I will be participating in the Hope & Possibility Walk/Run on Sunday August 6, 2006 in Central Park with TEAM CRPS/RSD, but will be doing so in a wheelchair because of being diagnosed with RSD, Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Syndrome, also known as Complex Regional Pain Syndrome. It is a chronic pain syndrome characterized by severe and relentless pain that affects between 200,000 and 1.2 million Americans.  RSD is a malfunction of part of the nervous system. Nerves misfire, sending constant pain signals to the brain. 

This disease has affected my life greatly.   The physical, emotional, and financial toll it has taken on myself and my family has been crazy.  Insomnia has kicked in, so being up at 3am everyday has become the norm.  I don't remember what it was like to sleep through the night.  Taking a shower now takes so much longer, because if the water hits my foot the wrong way, I can't do much.  I now live in flip flops because any other shoe makes my foot swell and hurt.  It feels like someone is repeatedly stabbing a knife into my foot over and over again, to give you a better sense of what it feels like when the area on my foot is affected.  My foot will get a burning sensation, swells, changes color, changes temp, etc.  

We are trying everything possible to try and control this.  I go to physical therapy 3 times a week, I am on 3 different medications to try and control the pain, have had rounds of shots in my foot, 2 surgeries to remove benign tumors called neuromas, and had a series of shots in my spine in June to try and lessen the pain, but they didn't work.  The next step is to have a device implanted in my hip with leads to my spinal cord to stimulate the spinal cord and try to lessen the pain. The meds sometimes make me very dizzy.  There have been days where I just lay in bed all day because of how swollen my foot is.  I feel like a prisoner because I am home all the time and not allowed to go to work.  I have lost my job and the insurance company is still deciding if they are going to put me on long term disability. I have to wait 6-8 months to see if Social Security will even pay me.  I have no clue how I am going to pay my bills or my college loans. I am also waiting to receive my handicap placcard for my car. This is not how I pictured my life would be at 27 years old.

On the outside, I look like a completely normal, healthy 27 year old with surgery scars on my left foot.  But I am anything but normal.  The pain is so intense sometimes I just want to cut my foot off.  It's almost like my foot has a mind of its own and I have no control over what it does.  I now walk with a limp and go through flip flops like they are going out of style.  Weather affects it so much.  When it rains or is really cold, I want to scream the pain is so bad.  Maybe I should move somewhere nice and warm :0)  Tropical island, maybe. 

I will be participating with TEAM CRPS/RSD and the people in my RSD support group. My mom will be pushing me along in the wheelchair because I would never be able to make it if I had to walk it.  I am sending this to you today asking for support and sponsorship.  Any amount would be greatly appreciated.  If anyone is interested in walking, please let me know. 

Thank you for visiting my Personal Fundraising Page. Donating through this site is simple, fast and totally secure. It is also the most efficient way to make a contribution to my fundraising efforts.  If you would prefer to donate with a check or money order, please make it out to RSDSA and send it to: Lesley Blum, 19 Daniel Court, Saddle Brook, NJ 07663. Many thanks for your support -- and don't forget to forward this to anyone who you think might want to donate too!

Thank you again!!!!!!!

Lesley

For more info on RSD please visit:

http://www.rsdhope.org/

http://www.rsds.org/index2.html