Treatment #2 Aug. 18, 2010

Okay, I just realized something……4:45am is sooooooo early! It is the only time on Long Island you don’t have to worry about gridlock traffic. Directions are in hand and off we (Bill and I) go on another adventure to find Dr. Robin’s house. We leave plenty early just in case we get lost or hit traffic along the way; we end up getting there 30 minutes early because it was so easy to find! We decided to stop at 7-11 so Bill can get his coffee and I can have purified water, yum! Yup, sarcasm inserted there because I am suppose to drink 1 gallon of purified water a day including other healthy liquids, no caffeine (no issue there it added to my nerve pain anyways and never drank it), no soda and no alcohol! We sit and talk in the car about the past 24 hours.
We are at the house and we follow the brick path (sidebar, my brain went to following the yellow brick road to see The Wizard and make all my dreams come true) past all the veggies in the garden (which smell so good) to the backyard and wait until the door is unlocked. The Dr. claims he is rarely late but expresses to me that I shouldn’t run away if it is 7:01 unless a note is on the door. A gentleman arrives now and we chat for a few. He expresses his concern that it is 7:04, he has to get to work and Dr. Robins is rarely this late unlocking the door. I told him not to worry that he can go first because I have no place to be at 8:00am!!!! I hear the click of the lock and walk in to find Dr. Robins in sweat shorts and a T-shirt and bed hair……yup he rolled out of bed and came downstairs to treat us. The Dr. puts a beautiful old husky in a kennel and turns on this huge flat screen TV to 30s-40s classics and explains that he doesn’t want stress or controversial debates among his patients so these old movies are perfect. Woohoo, I look around and see Yankee memorabilia all over and giggle a bit because a close RSD friend is a Boston Redsox fan and I always pick on her that the Yankees are better!!! :-p

He treats the other guy right there in the den while I watch and wait for my turn. It is my turn and I rotate to the “chair” and get prepped for the needle. He misses the vein but gets it with a small adjustment. I am amazed that he fills the vile 2/3 full on day 2. Dr. Robins looks down and starts berating me for the sandals on my feet. He asks where the great New Balance sneakers were from yesterday. I shyly answer, “Home at Mom’s, it is early, I wasn’t walking far, and Bill drove.” He replies sternly that I should be wearing them 24/7 365, that they are the best thing for my feet. Okay, the Podiatrist is now showing and I choose my words carefully when I decide to educate him on RSD!!! As most of us are well aware, RSD is not a forgiving disease, it does not like change. RSD dictates what I can do, wear and when I can rest or sleep or even walk and sit. It took me 6 months to get a sock on so wearing a sneaker for even 20 minutes is a big deal. I explained the sensitivity to touch and that any shoe is miserable for me so I pick what is most tolerable and least restrictive based on my current pain levels. I have yet to show up again without the sneakers because I can’t let the stress of the uneducated get in the way of me healing.


The ozone is in and I move over to the next seat and rest. The chest pressure/burn is bad and all I can smell and taste is the ozone. Another guy walks in all pumped up and comments “nothing like the smell of ozone first thing in the morning”! First off, “shut-up”, it is too early to be this awake let alone this happy and alert……..I think to myself, will this be me soon? Anyways, Dr. Robins and Bill comment that they can’t smell the ozone, but it honestly has a very distinct smell and now I know I am not the only one who can smell it (I am a super taster/sniffer and I am always being told “I don’t taste/smell that at all”).

We say goodbye and out the door we go, I am so thirsty I feel as if I could drink that gallon of water in one sitting! When we get home I catch Mom up on the visit and off to bed I go and sleep 2 hours, uninterrupted sleep, amazing!!! But, all I can still smell and taste is ozone and it is nauseating me a tad. I also notice a headache brewing and decide I will ask about it on Friday.

I am exhausted by the time I start taking night meds and before I know it I am drifting off, only to be suddenly awakened by nerve pain in my foot. My nails hurt bad and so I clip them (holding in a terrifying scream as I do). I get comfy again, head on Bill’s chest (my favorite place in the world to be) and I am back to sleep without taking additional meds. for the pain!