My name is Mark. I have had RSD for the last 6 almost seven years and was recently diagnosed with neuropathy and now MS. As my Mom would say "I just sat down to eat dinner and all hell broke loose" LOL. I have been a member of the old Braintalk forum since 2004 until it crashed here back a few months ago. I usually hang out next door with the Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy gang but decided it was time I marched myself over to say hello and meet you all. To be honest with you I have been peeking around the corner of the door for a few weeks now but I guess maybe I felt that if I came into the room I would be relenting to MS and I wasn't quite ready yet to admit to myself that I had it, but I'm okay now. So anyway, I'm 43 living on Cape Cod trying to get my SSDI approved for the second time (with a attorney's help this time) and taking life one day at a time at this point. I now walk with a cane but find it difficult to keep my balance.

The worst times of the day for me are first thing in the morning (I can't even get out of bed and the pain levels are unbelieveable) and late night, I have tremors and they jerk me around bad in bed and make it almost impossible to get any descent sleep.

All in all I am so grateful to Neurotalk for being here. It is my life line to sanity. My only connection to people who have any idea what a second of any given day for me can be like. The people around me at home, etc try to be sensitive but they just don't quite get it. Either they don't even come close or they back off completely.

Bottom line. Thank you all for being here. You are more important than you may realize. Thank you!!

Mark