Bonnie P

I'm a 50-something grandmother that has been living with reflex sympathetic dystrophy aka complex regional chronic pain syndrome for about 15 years now. It has not been an easy road, but I am grateful and happy to wake up each morning even with the pain. For those that do not know what RSD is, to make it simple it is a disorder of the sympathetic nervous system that sends extreme pain messages to the brain with no reason for the pain. One of my daughters explains RSD like this: "Imagine that you have to take a plane trip for work and you've only had one hour of sleep, then imagine that you have two suitcases that you carry 24 hours a day, that are so heavy that you can barely drag them along the floor, nevermind pick them up and carry them. Oh, you also have the worst sunburn pain all over your body and it also feels that someone is ripping the muscles right off your bones and every step or move that you make feels like you are breaking a bone with every movement. You barely are able to drag your suitcases to your car, it takes everything you have just to get them into the trunk of your car, now you lean on the car for support as you drag yourself to the front seat and collapse into the seat wondering how you are going to be able to drive and get to the airport on time. Once you make it to the airport, you again struggle to get those damn suitcases out of the trunk and drag them along trying not to cry as you realise that your plane is going to take off in less than five minutes. People are brushing up against you not realizing the pain they are causing by touching your extreme sunburn, even the breeze of people rushing past is like pouring rubbing alcohol on an open wound. Just as you make it to the gate, both of your suitcases open and everything spills out all over the floor, your plane is about to take off, and at this point all you can do is stand there and cry because there is nothing left in you to pick up your clothes and repack the suitcases, your body is screaming in pain, but somehow you find a way to repack, drag those damn suitcases along with you as your body screams with the ungodly pain. That is about the best description of what I feel 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. BUT, I try not to complain, I'm happy to be alive and able to still walk, even if I do have to use a cane. I am happy that I am not forced to use a wheelchair yet. I am happy just to be alive.