Hi, ballerina:

Quote: "When things get tough for me I remind myself that although I have CRPS I have a lot to do with how much I do or do not suffer." Are you saying that you play a role in how much pain you have or do not have? Are you saying that you could feel less pain if you wanted?

I am sure your neighbor wished she were alive and happy with her children. I understand there are cases much, much worse than mine but I also understand there are cases much, much better than mine. There are even many, many more cases of healthy people. I wish I were healthy and did not have RSD. I know we all do wish we were healthy and did not have RSD.

Quote: "Please think about seeking psychiatric help to help you develop coping mechanisms. We can't control our pain but we do have control over how we react to it and cope with it." The only problem is that I have trouble going over the hatred I feel for shrinks when they treated me like a nut case in the past. Even worse, they treated me like a druggie even though I told them I needed my narcotics to control my RSD pain. To top it off, they did not believe I have RSD and pretended it was in my mind even though I had proof of the contrary. The only psychiatrists I trust are in the U.S., not in French Polynesia, where I am.

Thanks for your advice and kind words.