Small Introduction

Pictured above is me, my Physical Therapist's, Occupational Therapist and Nurse. This photo was taken not so long ago when I gave my local Children's Hospital a cheque for all of their contiuned support in treating my battle against RSD. I am in the middle with the cheque, to the left of me is my Physical Therapist, Sam, next to Sam on the end is my PM's Nurse, Julie, to the right of me is my other Physical Therapist Suzanne and next to Suzanne on the end is Lydia, my Occupational Therapist.

My name is Alison, I am 13 years old and I suffer from RSD (Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy) in my left leg and right arm. RSD is a rare, chronic pain condition.

I developed RSD on the 20th March 2007 when I was just 12 years old after I fell down some steps and sprained my left ankle. I was finally diagnosed with RSD in July 2007 by a Pain Management Doctor after 4 long months of things getting worse and worse as each day went by. When I was diagnosed with RSD, my PM Doctor performed a Guanethidine nerve block in hope that it would at least reduce some of my pain but unfortunately I suffered from complications from the block and developed severe balance and co-ordination problems (whenever I tried to walk, my leg would just through itself out in front of me and I would have to have my mom take me almost everywhere!)

In September 2007, just 2 months after I was diagnosed with RSD, my PM Doctor prescribed me a drug called Amitriptyline as I wasn't sleeping due to extreme pain levels but once again my body reacted to the drug and I suffered from a side effect of blurred vision. I wanted to try and stay as independant as I possibly could, even though my vision was blurry and I couldn't walk or stand on my own without support, so I tried to get out of the bath tub on my own. Unfortunately whilst I was trying to get out of the bath tub, I knocked my right arm and within 2 hours my arm had begun to swell up really bad, become painful and lock into a fist. My mom called my PM Doctor and he asked me to come and see him the next day and I got the news I was dreading - my RSD had spread to my right arm!!

Thankfully, my arm is a lot better than it was now although I still have some moderate pain and have to do a lot of exercises on it to keep it moving.

At the moment I am trying my best to stay positive even though it is hard at times and I decided to create this blog so that I can express my feelings and so that people can keep up to date with how I am doing!!