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Hello this is Tammie, Brock's Mom. Thank you for your time and any help you can give Brock. Below is his letter to all of you. May God bless all of you!!
Hello... I'm Brock Thomas and here is my story:
My health issues all began about 6 years ago while eating dinner with my wonderful wife. I was trying to put a corn holder in an ear of corn when it broke and stuck into my finger. It was in the bone and took all my strength to remove it. While Holly was freaking out I never felt a thing and didn’t bleed a drop. I knew something was wrong, saw a doctor and was diagnosed with severe Rheumatoid Arthritis. I had degeneration in my hands and wrists which caused carpal tunnel in both wrists. They would not do surgery due to my RA being so bad. It would just cause more than it would fix. My rheumatologist said that I had something else going on but he didn’t know what. I was sent to a neurologist who did several tests. He said there was something going on…..but he didn’t know what.
I went through numerous medications and continued to worsen. I became unable to do many of the things I enjoyed like golf and most things involving my hands. I was in the midst of a major flare up and went to see my Primary doctor. He gave me a shot and sent me to the hospital for x-rays on my neck. I was sitting in the hospital waiting room when I began feeling sick. I got up to go get a drink from the machine in hopes it would help. The next thing I remember is waking up with a lot of nurses and staff over me. They went to stand me up and I knew instantly my ankle was broken. I was put in a cast and waited for it to heal. I knew around 4-6 weeks in the cast that something was not right. I had broken bones before and know about how it should feel. This was not it.
I ended up being in the cast about 10 weeks and when they took it off my foot and leg were swollen and very red. The orthopedic doctor said I couldn’t put weight on it still and I waited……. I began to hurt more and more. My leg felt as if it were inside a fireplace from the knee down. It would turn Razorback Red and swell so much I was convinced something would bust anytime. Then it would change…… it would begin to cramp all over. It would turn bluish in color and be ice cold. It felt like it was frozen solid. The doctor said one day when I was there on just one of my many visits, I think you have CRPS, formerly called RSD. I said ok and went on about my day of getting back home and to my bed. Not really even acknowledging what he had said. He told me to research it some and that he really didn’t know a lot about it. I didn’t process it. I never even told anyone because I didn’t really know. I went back a week later and he told me that he wanted me to see a friend of his who knew about treating RSD. I said what? He said RSD….you have RSD. He gave me the name of the doctor and we set an appointment for about 6 months away. I began to research this doctor and saw he was a surgical neurologist. I now had to acknowledge these 3 letters.
I was sent for a 3-Phase bone scan which confirmed the diagnosis and I began to learn a few things about RSD. For one it usually spreads to multiple limbs. It had begun to spread into my other leg and had me bedbound for about 10 weeks. The amounts of pain I felt are really hard to explain. Partly because there is nothing I know of to compare it to. The rest is because I think I just blocked it out. I was and still am on so much of so many very strong medications that most likely plays a part too. I still randomly feel like someone opens a pair of rusty old scissors and jabs it in my leg then twists it around. When I don’t feel those extreme pains, I feel a constant burn or ache depending on what it’s doing at the time. I was in the neurologist’s office with my mother and wife when he said I would likely not only get better but worse. There is no cure for RSD……. I began to try and comprehend this. I saw a total of 3 doctors who told me face to face that I would probably never walk again. I had a 3 year old son, wife, mortgage, car payment etc. Just like most of you. I was having none of that.
I had been on crutches about 7 months when a dear friend of my wife along with my cousin convinced me to try something. She worked for a pain management specialist who treats this and my cousin is a doctor of physical therapy. I went to physical therapy and began 3 hours/day 3 days a week of therapy. I spent most of the time with my hat pulled down and my hands over my face. There was a room full of people and I was in excruciating pain. I soon underwent a set of Sympathetic Nerve Blocks. These are injections into the front of the spine where steroids and local anesthetic are used to numb the entire nerve to that leg. Unfortunately, I had to be awake for these and the needle is about 7” long. Also, the severe inflammation in my spine made the procedure more painful than normal. The first one worked for about a month and I was able to push through PT. I did what I knew the Lord would allow. I walked. I still had a lot of pain but I was once again ABLE. The second nerve block worked about 3 weeks. The third, a week. The fourth, a few hours. The last one hurt so much I knew I was done with that. I was on my way and could manage it.
