Welcome to the SD BB where you'll find lots of information, probably way more than your doctor will ever tell you :-) You did not say if you have been diagnosed as ADductor or ABductor SD. It is very important to know this and to know the differences between the two. Dr James Thomas's web site (link below) will give you more information on that, as well as what to expect from botox injections. He gives much information on what is happening in Washington State.

There has been a very recent thread where cost of botox was discussed (see http://www.dystonia-bb.org/forums/sd/posts/10549.html )This can vary tremendously from state to state, country to country and doctor to doctor. The physicians in Seattle, WA are very experienced in giving botox for SD. The procedure is usually done in 5 to 10 minutes at most.

Good luck, Pat and keep us informed on your progress.

Lloyd Pearson(BC) Canada AD/SD

I hope I am doing this right! I have never joined a forum like this before, and am impressed that I have already had two replies since I posted just this afternoon!

I am pretty sure I have Ad/SD just from what my doctor has told me. Since I live in a small Alaskan town and no doctors here administer the Botox, I am having to make arrangements to go to either Seattle, WA., or Portland, OR. for them. That means that I will not be able to have my first injection until after the first of the year. I have already checked with my insurance company and it is covered, which is a blessing! Since my job requires me to answer the telephone daily and contact insurance companies, I am anxious to find out if this therapy will work for me.

I will keep you posted, and thanks for your quick reply!

You definitely came to the right place. We're here to help. You're right...it is a great forum.

Have you contacted Cinthia Ritchie...another SD'er in Alaska? If not, check out some of her previous posts.

Best of luck on all of this,

Thanks for responding! I did search around for the name you mentioned but did not find anything. Is there an easy way to find her postings? I would love to chat with someone here in Alaska.

Thanks,

Click on this link and you'll go to a recent posting by Cynthia (she's the Alaska SD patient):

http://www.dystonia-bb.org/forums/sd/posts/9769.html

and here are two really useful links with good info for first-time Botox shots:

http://www.ohsu.edu/som-Otolaryn/voice/pat_info/sd/ad.html

http://www.ohsu.edu/som-Otolaryn/voice/pat_info/sd/ab.html

Best wishes, and keep us posted on how you get on.

Thanks for the information. New Zealand, WOW! I am spending more and more time on the computer, trying to soak up as much information about this disorder as I can. I did the same thing when I was diagnosed with MS in 1988. Does anyone else out there with SD have a diagnosis of MS?

Take care, and I will keep you posted on my progress.

Good luck to you.

Thanks for the information. I have found a doctor in Anchorage, but that is just as far away for me to travel as it is for me to go to Seattle or Portland. I live in Ketchikan, just about six hours north of the Canadian border. We are the first city in Alaska after crossing the Canadian border. I could not find anything about the doctor you suggested.