Laura P
Laura O, Here is a link to a site that explains RSD far better than I ever could. http://www.rsdhope.org/ShowPage.asp?PAGE_ID=3 I became aware of it after having a car accident only a few months after having neck surgery. My skin became very cold, blotchy and painful. It did seem to essentially resolve after several months and I only notice the "tenderness" and pain occassionally and it is usually related to my rheumatoid arthritis flaring and causing swelling. Check it out before you commit to surgery, like you, I have heard horror stories about low back surgery. Where in neck surgery for discs the success rate is around 90%, the rate for low back's that I have heard is 50% or below. Sure would not want to see you go through that and have it not work. As far as SS is concerned, I have only heard of ONE person being approved earlier at application filing... a suicidal "postal" worker... guess they were afraid what might happen if they stressed them anymore... It does seem to be in the "master" plan to weed out anyone who can't withstand the waiting period.... effectively forcing people to return to work or give up the process out of frustration. Once approved there are periodic reviews to make sure that the disability is still present. So hang in there and congrats to your husband on the better job. That will help you hold on awhile longer. Anyway, glad to hear back from you, and look into the rsd issue... it might explain what is going on, then again it may not even be involved... I guess that is why we have the doctors involved, eh? I am getting ready to go through another "fun" battery of tests. I developed GERD a few years back and at the end of September '03, I lost my voice. Raspy, hoarse, laryngitis and a horrible asthmatic type cough, now it is cutting in and out, some days i can talk (and be heard) and others i can talk (but no one can hear). So in three weeks I go through esophageal testing... Not fun, Lots of tubes in the nose and throat, lots of x-rays, endoscopy and monitor in stomach and esophagus for 24 hours.... yes, tethered via a tube up the nose and down the throat. Doesn't that sound lovely? Also had to stop my Nexium... so now have that lovely GERD heartburn... They are doing all this testing because they need to know exactly what is going on before they think about surgery. With my history of blood clots and clots in the lungs, surgery is far down the list of acceptable options... so they want to make sure that it is absolutely necessary before it hits the table for discussion. Problem when the GERD affects the larynx is that it can go into the lungs and cause asthma and scarring. I will keep a candle lit for you in my mind. Keep a kind thought out for me and those awful tests..... They told me that you really have to WANT to know what is going on to go through the tests... they say they are not for the meek... I guess I will find out... Good luck with the MRI and I hope they find out what is going on. You will be in my thoughts. Laura P