Week 13

It's been about a month since my last posting.  Since then, I've doing really well.  My hip is continuing to feel really good!  I've stopped having my "At Home Physical Therapist" and started "Out Patient Physical Therapy" about three weeks ago.  My team of physical therapists have really helped improve my strength by building my muscles back up.  I usually start by warming up on the bike for 10 minutes and then they kick my butt with table exercises & weights!

I've been full bearing now for the past two weeks, but I still need a crutch at times for stability with my Drop Foot, especially after PT!  My Drop Foot doesn't seem to be improving like I thought it would when I started Out-Patient PT.  My first day they measured my foot while i was trying to lift it at -39 degrees, which is way off from the normal +10 to +20 degrees.  Last week Friday (06/21/13), they measured it again at -39 degrees.  I was bummed out!  I just want to be able to lift my foot normally!  It's so frustrating that I can't walk normally or drive!  No one knows how long it will take for my foot to start working again, but I am trying everything to get it back.

Last week Friday (06/21/13), was my 5th Sympathetic Nerve Block Injection for Chronic Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS).  The blocks have been working wonders for me!  I am off of all Nerve Pain medication and have been just strictly getting the Nerve Blocks.  On my last posting, I stated that Dr. NP took me off Gabapentin and started me on Topamax instead.  I had almost every side effect possible - memory loss, numbness and tingling in my hands and feet, fatigue, weight loss, breakouts, etc.  Even though I liked the weight loss part of it, everything else wasn't so great!  After being on it for two weeks, I ended up in the ER (05/28/13).  It made me so severely sick that I became extremely dehydrated.  Dr. NP then took me off the Topamax.  He told me that we could restart the Gabapentin if I wanted.  But, I was still really sick for about a week and had no appetite.  By the time the Topamax was out of my system, I never felt better.  My foot seemed to be nearly pain-free!  So, I didn't contact him for the prescription for the Gabapentin. When I was in last week for the 5th Nerve Block, Dr. NP was so happy with my progress!  I still have to get the Nerve Blocks to stay on top of the CRPS, in hopes that it will go into remission!  I am getting my 6th one tomorrow and I just keep hoping and praying that the pain continues to stay away!  I am just so happy to be off all of the medications and starting to go in the right direction!  Now if only my foot would decide to make a come around, I'd be one happy camper! ;-)