Living with RSD/CRPS

So I can't feel most of the pain in my legs and feet anymore. Thank god. After an epidural, in 2008 I lost a lot of feeling. Clearly there is still a problem.....

My favourite musical since I was 17 was put on at the Panasonic Theatre by Theatre Sheridan! My almamater!!! Jonathan Larson's "RENT." It is an amazing musical about life, love, friendships and living in the present moment and forgetting regret. It was amazing! This was the track I was on before getting RSD/CRPS! To be a professional performer. I was even at a prestigious school practically guaranteeing me a career in my chosen field. Then RSD.... I am now inspired yet again to make a run at some kind of performing career. It is and has always been what I should be doing. Today I make the step forward to lose weight, get pain under control and try to get a talent agent within the year. I am on my way up, I don't know how, but I WILL be famous an have a career doing what I love!!!!

Just yesterday I learned that two people with RSD/CRPS decided to end their own life. This illness is something that is very hard to handle and often leaves its victims feeling very, very alone and desperate. Please learn all you can about this illness and please share and make others aware to help people get the understanding and support needed. I myself am sitting in the waiting room of my Pain Management Centre waiting my turn to get my lidocaine infusion. I got absolutely no sleep at all:((

My Cardiologist called me first thing yesterday morning to let me know that my blood values for heart failure have not risen. Nevertheless, this has definitely been a wake up call for me. The meds have caused me to gain weight and I have not been as careful with my diet for heart healthy foods. I also have not been doing enough cardio. Even 5-10 mins each day would help I think..... I am still going for the Muga scan next week to get a true Ejection Fraction Output. Now we are not expecting as low as 44% thank god. I am curious to find out asap now though. I started wondering if I might only have 5 or 10 years to live which kind of freaked me straight out! Wow.....

Jan 2nd marked my 4 yr anniversary of acquiring RSD/CRPS. I truly have come so far physically, emotionally, spiritually and mentally. This illness has tested me on all kinds of levels! My New Year's resolution is to place more time and effort on my blog. I cannot believe it has already been 6 mths since my last post. Update: I moved in with my boyfriend and bought a new house. We started moving much too quickly and so we have scaled it back quite a bit. I don't know why I didn't mention this last year, but Feb 2010 I was diagnosed with Dilated Cardiomyopathy and luckily a mild case. It may prevent me from Ketamine. I don't know as of yet. On friday, I am seeing Dr. Bhatia to consult about Ketamine so that is exciting. This is the Dr doing it in Canada and so I guess if they won't treat me then OHIP will have to pay for treatment in the States. I read about a product someone else w RSD/CRPS uses to control the pain and so I purchased it to see if it would help me....

I have met someone! I have met someone very, very special. I cannot stop smiling and it is awesome. I tried internet dating yet again, but this time on a much more reputable site and found such a wonderful man. Eek! I am so happy. His name is John and we have been seeing each other for a couple months and it is wonderful. He has two amazing children, a son and a daughter and they are so sweet and well behaved. He is exactly the kind of guy I was looking for. I have continued to focus on positive thinking to draw positive things into my life and it is working. Work is going extremely well and so is the love life. I also just got back from Florida which was beautiful and oh so warm. I am really missing those beaches already......:( I will be back to visit soon I hope!!! I have had a fever for 2 weeks now and on antibiotics so I hope that it clears this week. I also, unfortunately, rolled my ankle and so I am now back on crutches etc. I started to get down the first day, but decided to ...

I saw my MS Specialist today and he said he sees evidence of old optic neuritis, but not new. He said in terms of MS, I am looking good. Phewf! Thing is I still have, for 2&1/2 yrs now unrelenting dizziness. They say it is due to a bout of Vertigo that I had back in 2008, but the Neuro-Otologist said that he wasn't sure why my body hadn't adjusted to the deficit yet. He said it actually isn't even that much damage. I know! What else is new right??? My body overreacting!!! As in all other Rsd ways, I wonder if this is due to that or my Dr's are missing something. I cannot survive a few hours if I do not take my gravol. I end up feeling super sick.... I called my Neuro-Otologist. I guess it is back to him for a follow up so that we can get to the bottom of this.