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Advisory Board
  We our pleased to welcomeRSD-CRPSLifesavers Advisory Board   Diana Ashton  Diana, is the first born child from a family of seven children. She grew up in a military family that traveled a lot before her father retired in Colorado. Germany, Alaska, Washington, and Colorado are some of the places she fondly calls home. Having four brothers and two sisters, Diana enjoyed an active outdoor life of excitement. Snowshoeing, skiing, snowmobiling, ice skating and hiking are some of the activities that have given her, extreme passion for life. Sales, commercial real estate, mortgage and finance has been her occupational focus. Diana has been a business owner for the last 25 years and currently resides in New Mexico. However, her most important focus has been her family. Strong loving ties to her parents, siblings, children and grandchildren give Diana the most joy. In 1989, Diana suffered a right shoulder injury. Almost immediately, the pain became extremely out of control. The diagnosis made was, Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy. After seeking a second opinion and researching, the diagnosis unfortunately, remained the same. Physical Therapy and Stellate Ganglion Blocks proved to be beneficial, but only gave temporary relief. Surgery was deemed to be necessary to repair the right shoulder. But, the RSD continued to spread, after an Upper Thoracic Radiofrequency Sympathectomy was performed. Now full body RSD, pain medications, anti seizure medicines, and muscle relaxers would become the treatment course for the twenty years to follow. Since 2005, Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment has also proved to be extremely beneficial. Although, Diana has struggled through the past twenty years in incredible pain, she attributes the fact that she is still mobile, to the early diagnosis of Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (now also known as CRPS, Chronic Regional Pain Syndrome). Firmly believing that education and early diagnosis is the only way to assure the best quality of life for an RSD/CRPS patient, Diana is committed to this cause. Diana is daily sharing conversation and information around the world to those who are diagnosed with RSD/CRPS and their caregivers. “I am the result of early diagnosis” says Diana. This is the right each and every RSD/CRPS patient has. I am committed to the education and early diagnosis of this disease. Marsha Tyszler  Marsha, was injured at age 22 while working as a summer camp counselor in August 2003. I sliced my legs while going over the top of a fence (The right leg was about 5 inches at the knee, while the left leg was cut from top to Bottom) Fell over the fence, and hit my head on the hard ground. I Went over. The fences as part of a race the camp had us counselors participate in. It was a split second decision I made during the race when I realized the fence was locked, and all I wanted to do was help my team catch up. When I asked Later on why the fence was locked, I found out the key to unlock it was "Off the premises," and the supervisors came to a decision that it would be Okay for three counselors to jump a 5-foot tall fence. The camp nurse didn't even send me to an ER that evening, and because I had hit my head (Which we didn’t know at the time) I wasn't thinking straight to insist. The next Day, I saw my own internist, and there began the search to figure out why my Leg was cold, blue, burning, twitching, etc. I went through the typical motions of trying to get a diagnosis (Especially The part where doctors told me I was crazy, faking, etc.).Five months after the injury's onset, my neurologist figured out that I had RSD. He sent me anywhere he felt that I could get help, no matter where in the country I Had to go. Over the years, I have tried so many things for help including Nerve blocks, an SCS, countless drugs (I'm currently on 15-16 meds, some of Which are supplements), multiple therapies, biofeedback, etc. Eventually, I Saw Dr. Schwartzman in Jan '08 and he recommended me for both ketamine Infusions and the coma. I went for the pre-testing this past summer And Just as We thought we were getting somewhere, my mom found out a few weeks Ago that Dr. S isn’t allowed by Drexel and/or Hahnemann to refer patients For the coma anymore. So now we are trying to figure out what to do for me with my local neurologist and pain doc, and I'm obviously upset that the man who invented the ketamine coma technique can't even refer his own Patients. I may have in-patient infusions done sometime soon at NYU Medical Center In NY State workers comp cooperates (And I may get them at Dr. S's Outpatient ketamine suite or in-patient, but we’re waiting on seeing what my Insurance does with letting me have them here first), and it seems I’ll have to Go see Dr. Kirkpatrick at some point soon regarding the coma. These are the only options left for me to try, and I am feeling great about ketamine’s Potential to help me. My whole body has been affected for three or so years, including all four