Thanks Kevscar. I appreciate this link. I started reading it tonight and will read more tomorrow. It's very interesting and helpful. Thanks for all of your kindness and support too. You guys are the best! I hope you are having a good day and have a good night. Take care.
Renee.

How are you today Renee? Hope things seem (and are!) a bit easier all round.

Sounds like you have a lot of worry/stress going on - on top of the CRPS crap, that's a lot to deal with and of course the stress affects stomachs particularly badly, which is the last thing you need... Try and relax when you get a few minutes - slow, deep breathing exercises, consciously relaxing your shoulder and chest muscles. If you get a bit longer to yourself, add in soft lights, music and nice aromas to help relax you further. It really helps me just to do the breathing sometimes

Pain, stress, worry, guilt, financial and emotional burdens and worries.... Me too , and I think most of us understand the financial aspect of this particularly. Along with the guilt that we wish we could help more with the money side...

There's no easy answers. Hang in there and may better times be around all our corners

Bram

Thanks for your caring and helpful words Bram. I didn't have any rsd flares last night and actually slept through the night without waking up in pain. I feel much more rested today. My great aunt is still sick and my husband and I are going to try to see her tonight. I am trying to be positive that she will get better, but it's hard. My emotions are all over the place between my great aunt being sick and my illness. I am trying to get my head together and stay calm and positive through it all, but it's hard. Then there's the finances. My husband and I were starting to plan our retirement before I got rsd. We didn't plan for something like rsd to come along and mess all our plans and finances up. Now we are just trying to keep sane while paying little by little the mountain of bills we have. My husband has good insurance thank goodness, but when someone has a chronic illness, even good insurance isn't enough. You need to win the lottery or something like that to be able to keep on top of all the medical bills. It's strained our marriage and I feel terrible guilt about this. And we can't help our son out as much as we wanted to now because there's nothing left to give financially. I'm afraid my poor husband will have to work forever and I feel so guilty again. But my husband and son both try to let me know that we will get through this as a family one day at a time. I know that sticking together is most important and that we keep loving each other. I used to talk to my great aunt every day. She is so special. She taught me so much about life. She would tell me that we need to be grateful for what we have not what we want and that even though life was hard at times, we had to accept whatever came our way and to handle it with grace. I'm trying to keep those words of wisdom in my head so that I don't fall apart. And the kindness and support I've gotten from all of you is priceless. I know we have never met, but I feel like I've known all of you forever. And I consider all of you part of my family because you've been an important part of my life.
I'm sorry you're having a hard time too. I wish I could help all of you get through your tough times and take all of your pain and stress go away. All I can do is let you know that I understand and that I am here for you if you ever need to talk or need a shoulder to cry on. I think the word you used to describe this rsd journey we are on hit the nail right on the head. You once said it was exhausting. I totally agree. Exhausting to be in pain all the time is the perfect word to me. I am exhausted as I think we all are, but here we are getting through another day together. I'm glad we are friends and have each other to get through another day together. I look forward to talking to you each day.
Thanks again for all of your kindness and I hope you all have a good day with as little pain as possible. From your rsd friend, Renee.

Renee, sorry to be late to the post, glad you're through the worst of the flare. I know how it is to not think rationally or remember coping stategies when that catches you off guard. But when does it give us warning huh?
Your Aunt sounds like she has a heart of gold for you! Give her Love!
I do hear you on those guilt feelings! I wish I had advice on that but I just don't, I just share them.
Honey, like Tessa. I've tried the "Audible" self help meditation listening books and they do help me some what. I listen to them when trying to relax and sleep and change my frame of mind. It's a little bit of a personal preference but I can tell you which ones I like if you want.

Thanks AZ-Di, I appreciate you kind words and would love to to know which self help books help you out. Thanks for your caring words for my Great Aunt too. She is very special to me and I hope she will be okay. I hope you're having a better day too. Take care my friend.

I'm so sorry for all you are dealing with...I can't imagine how anyone would cope with the horrible pain AND menopause (that alone is tough...although at least that only last a couple years). It's incomprehensible to me that the medical society can't find a cure for CRPS...if they can create stem cells to repair damaged tissue in a heart why can't they do the same for damaged nerves? I keep praying that will happen soon....please feel better soon!