I continued PT and stayed walking but my pain was not going away. I was researching different experimental treatments and knew all of them had some ok results if administered within a year. Some would put the disease into remission around 10-20% of the time. They were however very dangerous and crazy expensive. My son is now 4. I will just have to hurt. I went through a lot but was making it until I got a call that insurance would no longer pay for my PT. It took about 2 weeks without it before I began to have spells like I did originally and was burning. It was coming back with a vengeance. I had to do something….but what?? I made a few friends who have this disease through a local support group and Facebook. They had tried this doctor in Fayetteville and had great success. It is non-invasive, painless, and safe. I called and left a message on a Saturday and on Monday morning I got a call from Dr. Katinka Van Der Merwe herself on Monday morning. She asked me to tell her a little about what I have going on and shortly into it she stopped me. She said she would be willing to bet all the money in my pocket that I had not mentioned having a neck injury. No one had asked about that and I had nearly forgotten an incident involving me on a forklift at 4am and hitting a stack of pallets. She was right.
She went on to tell me almost every single issue I have going on physically mentally and emotionally. She said that I have damaged my neck and spinal cord and that she could help me. She said that it is very important that I get to her fast because it is much easier for her to stop this nonsense within one year of its onset. She, unlike any other, said she COULD help me. I scheduled the first week of treatment and scrapped together what I could and went. This morning I went in and met with her and she did some tests (that didn’t hurt for a change) and said Yes Brock….I can help you. She had me lay down on a table and she pressed her fingers onto the base of my skull and within seconds my pain went completely away!! My leg, my foot, my hands, my wrists……zero pain. I again found myself in a large room full of people in tears. This time because I knew she was right. This worked.
I had some pain return but went to my afternoon appointment with her and received another adjustment from her along with a micro-current treatment and was once again pain free! It has been about 5 hours now and I feel great! I have treatments all day this week and will begin a full 10 week treatment program in January. I am sure that with God’s help and hers that I can regain my life and live without pain. Insurance does not cover any of this. It is 10 weeks 4 days/week then every other week I go for a day of treatment. The full year treatment is $8,000 plus my room and other expenses which will cost around $3,500. My mom and wife have wanted me to start one of these but I have never wanted to because nothing felt right. This does. If you can help me at all I would appreciate it more than words can say. My family and I want a chance and this is it.
Sincerely,
Brock Thomas
Hello... I'm Brock Thomas and here is my story:
My health issues all began about 6 years ago while eating dinner with my wonderful wife. I was trying to put a corn holder in an ear of corn when it broke and stuck into my finger. It was in the bone and took all my strength to remove it. While Holly was freaking out I never felt a thing and didn’t bleed a drop. I knew something was wrong, saw a doctor and was diagnosed with severe Rheumatoid Arthritis. I had degeneration in my hands and wrists which caused carpal tunnel in both wrists. They would not do surgery due to my RA being so bad. It would just cause more than it would fix. My rheumatologist said that I had something else going on but he didn’t know what. I was sent to a neurologist who did several tests. He said there was something going on…..but he didn’t know what.
I went through numerous medications and continued to worsen. I became unable to do many of the things I enjoyed like golf and most things involving my hands. I was in the midst of a major flare up and went to see my Primary doctor. He gave me a shot and sent me to the hospital for x-rays on my neck. I was sitting in the hospital waiting room when I began feeling sick. I got up to go get a drink from the machine in hopes it would help. The next thing I remember is waking up with a lot of nurses and staff over me. They went to stand me up and I knew instantly my ankle was broken. I was put in a cast and waited for it to heal. I knew around 4-6 weeks in the cast that something was not right. I had broken bones before and know about how it should feel. This was not it.
I ended up being in the cast about 10 weeks and when they took it off my foot and leg were swollen and very red. The orthopedic doctor said I couldn’t put weight on it still and I waited……. I began to hurt more and more. My leg felt as if it were inside a fireplace from the knee down. It would turn Razorback Red and swell so much I was convinced something would bust anytime. Then it would change…… it would begin to cramp all over. It would turn bluish in color and be ice cold. It felt like it was frozen solid. The doctor said one day when I was there on just one of my many visits, I think you have CRPS, formerly called RSD. I said ok and went on about my day of getting back home and to my bed. Not really even acknowledging what he had said. He told me to research it some and that he really didn’t know a lot about it. I didn’t process it. I never even told anyone because I didn’t really know. I went back a week later and he told me that he wanted me to see a friend of his who knew about treating RSD. I said what? He said RSD….you have RSD. He gave me the name of the doctor and we set an appointment for about 6 months away. I began to research this doctor and saw he was a surgical neurologist. I now had to acknowledge these 3 letters.
