[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 145 (Friday, October 7, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: October 7, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                      REFLEX SYMPATHETIC DYSTROPHY

  (Mr. GOODLATTE asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to discuss a difficult 
illness that afflicts millions of Americans, but which is often 
overlooked--reflex sympathetic dystrophy or RSD.
  RSD is a chronic neurological condition of severe, burning pain, 
extreme sensitivity to touch, excessive swelling, and changes in bone 
and skin tissue. Its attacks can last from 1 hour to days on end. It 
often completely debilitates the victim.
  This illness was brought to my attention by a brave lady in my 
district who deals with it every day. Her name is Esther Miller, and 
she has organized support groups and lobbied our general assembly in 
Virginia to pass RSD awareness week.
  As a nation, we need to focus on finding a cure, preserving the 
rights of RSD sufferers to seek doctors who understand this illness, 
and holding open access to experimental treatments that offer real 
hope. I urge my colleagues to learn more about RSD and to join me in 
bringing greater awareness to this condition.

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