2 Year Anniversary of Dealing with This Monster ... RSD!!

Today is the 2nd year Anniversary of me having RSD. It's hard to believe that it has been 2 years to the day that I fell down those steps and sprained my ankle ... sometimes it feels like a life time again whilst on other days, it feels like just yesterday.

It's hard to believe that all of this could be caused just by falling down about 3 steps. All I did was sprain my ankle and ever since that day, I have been dealing with excrutiating pain and horrible Dystonia's caused by the RSD!!

It's been a pretty tough day for me so far. I am in a pretty huge pain flare at the moment and I don't think the added emotions/stresses of having to deal with my Anniversary are helping that much either. Still, i'm trying to focus on the positives though and realise that I have come quite a long way since I developed RSD. I am no where near better and still deal with pain of an 8 and a half on the pain scale on a daily basis, my leg is still extremely rotated and nothing I or anyone else can do has helped it so far, my limbs still turn blue and I am dealing with a suspected spread of the RSD to my left arm BUT in some respects, I have come a long way!!

This time last year, I couldn't walk and was wheelchair bound as my legs would just shoot out in front of me whenever I tried to walk and I would fall to the ground. My mum and dad had to literally carry me everywhere I went and it made simple tasks extremely difficult. I then went onto the Intense Physiotherapy Program in London and the Physio's there learnt me how to walk again. It was extremely tough but without that program, who knows where I would be today! Yes, I still deal with LOTS of pain on a daily basis and I have to use my wheelchair long distances BUT I can get around the house and school now and for that, I am extremely grateful as some people just aren't so lucky!!


I have learnt a lot since developing RSD and I feel it has made me a stronger person. I have dealt with sooo many emotions and tough times and have felt like giving in more times than enough but I am still here and trying to "cope" and live my life to the best of my ability, even though I have lots of limitations.

Have I fully accpeted that I have RSD?? OMG, no way!! I don't think I will ever be able to fully accept that I have RSD but I have learnt to try and get on with life, even though it is extremely hard sometimes when I cant do things that normal teenagers do. I have learnt not to take everything for granted and I am truly grateful for everything that I can do, despite the limitations that may be involved.

So even though today is tough and upsetting for me, I am trying my darn hardest not to focus on the negatives and to focus on the things that I CAN do!

Here's hoping that the next year will see the end of my battle against RSD and that I will be able to live a normal, pain-free live and do all of the things that I want to do!

Made to Feel Like a Drug Seeker...

I got a Phone call this afternoon from my mum. She was at work but called me as she was so upset and angry and needed someone to talk to.

We had run out of my medications so my mum went and put the prescription in on Friday as my pain had really spiked and I needed something to try and help. One of the drugs on prescription was Ketamine. As i'm sure some of you already know, it is the only medication that takes my pain down and even then it only takes it to a 6 and a half on the pain scale so I really felt that I needed it as the pain from our Vacation still hasn't settled down that much. I really hate taking it but figured that it is better than being in extra pain.

When my mum put the prescription in, the nurse told her that because it is such a strong drug and what some drug addicts use that she needed to keep the bottle. That was OK other than the fact that there was still a little bit in that could have helped knock the pain down, even if it was just for a little bit.

The nurse told my mum that the prescription wouldn't be available to pick up until today so my mum called the Chemist this morning to see if it was OK for her to go and collect it. The nurse on the phone was pretty nasty to my mum and said that she needed to see all the details from my Pain Management Doctor to make sure that it had been prescribed by him before she could dispense it because of what type of drug it is!!!

That is OK BUT when my mum took the prescription down on Friday, she gave them all of the details from my Pain Management Doctor AND when the Ketamine was prescribed to me, my Doctor wrote to the chemist and told them that it was OK for me to get repeat prescriptions every 9 days should I need to!!!

All of those details are on the flippin' records but yet the nurse made it out like my mum was a drug seeker and didn't believe anything she said!!!

