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Anyway, this past June I decided that I just absolutely wasn't going to live like that anymore, but I didn't know what to do about it...so I turned to the internet. I thought that maybe there was something that neither my doctor nor I had heard of before that might help me. I sat down and googled new treatments for RSD, and I found Calmare Therapy. I started reading and watching videos, and I could not believe what I was seeing. It sounded like a miracle! I called my husband in to where I was and I showed it to him and I said, "I've got to try this!" He was cautiously optimistic. We've been excited about things before, and been disappointed in the outcome, but this looked so different. The results were just amazing, with over 80% of patients experiencing total relief from their pain! Plus, there were no side effects, the treatment was non-invasive, and best of all, there were no drugs involved! I figured that even if it didn't work, I would be no worse off than I was, so it was a no-brainer for me. The only down side was that insurance doesn't cover it, but if there was even a possibility that this therapy could get rid of my pain, $1,500 was a small price to pay.

There are about 15 places around the U.S. that do this therapy, but as soon as I talked with Greg Sheehan, I knew I wanted him to do my treatments. The fact that he's close to where I live helped, but even if he weren't, I'd have traveled to go see him. I felt very comfortable with him on the phone, and he always got back to me as quickly as he was able whenever I had a question. He really seemed eager to help pain patients, and his warm and caring bedside manner came through over the phone (although I had no idea then how funny he was - my treatments often seem to come with a side of stand-up comedy! :))

As for my experience with the treatment itself, it has opened up my world again. I felt relief (although not at 0) right from the very first treatment, I was off my crutches by treatment day 3, and on treatment day 9 I actually woke up with no pain for the first time in 16 years! No pain, can you believe it?! I slept in my bed with my loving husband that night for the first time in years, and even if there were nothing else, I would always be grateful to Dr. Sheehan and Professor Marineo (the guy who invented this treatment) for just that. But the even better news is that there is more! Not only have I slept in my bed (and actually slept, well, for the first time in years), and not only can my husband and kids (I have three girls, ages 8, 10 and 13) now hug me without fear of hurting me, and not only can I now walk (and even run a little, although I'm trying to not overdo it!), but mostly, my first thought upon waking is no longer "how bad is the pain today?," but "what can I do with my family today." How cool is that?!

-----I did have a temporary setback, but it was my own fault. Dr. Sheehan and Calmare Therapy worked so well that I was completely pain free for the first time in 16 years, so I went and totally over-did it. I tried to cram 16 years of living into a couple of weeks. For example, I gained a lot of weight over the past several years because of the meds and inactivity, so I started working out for three hours a day after my first set of treatments! I also walked around Six Flags with my kids for 12 hours three different times and went on all the rides with them. Anyway, my pain came back (although not nearly as bad as before), so I'm starting another series of treatments right now. This time I'll baby myself a little more, especially in the beginning!
http://crps.physiciansforpatients.com/lescu/journals/2547
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