I am a lawyer and a former medical school professor. I have fibromyalgia, pretty badly, so I took a lower stress job that doesn't damage my health as much. I know a little bit about living with chronic pain, and enough to know that RSD pain is far greater.

I joined Neurotalk a couple of years ago. I do not have RSD. My best friend does... I'll call her Penguin. Penguin has had RSD for 22+ years, since she was 12 years old. It started with a sports injury in her right knee, and after she had a baby 3 years ago, the RSD spread to her head, neck, torso, right and left arms, and internal organs.

Penguin needs support and understanding, so I decided to learn everything I could about RSD -- research, treatment, medicine, psychology, patient perspectives. I hope I can make her loneliness a little less.

Also, sometimes I feel lonely and scared of dealing with RSD and the 'caretaking' responsibilities. I don't want to do anything to make it worse!

The third reason I'm on Neurotalk RSD board is because Penguin no longer posts on Neurotalk because she found it overwhelming, and scary. So I read it for her and share non-scary tidbits with her.

That's my story.