My mum is now going to have to call my PM Doctor to tell him to write to the chemist and tell them that he HAS prescribed the Ketamine and that I need it to try and help with my pain. I really hate taking it but I have been off school since Friday now because the pain is so bad and I just don't feel well at all!

I'm sick of being made to look like I am a drug seeker. I'm sick that my mum has to deal with all of this when she has done nothing wrong and is just trying to help me and I am so sick that they have to make out that everyone that is on Ketamine is just a druggy and that they need help!! That is not the case at all and it is used in many hospitals to treat chronic pain and used for people that are in accidents etc.

Why do Doctors have to make it out that it is just for drug addicts take?!?! I KNOW many drug addicts take it but so do people with RSD and other chronic pain conditions and it's horrible that people have to label us as a drug seeker just because we have to take a strong drug to function without actually looking into the illness!!!!

I really hope that they will be able to get all of this sorted out soon so that hopefully I will be able to get my pain under control somewhat. It has been really high since we got back off holiday and I have hardly done anything other than lay in bed for the past few days!!

Thank you for letting me rant - I just needed to get it off my chest and i'm sure you all understand!!!

We've Been on Holiday!!!

As i'm sure some of you already know, we have just got back off holiday!!!! We went to Las Vegas on the 1st March for 5 days and had a good time!

The Plane Journey was really difficult and caused my leg to swell up a whole lot more than usual and my pain went up a lot also but we expected that anyhow as my Pain Management Doctor said that would probably happen due to the Cabin Pressure. It takes nearly 11 hours to get there so I was pretty uncomfortable on the plane due to the lack of legroom but I survived.

We saw lots of really impressive sights in Vegas. We went up the Eithell Tower which is really good - I just wish I was in a better mood as I was crying because my leg was hurting a lot, we went up the Stratosphere tower also which is amazing as you can see all of Vegas from there, to the Hoover Dam which was really interesting, into all of the hotels to do a bit of shopping, saw a magic show with pets in it that was really good, went on a few rides although we didn't go on that many as we had to be careful because of my RSD and also the Adventure Dome at one of the hotels was shut for maintainance and did a lot more!!!!

My dad doesn't really understand RSD which is really frustrating!! I had to sit down every 10 minutes or so because my leg was hurting and he just didn't understand and kept saying "Oh, it can't be that bad!!" or would accuse me of faking it - even though I had a really blue, swollen and rotated leg!!!! I really wish he would come and see my Doctor so that he could explain things better to him but he wont - he has only been to the hospital 3 times in the last 2 years or so that I have had RSD!!! My mum understands what RSD is thankfully as she has been there for me since day one and kept telling my dad that the pain IS bad but he still wouldn't believe her really.

Here are a few pictures from the holiday that I thought I would share with you all - I hope you like them!!



Me with my Juicy Couture Bag in Caesers Palace ... that was the only store we could afford anything out of as everything else was just too darn expensive!!



Me and my dad up the Stratosphere Tower on the last night of our holiday!!



Me with a giant M&M outside M&M World - that store is amazing, it has 4 floors of things all to do with M&M's and even it's own ride/simulator!



Me on a Lion!!!



Me singing on American Idol in Madame Thusaurds (a Wax Work Museum)



Me on American Idol again!!



My mum with Johnny Depp!!



Me with Zac Efron from High School Musical!!



Me kissing Zac Efron ... if only it was real !!!!



Me on an Harley Davidson!!



Dolphin having it's Blood Pressure taken - that was pretty cool to watch!!



Dolphin Singing!!!



Dolphin Singing ... I love that picture!!



White tigers - the Zoo Keepers explained that these tigers have a pigment condition which is why they are white!



White tiger again with tongue hung out - sooo cute!!!!



Leopard cub that I fell in love with!!



Leopard Cub playing with Keeper!!



Hoover Dam!!



Hoover Dam again!!



Fountains outside Bollagio Hotel - they are really good to watch!!



Fountains again!



Fountain Display inside an Hotel!!



Me in Caesers Palace!!