I was sent for a 3-Phase bone scan which confirmed the diagnosis and I began to learn a few things about RSD. For one it usually spreads to multiple limbs. It had begun to spread into my other leg and had me bedbound for about 10 weeks. The amounts of pain I felt are really hard to explain. Partly because there is nothing I know of to compare it to. The rest is because I think I just blocked it out. I was and still am on so much of so many very strong medications that most likely plays a part too. I still randomly feel like someone opens a pair of rusty old scissors and jabs it in my leg then twists it around. When I don’t feel those extreme pains, I feel a constant burn or ache depending on what it’s doing at the time. I was in the neurologist’s office with my mother and wife when he said I would likely not only get better but worse. There is no cure for RSD……. I began to try and comprehend this. I saw a total of 3 doctors who told me face to face that I would probably never walk again. I had a 3 year old son, wife, mortgage, car payment etc. Just like most of you. I was having none of that.
I had been on crutches about 7 months when a dear friend of my wife along with my cousin convinced me to try something. She worked for a pain management specialist who treats this and my cousin is a doctor of physical therapy. I went to physical therapy and began 3 hours/day 3 days a week of therapy. I spent most of the time with my hat pulled down and my hands over my face. There was a room full of people and I was in excruciating pain. I soon underwent a set of Sympathetic Nerve Blocks. These are injections into the front of the spine where steroids and local anesthetic are used to numb the entire nerve to that leg. Unfortunately, I had to be awake for these and the needle is about 7” long. Also, the severe inflammation in my spine made the procedure more painful than normal. The first one worked for about a month and I was able to push through PT. I did what I knew the Lord would allow. I walked. I still had a lot of pain but I was once again ABLE. The second nerve block worked about 3 weeks. The third, a week. The fourth, a few hours. The last one hurt so much I knew I was done with that. I was on my way and could manage it.
I continued PT and stayed walking but my pain was not going away. I was researching different experimental treatments and knew all of them had some ok results if administered within a year. Some would put the disease into remission around 10-20% of the time. They were however very dangerous and crazy expensive. My son is now 4. I will just have to hurt. I went through a lot but was making it until I got a call that insurance would no longer pay for my PT. It took about 2 weeks without it before I began to have spells like I did originally and was burning. It was coming back with a vengeance. I had to do something….but what?? I made a few friends who have this disease through a local support group and Facebook. They had tried this doctor in Fayetteville and had great success. It is non-invasive, painless, and safe. I called and left a message on a Saturday and on Monday morning I got a call from Dr. Katinka Van Der Merwe herself on Monday morning. She asked me to tell her a little about what I have going on and shortly into it she stopped me. She said she would be willing to bet all the money in my pocket that I had not mentioned having a neck injury. No one had asked about that and I had nearly forgotten an incident involving me on a forklift at 4am and hitting a stack of pallets. She was right.
She went on to tell me almost every single issue I have going on physically mentally and emotionally. She said that I have damaged my neck and spinal cord and that she could help me. She said that it is very important that I get to her fast because it is much easier for her to stop this nonsense within one year of its onset. She, unlike any other, said she COULD help me. I scheduled the first week of treatment and scrapped together what I could and went. This morning I went in and met with her and she did some tests (that didn’t hurt for a change) and said Yes Brock….I can help you. She had me lay down on a table and she pressed her fingers onto the base of my skull and within seconds my pain went completely away!! My leg, my foot, my hands, my wrists……zero pain. I again found myself in a large room full of people in tears. This time because I knew she was right. This worked.
I had some pain return but went to my afternoon appointment with her and received another adjustment from her along with a micro-current treatment and was once again pain free! It has been about 5 hours now and I feel great! I have treatments all day this week and will begin a full 10 week treatment program in January. I am sure that with God’s help and hers that I can regain my life and live without pain. Insurance does not cover any of this. It is 10 weeks 4 days/week then every other week I go for a day of treatment. The full year treatment is $8,000 plus my room and other expenses which will cost around $3,500. My mom and wife have wanted me to start one of these but I have never wanted to because nothing felt right. This does. If you can help me at all I would appreciate it more than words can say. My family and I want a chance and this is it.
Sincerely,
Brock Thomas