Dear Dr. Kirkpatrick,

     First, I would like to thank you for treating me the past several months.  I have not met a more compassionate doctor who cares about each and everyone of his patients.  I want to thank you and Dr. Cantu and his team for considering me for the Ketamine Coma Study in Monterrey, Mexico.

     In September 2005, I had my sixth ankle surgery.  I had reconstruction of my right tib/fib syndesmosis.  My previous five surgeries were for three torn tendons and removal of scar tissue.  This had been an ongoing problem since high school.  This was the beginning of my life with RSD.

            After my sixth ankle surgery in September of 2005, I noticed increased swelling in my cast, hot toes, and sharp pains.  I was non-weight bearing for over three months.  I continued to feel a different pain I hadn’t felt with previous surgeries.  I went to physical therapy three times a week.  This also included pool therapy once a week for five months.  When December came around, I slowly started bearing weight.  I was scheduled to have a screw removed which was holding my tibia and fibula together on December 16, 2005.  The screw had broken in half between my two bones before it was removed.

              I began having the severe pain I had felt on and off after my sixth surgery all the time after my seventh surgery.  It felt like someone was running a knife up and down my leg while holding a match to it.  In the weeks to follow, I would up in the emergency room three times.  The emergency room doctors said that I was having post surgery pain. We were then referred to a pain management doctor.  I began taking several narcotics and opioids.  I was also put on medicines such as neurotin, tegretol, and topamax.  The pain management doctor diagnosed me with peripheral neuropathy even after EMG testing may have suggested early sympathetically mediated pain. He couldn’t make up his mind whether I had RSD or not.  I was then referred to a neurologist by my orthopedic doctor.  The neurologist helped me maintain and adjust my medication while working with the pain management doctor.  His diagnosis was a right peroneal nerve injury.  The pain had begin to spread up my leg into my thigh and became more intense and frequent.

              Out of desperation, one night in June 2006, I consumed around two-hundred pills.  I was lucky that my mother had been staying with me and was right there.  She rushed me to the emergency room.  I spent the next eight days in a psychiatric hospital.  A favor was called in for me and one of the area’s best pain doctor’s came to see me while in the hospital.  I was evaluated and diagnosed with RSD about a month later.

              My new pain management doctor switched my meds and we started a series of lower sympathetic nerve blocks right away.  I had no relief from them.  So, we switched around my medicines and tried several different analgesic creams and patches.  This helped get me through a couple months.  I then had a spinal cord stimulator put in for a five day trial.  I got about thirty percent relief from the trial.  It was not enough to get it implanted.

              By December 2006, the RSD had spread from my right foot/ankle all the way up my leg to my groin, right side of butt, and part of my lower back.  I was non-functioning at this point in time. I was then admitted to Tampa General Hospital for fifteen days for pain management rehab.  During my stay at Tampa General I participated in physical therapy, occupational therapy, counseling, biofeedback, relaxation classes, de-sensitization, and medication administration.

              I returned home functioning again and feeling much better.  I slowly started to return to living a normal life again.  Unfortunately about a month later, the pain returned and worse than ever.  I began to see symptoms in my left lower left extremity.  I started searching the internet for doctors specializing in RSD and that is when I found Dr. Kirkpatrick.  I made and appointment and saw him about a month later.  I started another long series of blocks, in both lower extremities with no relief.  I now have RSD from the waist down in both extremities, in my left wrist/hand, and in my right arm.

            In the past year and a half I have had nerve blocks, a spinal cord stimulator trial, TENS unit, physical therapy, occupational therapy, biofeedback, neurofeedback, pain management rehab, Chiropractic care, flotation tank, hyperbaric oxygen therapy,  and acupuncture.  I now use a wheel chair ninety percent of the time because it is too painful to walk.  I am in bed around six days a week because it is the only position I am comfortable.  I don’t sleep more than two hours at a time.  I am not able to take care of myself, shower, groom, drive, work etc…

            I am now twenty-three years old.  Before RSD I was an active twenty-one year old who loved life.  I had just finished college, was about to complete paramedic school; my passion, and I was a volunteer firefighter.  I believe that the Ketamine Coma Trial is going to be my second lease on life. 

From A Parent’s Perspective

              Our daughter Suzie is now 23 and has been suffering with RSD since January of 2006.  She was not diagnosed until June of 2006.  She had undergone ankle reconstruction and afterwards experienced extreme pain which the Dr. could not explain.  In fact, said it was not possible from the surgery.  She was referred to a pain management Dr. after two trips to the hospital emergency room because of her pain.  However, it was not until six months later and a second Pain Management Dr. that Suzie was diagnosed with RSD.  She was in the emergency room at least 4 times because of extreme pain.  During this time she became extremely depressed and overdosed on pills and spent time in the psychiatric hospital. 

              Suzie lives on her own and has always been very self sufficient until now.  We live fifty miles away and so we began to dread the late night call with her crying and screaming in pain.  In the past 1 ½  years she has undergone every possible treatment and medications.  She has spent at least forty days in the hospital.  We feel the most frustrating part is feeling helpless and dealing with Dr’s who do not know anything about RSD.  She has been told in the emergency room at the hospital that she could not be in so much pain and it was inferred that she was trying to get a drug fix.  Because of sensitivity to touch it is hard to comfort her even with a hug. In 1 ½  years Suzie has gone from having good and bad pain days to all bad.  She is now confined to a wheelchair most of the time.  She either stays with us or I will stay with her.  Her RSD which started in her right ankle has now spread to both legs, her groin area, right arm and left wrist.

              When Suzie found Dr. Kirkpatrick on the internet we felt fortunate to get an appointment and finally meet a Dr. who knew RSD and was compassionate and spent time to listen.  He has been a rock.  Suzie’s pain level on her good days is an eight but most days is off the chart.  We pray every day that the Ketamine Coma Trial will be successful for Suzie and that she will be able to return to a normal life.  No one should have to suffer like she is now.  We look forward to working with Dr Cantu and his team in Monterrey. 

Suzanne Hyatt

Patty & Bill Hyatt