I can relate in a step away sort of way. I've had family members die from falling or seizures and a few moths ago one of my mom's friends missed a stair and fell. That really shook me up for days. I figured out someone falling triggers a life or death response from me because it's been that way in the past.
Having something 'trigger' powerful emotions is a standard PTSD symptom. The best thing to do is try to take care of yourself.

Well, you're on the right track since docs tell patients like us that PTSD is, when you come down to it, an anxiety disorder. So what you're feeling about anxiety from a fall would make sense, right? As for tips, glad you asked. I learned about Pete Walker here, and try to pass him on whenever I get the chance. He's the PTSD tip master:

http://www.pete-walker.com/

Totally normal to me. In any scenario I plot any possible outcome and most times over think it. Has far as the MRI the last time I went in for one They had music piped into earphones and an awesome stain glass mural over the table. You are not alone. During anything medical I zone out and scan everything in room. Answer question short and precise and wait until when I can dash out door. It is worse if the office has no windows and the door is closed. Sometimes I just grasp my old wedding ring and serenity cross my wife gave me and twirl it. Praying for you, Hope I helped.

Oz, I am with you there on medical ...anything. But as I age, naturally I must face it more.
As for the surgery....You weren't here in September when my arm broke...broke good. But I was honest with the surgeon and the hospital about my anxiety , even the paramedics that came in the ambulance. I had my niece with me and she talked me to the hospital of choice, the closer one was not an option, I would have run screaming off the roof. When we got there just to set the bones in place for a temporary support wrap, they gave me a boat load of meds to knock me out, that worked for about 10 min. I was talking the doc through when the bones felt right. Even through a second dose because the first failed to knock me out, only calm me a bit.
By being honest with the doc, that I was at my limit the surgery was postponed a few days to allow me to get my head around it. But there would have been no way for my arm to heal on it's own so I had to have it. The 2 hour surgery? 6 hours. 3 days in the hospital before I could be released. But I actually gained a lot of strength in myself from knowing I had made it through.
I could not have done it though without the accommodations of the staff and doctors given me because I was honest with them.

By the time I left I had slept about 31/2 hours beyond the surgery, spent hours drawing with my right hand and had a lot of extra anxiety meds by IV to keep me from a leap out the window. My niece was my greatest support. Bringing me my pencils pens sketch books and talking me down until the next round of anxiety meds became effective.

So gather support you are comfortable with, they can remember for you when the waterfall of anxiety rush hits you. Make sure you have things that comfort you, a favorite book even if it has been read a hundred times, music....what ever works for you.

Prayers and hugs all goes well, but prep for it to remove anything that may come out of the blue. The Peter Walker tips are so good, read through and practice so they are not new too you. Breathe..
Jewells.

Oh boy.
First off, I hav medical PHOBIA thanks to the accident that banged me up---I was put through he**---I get hyper up to a month ahead of a scheduled app't, and certain docs especially freak me out. I can really sympathize.

Gentle hugs.

Thanks for the support, understanding and suggestions. Had forgotten about Pete Walker as I had reached saturation point a couple of months ago and just stopped absorbing anything. Am really trying to focus on breathing, mindfulness and visualisation. My biggest dread is during an actual examination. I know the specialist will have to put my hand into lots of positions to see the extent of damage. I have a tendency to over-research and over think things. Am practising staying in the present.

The hospital really messed this up. I went in with, to our family, a very obviously injured thumb/hand. Only saw the physio who highly suspected a scaphoid fracture and possible elbow fracture so put me in a cast straight away. CT scan showed no breaks so they took me out of the cast and put me into hand brace, telling me to come out of it in a few days and exercise the hand. Wrong advice! My normal doctor, thank God, was very concerned and insisted I see someone this last week and sent me back to the hospital for further assessment. They just almost laughed at me-what are you doing back here, you just need to give it time and keep it elevated. No one even looked at my hand.

Managed to get in with a physio who specialises in hands. She put me straight into a brace so the thumb can't be moved, phoned our top orthopaedic surgeon and got me in this week. All the appointments just fell into place, which is such a relief. I would have just ignored the hand and hoped it got better.

Have managed two good nights of sleep bombed out on my husband's prescription pain killers.

Will go and dig out the information from Pete Walker and believe that I can help myself and not fall apart.

Have some answers which have just complicated life big time. Apparently I have done some serious damage to some nerves and have developed a condition which is not well understood, has no certain treatment that works and an uncertain prognosis. I could potentially lose the use of my whole arm. The damage has already spread to my other arm and legs. This is a chronic, inflammatory pain condition. The specialist and my regular doctor both told me it was very serious. I've started an anti-convulsant medication which supposedly helps with neuropathic pain but it has serious adverse effects and may stop me driving. It is one of two medications that may work and they are both as bad as each other with adverse effects.

It's going to be even more important that I practise and master distress tolerance skills, relaxation etc. So glad I am in counselling, but given what we are already dealing with this is the last thing we need.

You never know when life is really going to pull the rug out from under you. The positive side of this is that it was picked up so quickly which offers the best prospect of at least remission. '

We may be in a new house in the coming month or two and I am in a hand brace for at least another month and have limited use of my dominant hand.

Will definitely read up on Pete Walker. I am seriously thinking of getting some downloads to help with relaxation.

Thanks for listening.

Ozmum, I am so sorry to hear that your condition is worse than expecte and spreading. Healing wishes to you, and keep us posted....

Just a quick note. It's early days with my diagnosis. I know that being able to real is going to be critical. The condition is now known as CRPS and is a neuropathy. Have put myself onto oral cortisone to try and settle things down and already noticed a huge improvement. I plan on going to the pain clinic at our local hospital down the track but just need to try and sort out meds and find some facts that are balanced rather than so scary.

Had a huge dump on the crisis line last night. Spent the whole time crying, which in itself seems to help. Maybe just releasing stress is healing in itself. I feel as though my body has been flooded with toxins.

Must go. Need to be somewhere else. Just waiting for dd to eat breakfast. Thanks for your replies.

Sorry, that should read "Being able to relax is going to be really important". Hate this auto correct feature!

CRPS is complex regional pain syndrome -

http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/reflex_sympathetic_dystrophy/detail_reflex_sympathetic_dystrophy.htm

http://www.webmd.com/pain-management/guide/complex-regional-pain-syndrome

Thanks for the links. Almost everything I have read is overwhelmingly depressing and scary, from the course of the disease to the side effects of the medication I've been told I need to take, though my doctor never pushes me into taking anything and thoroughly went through side effects at different dosages.

Have found some more balanced reading that says not everyone goes through all the stages. Obviously the most important things are going to be relaxation, mindfulness and cbt for me.

See my counsellor tomorrow and will give her the news then. She has told me often enough that it's not uncommon for people in my situation to come down with serious illnesses as the body can only take so much stress. We have had so much stress this year dealing with the fallout of sexual abuse by our son on our daughters for years and finally confronting my own childhood abuse. It's hard not to be stressed when everything around you is a challenge.

Anyone have any positive experiences or outcomes with CRPS? Anyone had success with Lyrica without all the side effects that scare me big time? This is major trigger territory for me.