Peoria, AZ

July 5th, 1995, I was an Administrative Assistant and I bumped my right hand on the desk. Immediately I had great pain and swelling, but did not want to complain much because it was just a bump. This bump was discovered as RSD on 5-14-96 by a surgeon. Before this diagnosis, I was told that it was all in my head. After the diagnosis I was sent to several doctors who had never even heard of RSD.I later was referred to the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. I was treated from May to September of 1996, when they booted me out and did not live up to their own expectations.

On 9-24-96, the pain was so bad I took twelve Vicodin pain pills – found no relief. Later that evening I took a .22 caliber handgun and shot myself in the right hand in desperation to remove it. As I woke up from the surgery, I noticed it was still there. I was determined to get this hand off me but being it was against their ethics, my efforts failed.

I was taking various kinds of medication with no relief in sight. Everyone in my family started disappearing. I was on my own.

On January 2nd, I purchased an electric saw and sawed my right hand until I heard a bone flick and then sawed some more to be sure they would have to amputate my hand. I drove myself to the hospital. Surgery was definite and immediate. When I woke the next morning the hand was still there. Again, this made me very angry. I finally went back to my family doctor and when he heard what I had done he was eager to help me find a doctor that would help. As I waited I learned later that evening I was scheduled to see a doctor at the University of Pittsburgh sometime in February. I was scheduled for surgery on 3-26-99 for the removal of my right hand. I thought this was the end of my pain.

I had little to no pain until 5-15-99 when my pain came back like a storm. Again, I was given the run around and was assured that I was not and could not be in pain. Finally, I got another appointment with the same physician and was re-scheduled for surgery 11-9-99. After a couple of months, the pain came back. I was taking a variety of pain medication and anti-depressants and still no relief. During this time I had began to establish a relationship with Jesus Christ. I later was referred to a pain clinic in Waterford, Michigan to see if I was a candidate for the spinal cord stimulator. June 6th and 12th of 2002, I received the unit. And for four to six months my pain was very mild, thank God, and I thought this was the end to my pain.

I had taken myself off of all medication and was ready to start my new life. On 10-21-02, I got married and the pain attacks started back late November and have become worse. Although I had to get back on the pain pills and other medication, I now await and depend on Jesus Christ to deliver me from this pain.