art has honestly been the only thing thats gotten me through all this. I usually spend about 2 hours a day drawing in my sketchbook, along with the 5 art classes i take in school. It helps me calm down and destress, and its always so rewarding when you finish a piece and look at it and go "i did that!". I'm in numerous art related clubs and a few of my recent pottery pieces just got sent to a state competition!

art has actually been so theraputic for me im going to college next year to major in Art Therapy and hopefully work in a children's hospital someday so i can help kids like me!

good luck!

anna

This is a good question. I was just wondering what kind of hobbies people are still able to do and if they think it relates to the RSDS that they still can't do them physically and mentally.

I use to make jewelry and I kept my kit thinking that someday I would be able to get back to it. Not happening yet.

I also love antiques and Bill and I delt in them for years. Buying, selling, and trading. For the past 8 years it was him doing it all. Now I can't even concentrate on doing it. I have a shed full of antiques and I could use the money but I just cannot bring myself to do it.

Ada

Hi Ada,

I love antiques too. Do you collect a certain thing? I have a doll collection that I think I am going to sell, I have had them years. Hugs, Roz

Hi,

I don't have RSD but do have spinal disorders. And my love is Genealogy! True, you can spend HOURS on the computer. But I just break up my time on it and do research when I can. When I am really into it, I don't think I feel much pain.

I collect cobalt blue. I have a house full of it. I also collect hankies, jewelry, older dolls. I have a doll house from the 1930's. I have worked on furnishing it for the past few years with antique doll furniture. I have a collection of perfume bottles. The boys and I collect Disney. It's their collection for when they are grown. We have over 5000 pieces. Bill and I always had to buy two of everything for them. They love collecting and we wanted to teach them the value of things so they wouldn't destroy them. Bill built them each a showcase about 5 years ago for Christmas and they collect knives and coins.

I have scaled down on what I collect. My house runneth over and now that Bill is gone I have to make some decisions on what to do with everything I have now if I sell or rent the house.

I have a lot of the old western things of Gene Autry, Roy Rogers, Bonanza and more. I actually started packing things up before Bill passed because we were going to sell the house.

Hi Kathy, I love geneology also. If you ever want to read on my family google Chenoweth Family and you will see our family history. A 6th cousin did it and it is amazing. It's on my Dad's side. It even tells the history of how they started. I want to do Mom's side but I don't know how to even start. Seems like every website charges to research.

I don't want to take away from Inhishand's post. I thought it was good. I had been thinking about asking the same question.

Ada

Hi everyone! I am new to this Forum, and there are so many interesting threads and discussions! I have an internet friend who has RSD in her arms/hands, like I do.

It has been challenging to find activities to get OUT and at least try to have somewhat of a "life"! However, my friend, who used to be an avid camper/fisher-person and overall outdoor enthusiast found a BRILLIANT activity that does NOT ONVOLVE ARMS!!!!!

It is called "float-tubing"--basicaly, you wear a neoprene wader over shorts and a shirt (or bathing-suit), and you get in this big inner-tube thing with a platform seat, a back-rest and armrests. You wear scuba-diving flippers on your feet. Once you are in the water, you "paddle" with your feet to get you where you want to go on a nice, calm lake....she did it several times, although she just needed a little assistance from her hubby to get "set up".

She said it was the FIRST time in YEARS that she felt "FREE"--and NO USE OF HER ARMS!!!! The second time she went out, she brought light-weigh binoculars, and even saw a bald eagle dive for a fish and bring it out of the water, and it flew right over her head!!!

This summer, she is going to have her hubby attach a fishing pole holder to the arm-rest, so she doesn't have to try and cast out or try to hold the pole--she figures if she cant actually reel the fish in too well, she can just snip the line and let the fish go!! Or, have her hubby help her reel it in (if he can paddle fast enough to get to her!!)

WOW!!!! I asked my PTP/Pain Doctor if I could give this a try this summer--he said GO FOR IT!!!!!!!!! A good way to get a little exercise, or just a "leisurely float" and enjoy some beautiful scenery!!!

