Hi, catra121:

I wonder if RSD patients have balance problems directly because of their RSD or if RSD attacked their ligaments, causing balance problems. I also wonder if RSD has to be generalized (full body RSD) to cause balance problems.

Balance problems are annoying. More than that, they are dangerous. Imagine an RSD patient getting struck by a car because he lost his balance and fell in front of the car, too late for the car to have enough time to stop and avoid hitting him. Imagine an RSD patient walking up or down some stairs losing her balance, falling, and hitting any body part on a step. Some RSD patients do not live with this fear, maybe because they accepted their RSD. Unfortunately for me, I am not like them. Every time I fall, the physical and psychological trauma keep piling up, traumatizing me. I do not know how much of this fear and trauma I will be able to stand. I hope your situation is better than mine, physically and psychologically.

Quote: "I have been having serious balance problems for the past year...ever since my RSD spread."

This is what I thought: at least for you and for me, our RSD spreading caused us to have balance problems.

The worst for me is when my two-year-old baby boy asks me to carry him and hold him. Am I supposed to accept so he is happy, but risks getting injured with me if I fall, or am I supposed to refuse and risk breaking his heart? One way, he gets injured physically; the other way, he is hurt psychologically. Physical and psychological injuries to my child always, always make me fear that I will receive a visit from the police, the paramedics, and Child Protective Services (CPS), if someone sees me fall with my son and calls them. My next task is to search for a very good RSD lawyer, with some knowledge in family law. I will never, ever let anyone (police, paramedics, CPS) steal my treasured baby from me. With my boyfriend, my child is all I have in this world. I am always afraid to be abandoned by my boyfriend because of my multiple disabilities and health problems, but I know my son will never abandon me. My boyfriend, a police officer, tells me never, ever to open my door to anyone. He says I have to call him in case of accident and wait for him. I love him so much, but like I said, I am afraid of losing such a wonderful man.

I hope your balance problems will get better with time. Besides using a walker, do you wear a functional knee brace at one or both of your knees?

As for my employer, he never says anything, so I never know what he thinks of me (being disabled and unhealthy) and my work. If employers would just open their eyes and see the reality of disabled people like RSD patients, they would notice many of them are able and willing to work.

I sincerely hope a person as loving as you will get better. You most certainly deserve it.

I don't use any kind of brace. My balance problems aren't like my knees give out on me...I just have a tendency to fall to the side (usually to my right) and I am really unsteady when I don't have anything to hold on to. My legs don't shake and get the tremors as much as they used to since I've gotten the strength back (they still do sometimes but just not as often)...so that's something. But the balance problems continue and just seem to come out of no where sometimes.

I don't think that I personally would risk holding a child with my balance problems. My boyfriend's nephew is such a great kid and he loves me...but we settle for him sitting next to me on the couch or me sitting down on the floor with him. I just wouldn't want to risk either one of use getting hurt and he understands. He's only 3 now and was just a baby when I first started having problems...but he is so gentle with me. I can't imagine being a mother and being afraid to pick up my child. That has got to be so tough. But it sounds like you have a great boy who loves you and you clearly love him. That is really all that matter.

Hi, catra121:

Just like you, I have a tendency to fall to the side, whether it is the left or the right side. My functional knee brace gives me much stability, but since one of last year's falls broke it and saved my left knee (my left knee did not break; my brace did: it sort of paid the price for this fall), I have another brace that does not fit well and keeps slipping down my leg. Annoying! The company that made my (broken) brace does not make it anymore. I loved this brace! I miss it!

Something really, really strange happened with my last dirty dressing, which I had thrown away in the trash can. There was a huge cockroach stuck to my dirty dressing, dead. Did the pus or the Flammazine cream kill or poison it? I wonder!

Thanks for your kind words about me as a mother and my child. It really warms my heart.

Catra,
Your balance problems just may improve with your tDCS treatments! I certainly hope so.

Thanks...I am hoping they do too. I've gotten a lot of strength back and I feel like the balance thing is one of my biggest obstacles with getting rid of the walker. But of course the walker helps slow the rise of my pain levels when I am on my feet for a long time too...but that may also improve with tDCS. My fingers are crossed.

Kitty...I wouldn't worry too much about the dead bugs. Provided they don't end up on YOU I think you are okay. Does it still seem like you knee is healing up well? I hope so. Sometimes these things just take time.