From: Arthur.Saus@p160.f72.n376.z1.fidonet.org (Arthur Saus)
Newsgroups: misc.handicap
Subject: RSD Group
Date: 7 Oct 92 14:29:07 GMT
Reply-To: Arthur.Saus@p160.f72.n376.z1.fidonet.org
Organization: FidoNet node 1:376/72.160 - Windows of the Worl, Columbia SC
Originator: wtm@sheldev.shel.isc-br.com

Index Number: 24706

[This is from the Chronic Pain Conference]

Hello Mike!

25 Sep 92, Mike Lyons writes to Arthur Saus:

 ML> I just got done eating dinner and got back on the bbs.  I read my
 ML> reply to Arthur and wanted to say that I am very sorry for the tone of the
 ML> response.  I do not wish to start problems.

I agree with you, I'm not interested in starting any problems
either.  I also don't like to see medical misinformation spread,
although I know it is usually being done so with the best of
intentions, by folks who don't realize that what they are saying is
not EXACTLY right.  I can probably empathise with you and your
frustration as well or better than most others since I have seen
many of these problems in my medical practice.  RSD is a terrible
phenomenon to have happen to anyone, but especially to someone you
love and care deeply about.  It is not well understood, even by
physicians who have carefully studied this problem and do know what
little there is to know about it currently.

Most of your information suggests that you have a pretty good
understanding of this, but it's not exactly correct.  If you are
interested in this problem, I would encourage you to study it
further, and correct some of the flawed reasoning you presented.
Maybe you will be interested in medical research, and can teach the
rest of us what the real basis is for this disease, since nobody
completely understands it currently.

 ML> I am 24 years old, but dad and I were not real close once I became
 ML> a teenager.
 ML> Well, our relationship got a lot better after I became 19.  We have a good
 ML> relationship now and it does bother me a lot to sit here not able to help
 ML> him and watch him suffer.

I'm sure this is difficult for the physicians who are attempting to
care for him also.  They are doing the best they can to treat a
rare problem, when we probably have not yet discovered to
ultimately perfect therapy for this problem.

 ML> I have read a lot and went to the Dr.'s with
 ML> him every chance I got so that I could learn as much as possible, so when
 ML> Arthur quoted my message and basically implied that I did not know what I
 ML> was talking about, I was quite upset.  Arthur, I wish I didn't
 ML> know anything about RSD and I wish my father didn't have it, but he has it
 ML> and I do know a lot about it.

I'm sure you do, especially for someone of your age.  I did not
intend to imply that you didn't know anything about it.  Your
statements merely suggested an incomplete understanding, then you
made conclusions based on those errors.

Rather than arguing about the subtleties of this disease process
vs. another disease process, I would encourage your further study
to gain a better understanding of medicine if this is where your
interests lie.  I was older than you are when I decided to go back
to medical school!

Arthur

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