Childhood RSD - A wonderful recovery.
 

My wife, Diane, had her epidural injection in June with an excellent pain management specialist, Dr. Medhat Mikhael of Pain Medicine Associates. I was taken by a painting in his waiting room. Done in oil on canvas, it contained a wonderful poem written by a young girl. It was a Thank You gift for a doctor that had an incredible impact on her (and her family). I took a picture of it thinking that I'd like to share it with the patient community... just a heartwarming story.

I decided that I could not put this on the internet without permission of the family, and fortunately, I was able to find them. When I finally connected with Mirissa's family, I could not believe the story. This will be so much more than a heartwarming anecdote and beautiful piece of art to share. I hope that his story will help many others with RSD or CRPS to continue searching and hopefully to find a solution. Having been told to give up and accept the constant, severe pain: four years later, Mirissa is a happy and healthy 15 year-old with a normal life. The RSD is in remission... her last serious episode was 3 years ago!

I spoke to Mirissa's mother again today. They'll be along soon to tell the story in their own words. (I look forward to the parent's perspective as well as the patinent's). They'll also, to point me to the places that I can help direct RSD / CRPS patients towards.

More coming soon. Enjoy... click here to see her painting and poem!

Mark

beautiful!
 

Hey Mark,
thanks so much for posting this. I don't remember seeing it when I was going to Dr.M's office however that was back in '01-'03. This office gave me back my life as well with the ease of offering me adequate medicinal pain relief and a referral to a wonderful PT that was then associated with the office.

When I had my 2nd discectomy and it failed so horribly with residual gnawing burning pain going into my buttocks, groin, anterior thighs, calves and feet ~ I was thinking the worse that one can think, that life was over because the pain syndrome devastated me. One day in PT at Memorial I found myself beside young girl of 21 who had been diagnosed with RSD. She was in a terrible place mentally and physically. My actual first introduction to RSD (now CRPS).

I would only hope that this young woman found someone like Dr. Mikhael to treat her pain as eventually did I some 9 years later.

The poem/story that this young girl wrote is a beautiful tribute to getting her life pain after such awful pain~ I feel somewhat similar but have no talent for such expression.

This is something that should be shared in the Pain Management Journal and nationally I think~ would give a lot of people some hope with all kinds of pain syndromes in terms of PM.

thanks Merissa for writing this~ thanks Mark and Diane

What a moving poem! Thank goodness for parents who persist in finding help for their children. I look forward to reading their account.

A child in pain learns far to early the realities of life. They see everything and understand far more than we give them credit for under normal everyday circumstances but to watch a child suffering is heart breaking... and more than equally rewarding when they can crawl away from that suffering and give voice to their thoughts. Kind of makes you wonder if maybe we should turn over the world to the kids!

a family member with RSD
 

Mark:
I have a close cousin that has been diagnosed with RSD,
i know first hand of his trials and tribulations with the disease and how dibilitating it can be, recently he has had a electrical device implated in his spine which is adjustable to help with his episodes which are pretty severe at times, it seems to help him a great deal, although this has been a totally disabling reality for him, and he finds he is unable to fully function daily. This puts a strain on his family and kids.
gary