RSD - Call to Action! Please Help.

Dear All Those Impacted by RSD (People with RSD, their family, friends, community, town leaders, etc.)

We at "For Grace" are urgently asking all to write letters, e-mails, and make phone calls to the California State legislators listed below to support AB 1648, the California RSD Education bill. This bill is about to go before (2-3 weeks) their Assembly Health committee for a hearing and vote-- and we desperately need your voice to enable its passage. It has been brought to our attention it is imperative that these legislators here from the RSD community-- or this bill stands a good chance of dying. Please don't allow this to happen--

PLEASE TAKE ACTION NOW.

The California RSD Education bill (bill text provided below) was introduced on the Capitol floor, February 22nd, by Assemblywoman Fran Pavley.

This bill, if passed, will fund an RSD awareness campaign through the state's Department of Health Services, targeting education to healthcare professionals and the general public. Once implemented, this RSD education campaign will provide crucial information to enable earlier recognition of the disease, better, faster medical interventions-- and ultimately, save many lives from the terrible ravages of unchecked, unmanaged RSD.

You don't have to be a California resident to act. ALL RSD voices from ALL over the country can send a clear, firm and absolute message to these legislators that this bill is necessary for a better tomorrow for those impacted by RSD. If this bill passes in California, it will help pave the way for similar bills throughout the country!

****Suggested Action******

Please call, write or e-mail the CA legislators below, stating your support of AB 1648 and urging a "YES" vote for its passage in their Assembly Health committee. We have provided a letter sample (written by RSD'er Toni Amarel of Folsom, CA) as a guide. Also, if possible, please cc: all correspondence to our legislative liaison, Tamara Odisho (her contact information is listed in the post: Info - Where to write), so we can keep a record of the response.

Co-sponsors for AB 1648 lined up to date are the Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Syndrome Association (RSDSA), the American Chronic Pain Association (ACPA), the American Pain Foundation (APF), the Southern California Cancer Pain Initiative (SCCPI) and the Inter-Cultural Cancer Caucus (ICCC).

Please take action now-- and please share this message with everyone you know who can support you in this effort. The more voices heard-- THE BETTER...

THANK YOU all for helping us realizing "the dream of never again".

Text of bill AB 1648:
http://www.assembly.ca.gov/acs/acsframeset2text.htm


Sample Letter:

Dear Assemblyman;
On February 22nd, the Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD) Education Bill (AB 1648) was introduced. Please vote “Yes” on this very important health bill for our golden state.
An estimated 1.5 to 6 million Americans suffer from the devastating effects RSD. Yet, RSD remains virtually unheard of. What is RSD? RSD is a progressive neurological disease with constant chronic pain as its main symptom. Furthermore, it is a debilitating disease that if left untreated can spread to all parts of the body leaving the patient completely disabled. If diagnosed early and with appropriate medical care, it can be successfully treated. However, most patients have extreme difficulty getting a timely diagnosis. Why? Because, the medical community as a whole is not educated about what causes RSD or how to diagnosis and successfully treat it.

Anyone, young or old can get RSD. I have personally suffered with RSD since 1998 and this disease has wreaked havoc on my life. M family and I have suffered from extreme financial hardships due to mounting medical costs, prolonged family disruption, social isolation, diminished quality of life, depression and anxiety. The sad reality is that if I had received early diagnosis and appropriate treatment I could have been cured. Instead, I will endure of lifetime sentence with RSD.

Education is the key to successful diagnosis and treatment of RSD. No one should have to suffer a lifetime of excruciating pain from RSD. RSD can be successfully treated and at times put into remission. We must educate our medical community and our population about RSD so as to prevent RSD from claiming the life of another person. We must act now to pass the RSD Education Bill.

I urge you, as stewards of our golden state, to vote yes on the RSD Education Bill. Your yes vote will be the first step in educating our medical community and California’s population about RSD.
Sincerely,
Toni Amarel
RSD 1998
http://www.toni-crps.com/
Trailblazing A New RSD World