Oh lord...even when I was in the wheelchair if someone bumped it that would send me reeling. I'm actually having an easier time now that I can walk a little bit with the walker. The walker (and my slow pace) tends to keep others away from me...and because I am the one in control I can avoid people a little bit easier than when I was in the chair and someone else had to push me. But of couse...I haven't tried any place that is very crowded yet. But the walker does provide me a bit of protection without really immobilizing any of my RSD limbs. Of course...I know assistive devices are frowned upon too but the pain and other symptoms have gotten so much worse that I need the walker (at least for now) to be safe and for my physical therapy.

In the beginning they gave me all sorts of air casts and then put me in one of those moon boot things. At first they seemed like they helped but the pain grew so much worse during the time I was using them. At the time I hadn't yet been diagnosed with RSD so no one could understand why I was getting worse with the immobilization...and I certainly didn't know enough then to put the immobilization together with the pain getting worse...I just thought that whatever it was was getting worse just because. When the doctor first mentioned RSD and I did some research it was like a lightbulb went off in my head...all of my odd symptoms suddenly had an explanation and no one else had been able to give me one before.