[cindi1965]

So, I came up with this idea this weekend to "video blog" or Vlog my journey with RSD. Here is a link to my first entry...please tell me what you think..love to all of you, this is a BIG THANK YOU for being here for me!!!
http://youdontlooksick-rsdsucks.blogspot.com/

[ballerina]

Originally Posted by cindi1965

So, I came up with this idea this weekend to "video blog" or Vlog my journey with RSD. Here is a link to my first entry...please tell me what you think..love to all of you, this is a BIG THANK YOU for being here for me!!!
http://youdontlooksick-rsdsucks.blogspot.com/

I visited your vlog this morning. I am sorry you are having such a rough time. I thought I would offer some thoughts.

There is so much that is beyond our control with CRPS. The one thing we do have some control over is the degree to which we suffer. My concern with your daily blog is that it could be limiting you ability to reduce your own suffering. Steeping in negative details of your CRPS may be adding to the emotional wind up that only makes chronic pain of any kind worse. Additionally the folks who are attracted to that way of coping will be more likely to approach dealing with suffering in the same way, which doesn't offer you alternative methods.

I only offer my thoughts because early on in my own CRPS journey I noticed that my pain only increased when my daily focus was on the details of my suffering. Once I made that connection things rapidly improved for me even though my financial circumstances, insurance issues and all of the other challenges brought on by CRPS remained constant. I found myself refusing to use words that would wind up my pain and refused to engage in behaviors that did the same thing.

My father had the best saying, which was,"If you do what you have always done you will get what you have always gotten." For my, having CRPS derailed my usual optimism and positive attitude and thwarted my own problem solving abilities. It was hard to turn things around but well worth the effort when I finally did.

I let go of steeping in the details of my condition and took every bit of that energy to make things better for myself. For example,my neurologist suggested a service dog for me. Every place I applied had a three to five year wait list. My finances did not permit me to buy a service dog. When someone suggested that I train one myself I laughed given my physical condition. Long story short I discovered that people with no arms, wheelchair bound, speech problems, chronic pain, etc. have successfully trained their own service dogs. That was a year ago and my efforts have resulted in Tootsie, who on a daily basis decreases my suffering. The bonus was that the journey of training her attracted others with CRPS who are also very positive and use their energies to decrease their own suffering through positive attitudes and active problem solving.

Just think what might happen if instead of taking "a thousand pictures" of your CRPS limb you took that time and emotional energy and dumped it into something positive for yourself.

Sending positive vibes your way and hope you have better days ahead!

[cindi1965]

Wow...I didn't think the Vlog was such a downer...I just want people to know how I feel about having RSD. I am on my 3rd year, so RSD is nothing new to me, if you had read the written part it says that in it. The pictures I have taken are for documentation reasons. I worked for 24 years with autistic kids and in a 10 day span this was completely taken away from me. Stay tuned for more Vlog entries...they will not be so tragic.