Living with RSD

I was a caretaker at a wildlife/wildflower preserve for 5 years. The love of the land and the love for the visitors was a gift to me. During a storm, I fell on a boulder and injured my leg. It was a huge hematoma on my lower extemity. X-rays at the er showed no break. I was sent home with no follow up care- no crutches, etc. I was told in aprox. one month the hematoma would heal. I continued to walk and work and a month later my injury became more and more painful and did not heal. I took the advice of my bone and joint surgeon and he cut into my leg without any MRI or nerve conduction test, knowing I was having numbnness which would have indicated a nerve injury. Blood clots were found which by this time had become scar tissue and had attached to my entire leg. This was dug out. Part of my muscle and facia were removed to test for future “viability”. Months went by with poor medical care due to both the ignorance of my surgeon and the waiting game of my insurance company. No one took my pain seriously, and I was told to take aleve and in a year my nerves would probably heal. I continued to request nerve conduction tests and I was dumb enough to have faith in a bone and joint surgeon who obviously was not familiar with RSD He put me off until eventually I was sent for a 2nd opinion. 14 months after the accident, I was diagnosed in one hour by a top notch neurologist. By reading a books worth of notes and visually feeling my hot leg, he knew exactly my problem. Once I researched the condition, I was so relieved because it was as if I was seeing everything I had been reporting to my doctors right before my eyes. I have tried nerve blocks,lots of different meds and not much luck. It was suggested by several specialists that I try a scs. I have a 7 year old and am not willing to risk future mistakes by the medical community where my mobility is concerned. I ambulate with a cane and a walker. I have gone from hiking 12 hours a day to barely being able to walk at times. Acceptance of my failing mobility is my biggest obstacle. I want to be active like I was and sometimes wish I could just lose the limb and move on. Having done so much research, I am aware that is no option for someone with RSD The disorder clearly states phantom pain or traveling to the other extremities is a strong possibility.