerve blocks of the somatic nerve system.  My doctor feels certain that I will get some relief from these nerve blocks, because there are only a few options where RSD is concerned.  He called it a "no-brainer."  I hope he's right.  He also said it is extremely rare for a person not to respond to either type of nerve block.  I really hope he's right.  (There is a plan "c" in the event the next two nerve blocks don't work, but I'm an optimist, so I'm not going to go into that right now.)

I did a little research after my appointment and learned more about the somatic nervous system and its relationship to RSD.  One of the articles I read said that the name change of the disorder from RSD (Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy) to CRPS (Complex Regional Pain Syndrome) was at least partially based on the realization that the sympathetic nerve system is not always the cause of the disorder.  After talking to my doctor and doing my independent research, I'm willing to try two more nerve blocks.  The first one is two weeks from today. Fortunately, it is a busy two weeks and will pass quickly.

Tonight was lovely.  I have been part of a "Lenten small group" through my church for five years.  Our group has become very close and always looks forward to getting together. Our group is a little different than what you might expect.  We kick off the group each Lent season with a happy hour get-together to determine the format for our weekly meetings, meet once a week for discussion and fellowship, and finish the season with a movie night to watch a movie that inevitably presents itself during our weekly discussions.  Because that's how we roll.  Tonight was our happy hour kick-off and it was really nice to reconnect. 

When I got home, my foot looked more interesting than it has in some time and I was up to an 8.  But it still felt like a pretty good day.  Because that's how I roll.