I found a whole bunch of these float tubes at www.cabellas.com and waders and flippers as well. Depending on what model, etc. you want, the total cost is basically about $100...if you want a fancier float-tube, well, of course, then the cost is up to you!

This MIGHT also be a great activity if you have RSD in a lower extremity--the buoancy of the water might help, and doing the flipper thing doesn't require much strength according to my friend. It might just be THERAPEUTIC to get the legs moving without weight-bearing. Also, if you have a companion, you could probably be TOWED (basically and "effort-free ride")!!

I cannot tell you guys just how EXCITED I am to try this!!!! Kind of opens up a "Whole New World"!! After I make my "maiden vogage", I will DEFINITELY report back and let you know how it went!!!

Ok, summer---I can hardly wait!!

I started a rose garden, I love tending to it.also I have a bird feeder outside my bedroom window. I love to watch all the different birds-15 so far. Of course I have to open the window and yell at the squirrels!! Thenof course there is my lab Hannah, never could I go thorugh this without her. she wakes me up when I have ketamine nightmars, actually jumps up on the bed to wake me. I love her dearly. I have walked her with tears running down my face.because the pain is so bad- walks are so important to big dogs and I dont have many volunteers. it is so sad if it is one of those days or few days wehn i cant make it out of the house. I try to throw toys etc. so my dear freind hannah is a double edged sword but i couldnt live without her. Ive statrted cross word puzzles the easy ones that helps keep the brain working. MY left arm can not hold the book long- but I can make it through-one. I also have a 90 year old neighbor= she is how i try to give back = by going accross the streeet to visit. the visits mean alot to her. Think abut this one you guys because when i cant go she cries its awful and she cant understand.
next question should be " what did we do before we had RSD. thanks cz

Hi In His Hands--Thanks! i do hope that we all can find some OUTDOOR activities that are relaxing, FUN and "normal"!! Where I live, we have winter basically for 5-6 months. The cold is really bad for my RSD, and I spend DAYS with my arms wrapped around a heating pad (have burned out three already, and the fourth is acting up..). It is really awful, and very bittersweet to watch the kids and adults from myu living-room window having fun in the snow, walking down the street tossing snow-balls at each other, snow-shoeing in the drifts, taking their dogs out fpr play-time....and then remembering how much I loved to ski and ice-skate, attend all the fun activities for Winterfest BEFORE the RSD. And now, dreading to even go out inthe cold just to check the mailbox, lest it really set off the burning and reddish-purple colour of my skin and the sensitivity...

Well, I have decided that I am going to just "get through" this winter by getting that float-tube, etc. ordered! And imagining just how FREE I am going to feel in it!!!!! I can hardly wait for the weather to watm up!

My e-mail friend to check Cabellas and other sporting-good web-sites for some small, chemical packs that release heat---she says her hubby uses these things in his socks and gloves to keep them WARM when he is hunting.
So, the thought being, keep them "on hand" (so to speak) when I try the float-tubing, just in case my hands start doing the icey-cold thing.

Isn't it weird how some of these symproms just pop up? Even though the warm weather is so much more comfortable, I just can't tolerate too much variance in the temperature changes. Has anyone else experienced this??

like shopping at the grocery store---I just dread the frozen food section or the produce section, especially those misters that decide to come on the minute I reach for a bunch of celery!!! Talk about TIMING!!!

It has been so interesting to read about everyone else's hobbies! I too, love gardening, but darned if I can figure out how to plant anything bigger than a six-pack in a flower-box!

Has anyone found a way to dig a hole in the ground, or a device that can do it for you? I would love to try and plant some things in the ground, but I can't manage to use the shovel with my foot to get a hole bigger than a couple of inches deep. ARRRRRRR!!!! I have a light-weight Rubber-made garden cart that I could probably transport a rose-bush in, but getting it OUT of the plastic thing and into the ground.....any ideas??

Thanks to you all!!!

Brokenwings

I have so many hobbies! I like to make paper, do origami, do computer stuff, and sculpey clay is fun too. I also have done tennis in a wheelchair, but I don't think that would work for you if you have it in your hands.