limbs, head/eyes/ears/face/mouth/teeth/gums, torso, and several organs including my heart, lungs, and uterus. My doctors tell me that i'm only going to get worse at this point, so as difficult it is to decide to go the ketamine route; it seems I have little choice in the matter. I'm currently 28 living in The Bronx (NYC), And despite my frailty and Having a severe case of RSD that my doctors say is only going to continue Progressing, I try to stay as active as I can. With the help of my family, NYC Paratransit, and those who "work" around me, I manage to volunteer at NYU Medical Center/Rusk Institute of Rehabilitation in their gift shop and in Pediatric Therapeutic Recreation, I tutor/mentor Sociology and Writing Students at CUNY Lehman College, and I teach a beading class at a Local senior Center and this is all on top of my weekly medical appointments. On Evenings and weekends, I usually crash! And I spend every other Waking moment Online on Facebook helping others with RSD and their families and friends. I Co-run the first ever RSD support group on Facebook called RSD aka Really Sucks Dystrophy, I created and manage the RSDSA Causes page, and I assist in Managing other pages on Facebook for Triumph Over Pain, CT Pain Foundation And other non-organizational RSD support pages. I was supposed to start Graduate school a few days after my injury, and I did make it down to NYU on Crutches (and soon after, a wheelchair), and although I finished attending All of my required classes (which was extremely important to me), I have not Been able to finish my MA degree's work in its entirety in Early Childhood Education due to the TBI I incurred from hitting my head. I hold an AA in Liberal Arts and Science with a concentration in Visual and Performing Arts, And my BA is in Sociology and Childhood Education (and I hold NY State Childhood Education Teaching Certification) Education is VERY important to me. I had straight A's in college and received many honors, scholarships, Awards, etc. For my hard work both at school and in my community. I Have been Hoping since college to go on for a PhD or EDD in Early Childhood Education, but we have yet to fix my brain injury (workers comp Won’t let me go for Speech/cognitive therapies even though a judge ruled twice that they had to Pay). When I finish my degrees and can get back to work, I hope to become a university Education professor/researcher and teach in early childhood Classrooms. I've also wanted to date, get married, and start and Family and that's very difficult to make happen at this point since I'm too tired to step out of the door on evenings and weekends. I'm optimistic Everything will fall into place one day, though, and part of making That happen is Undergoing the coma like others I know well who are back to their lives. One thing I'm notorious for is my ever-loving positive spirit. I try to instill that in others with RSD -- helping them see the good things in the Bad. I am lucky not to have depression like most with RSD, so I feel this is Very important. While much of my life is on hold, I always feel there is a Reason for everything that happens . . . And I’ve seen some of those reasons Already, while other reasons remain to be seen. I take these reasons to Heart and turn them into learning experiences for the future. I also feel that there are always good things in bad situations, and I'm always asking myself to search for those good things when bad stuff comes up. I've always felt that it’s best not to wallow in sorrow. The best course of action is in that very word: acting on my problems in life in order to better my life. . And doing the same for others around me, including every single soul I Meet who has RSD. :-) Kim Dockery  Hi, my name is Kim Dockery And I have lived in Coldwater Michigan for the past 14 years. I am originally from Toledo Ohio and am a graduate of Rogers High School in 1973. I am 54 years old and have always been and will always be a person who loves helping others. I started my first entrepreneur business at age 38 after raising a wonderful son and working in the medical field for approximately 13 years. I started On-Line Transcription, Inc. with the sole purpose of offering an independent business for mothers who wanted to stay home, raise their children and make a decent living. On-Line Transcription is now in its 17 year of business. At age 50 I obtained my A+ certification as a Computer Technician in order to stay current with technology and the times. My most recent venture is now helping other lose weight and obtain a healthy lifestyle with the opening of Nutrition Oasis, a Nutrition Club in Angola Indiana which also offers people of all sectors of life to obtain a business of their own and help those who need a healthier lifestyle. I am passionate about the RSD cause and I am making it one of my many priorities to educate the public and bring awareness to this disease. Another passion of mine is animal rights and the protection of the Mountain Gorillas and other primates in danger of extinction. I look forward to the years to come, meeting new people and learning something new every day! |