With the list of medications and treatments you're either on or have endured, there's not a single one of us who doesn't share their hearts over your suffering.

One thing that caught my eye was that you've tried the morphine pump? At $20,000 to $30,000 apiece, these are not usually popped in and out but instead are seen as a very last thing to do for pain when you're looking at the option list, but only after you've first been tested to make sure it would help (overnight in the hospital routine). Did you have the test with no pain relief so they didn't proceed any further? Yikes, because this was what saved and evened out my pain even though my oral medications are similar or at higher dosages than what you're currently taking. I'm not on my second pump after the battery died during its 5+ years of faithful service.

Now that you've joined the ranks of living on wheels (I've been in a wheelchair since 1999), I can't over stress enough the importance of still moving the body. I know, it's a catch 22. The more you move, the more it hurts. Well, I'd like the ask do you not hurt if you don't move because I've learned that I can live as quiet as a church mouse and still find the pain levels hitting the roof, so since you're hurting already - you'll always do a little better if you can still keep the body moving. I did pool therapy for years with a therapist in the pool with me who moved the body parts I couldn't move on my own anymore, and it was simply a wonderful experience that slowed down the progression. What makes me the most sad is that nothing appears to be helping you whatsoever.

Even though I spend my days around the house in a Permobile C500, when I'm out doing errands I always choose to use my manual chair so I can get the heart thumping and my upper body working. With your RSD going body wide, I know this is so much harder, but please try and do at least some therapy if at all possible even when you don't think it's really accomplishing anything.

Being housebound is not uncommon when you're suffering at your level because it's always easier to just stay within your safe zone. For years I've been asking if the disabled become agoraphobic because of the way we feel inside ourselves or if it's because the way others treat us when we're out in the real world. Between my chopped off body on one half and my other leg being all black and gross, it's embarrassing when I'm out. Please try and not allow this to be one more thing that adds to your suffering. You've already got enough on your plate.

RSD does have flares and the longer you live with it, the better your coping skills will improve as you learn to accept something you really can't control. The severe swelling does eventually come down. The pain backs off enough so you can still do a bit more and RSD won't be the only thing in your life, but it takes time. Associating with great people in this group is another way of understanding that you're not alone but that this is just one more thing that many others like yourself are dealing with day in and day out. While today might last forever, tomorrow will get better - trust me. Here's hoping tomorrow won't be quite so bad, Bob.