[AliM]

Are there any grandparents on here with severe CRPS? I now have two of my kiddos married, and I can imagine that one of these days, one of them will announce they're expecting. Common next step, right?

But I am really struggling with the idea of grandparenting with my severe CPRS. It started 5 years ago in the ball of my left foot, and 2 years ago spread to the ball of my right foot. It makes walking all but impossible, since I'm constantly balancing on my heels to shuffle. In fact, I just got hand controls installed in my vehicles. (Which I LOVE, btw!)

The fact remains, CRPS has severely limited my ability to get around, plus my doc is pretty sure it has morphed into fibromyalgia since my entire body now hurts on a daily basis. My kids know to hug me gently since anything harder hurts. I can't be bumped or jostled without excruciating pain. I'm in a wheelchair for outings like the store or mall. CRPS Is a nasty bit of business, isn't it?

My college degree was in Early Childhood Education, and I ran a preschool in my home for years after that. But being around children now is like Kryptonite. You know how amazing they are--wanting to hug you, scramble onto your lap, thump on your arm or leg when they want your attention, and even knock into you when they're running about. Their enthusiasm for life is what drew me to getting a degree around them. But how on EARTH do I manage grandkids facing the severity of my pain?

I would love to hear from those of you who do it! I expressed my concern to a couple of friends before, and they just said things like, "Just tell them to be gentle."

HAH!!! What, are you KIDDING ME? That's like telling a dog not to eat the pork chop that just fell on the floor in front of them. I could use some REAL experiences from people who do this.

What have you managed to make work?