If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it's probably a goose. At least that is what living with RSD is like. Nothing is really ever what it appears to be when it comes to our bodies and immune systems. It looks like a cold? Nope, it's Bronchitis. It looks like heartburn? Nope, it's just GERD. Feels like poor circulation? Nah, it's Reynaud's. Just feeling a little flu-ish (constipation and vomiting)? Huh uh, how about GastroParesis. Now these aren't all symptoms from which I, personally, suffer (although 2 are often mine, I know other RSDers that are afflicted by the other 2), these are just a few types of dysfunctions that can happen as a result of having RSD. And here I sit, with my right leg propped up on a pillow, 6 weeks after the initial injury, a recent diagnosis of 'sprained knee,' thinking to myself, "What's the 'goose' this time?" And then that thought turns into, "And just what am I going to have to endure, this time, in order to find out?"
As promised, after a week (more like 2) post-diagnosis, I called my GP back to tell him that my knee was no better, but also that it hadn't gotten any worse. The RSD flares in my lower leg and foot, however, are beginning to grow in intensity. He instantly referred me to a orthopedic specialist. I haven't been to an ortho since college!! (Keep in mind that I got an early RSD diagnosis, so I didn't have to go through the entire gamut of specialists 21 years ago.) Although my town is actually a city, because my family has been rooted here for so long, there are still close small town-like relationships. Case in point: The ortho I will be seeing on Monday did all 3 of Houdini's knee surgeries, and both of the Bombshell's shoulder surgeries. Both of my siblings babysat his kids, and my Mom taught a couple of his kids in Kindergarten. But ... Does he know about RSD? Does he know that he can't tug on or try to manipulate my knee? Does he know that he'll have to be careful about the way he even touches my leg because of my hypersensitivity? Will he care? Will the nurses care? Will he send me in for x-rays and an MRI? Aaaaaand that's as far as I'll let my brain wander!! If I go any further, the anxiety that I already feel will only turn to panic. Breathe Jennifer Lynn, breathe!!!
Now, this is where Biofeedback comes into play for me. With all of the added pain in my leg, and the new doctor to train, and the thought of missing out on Hollerday action with the fam or the Fun Folk, my anxiety level is pretty freakin high!! My stomach is in knots over the mere possibilities of what could be ahead of me, I have mini hyperventilating sessions, I can't sleep, I can't eat, and then all of my potential good days go to pot because I have needlessly wasted spoons on worrying. Worrying breeds stress and stress breeds flares and pain spikes. This is when I have to focus my breathing. Most people, when in an amplified state of pain, hold their breath when the pain is at it's peak. Whether consciously or subconsciously, it's like a natural defense or a wall. I used to do it all of the time. I had massage therapists, physical therapists, and chiropractors that had to yell at me to breathe ... until I learned Biofeedback. Nowadays people sometimes think that I'm sleeping when, in reality, I'm pinpointing my breaths, making the hot air balloon in my mind rise over hills and houses and descend below the cloud lines as it floats thru my mind's sky until I can keep it floating levelly. When the balloon levels out, my pain spike is over, my eyes open, and I didn't need drugs to get thru it!!! (Admittedly, yes, I've purposefully crashed the balloon into trees and barns just to see what would happen. Cuz that's just how my mind works. Crashing, albeit imaginative, doesn't help the pain ... just so you know.) I must be honest though, I sometimes (not often) forget about this trick in my bag. Last night had me twisted in my britches with worry and anxiety. I maybe got 2 hours of sleep total. As soon as I got that 1st cup of liquid heaven down this morning, it hit me like a ton of bricks. Breathe, you dummy!!!
As of this morning, my toes on my right foot are curling under and are unable to tolerate socks, the vice-grip flare in my calf is now up to an 8, and my knee remains at a 6. However, I have faith that I will continue to breathe!! I have faith that the tricks that RSD has taught me over the last 21 years will get me thru this new little speed bump. I have faith that I will take printouts of what RSD is about to the ortho on Monday to help expedite his education and awareness. I have faith that I will not let the pain hinder all of my December plans, but rather I will breathe thru all of my commitments and continue to plan my attendance of events wisely ... Beginning with a bunch of Denver Bronco nuts gathering for a pre-game dinner/get-together on the 1st. It can be a great life, RSDers, as long as you remember to breeeeeeeathe!!!!!
Raising Awareness for RSD (and Ziggi's)
The Power of Orange
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Hollerday Battle Picking
It's Thanksgiving Week and I have so much for which to be thankful. I have coffee, I have an absolutely amazing and supportive family, I have a dog that adores me as much as I adore her, I have coffee, I have some of the best friends on the face of the earth, I have a roof over my head, I have coffee, I'm still sober, I have RSD, I have great doctors, I have a vehicle that is dependable, I have food in my fridge, I have coffee, I have toilet paper, I have a heated mattress pad and electric blanket, I have great neighbors ... and yes, you read that right, I said that I am thankful for my RSD.
Next year I will have had RSD for half of my life. For almost 22 years I have lived with intense, burning, freezing, zapping, aching, and nauseating pain 24/7/365. I have experienced insane swelling, lovely shades of red and purple appendages, protruding veins, mild seizures, muscle spams, Etch-A-Sketch Brain, and tremors. I have never known remission, like some of my fellow RSDers have. Apparently, I'm a lifer ... a 5-Star General in the war against pain, having never received the coveted demotion. I have been forced to prioritize on a level that very few can even fathom. Don't get me wrong, I am not thankful for the pain, nor the other side effects of the disease, but I am thankful for what RSD has taught me. I have learned to think ahead, to plan for the unexpected, to breathe, to be grateful for the little things, to use my imagination, and most importantly, I have learned to prioritize.
Picking my battles was never something I did when I was younger. Even in the first years of my RSD, I continued to do what I wanted when I wanted. I was 22, sue me. I also caused my RSD to spread, so I don't recommend that. I did more than my fair share of drugs, prescribed and otherwise. I was in so much pain that I did everything I could think of to go numb (to no avail), when what I should have been doing was practicing patience and acceptance ... and breathing. Absolutely nothing outside of a cure or remission will completely take the pain of RSD away. We are given medication to lessen the pain and make our lives a little more livable. And we are given free will as to how we handle the rest. I have made the conscious and mature decision to become a Battle Picker where my RSD is concerned and surprisingly, it has trickled over into the rest of my life. Factor in the Spoon Theory and I have every tool for living at my disposal.
"Patience" ... I can't do that right now, but if I lay low for a little while, I might be able to do it later.
"Acceptance" ... I used to be able to do that and now I can't. That doesn't mean that I can't find another way to do something similar. Even if doesn't bring me as much joy, there is still joy to be had.
"Breathing" ... If I hold my breath, I cut off my own circulation and the pain spike gets worse or spreads. If I continue to breathe thru the pain, the spike doesn't last as long.
By picking my battles and thinking in terms of "how many spoons do I have for today?" I can map out a day and sometimes even a week. But I have to be able to plan, to save, and to rest. I know my body well enough to know how much stress, physical and emotional, that I can tolerate at any given time. So ... as we enter into this season, I will begin making my Hollerday lists to reduce my emotional stress levels and plan for my physical ones. My spoons are always limited, so if Mom wants to go shopping, I need to have a couple stashed for her. If Houdini decides that he can afford the time and we can drive to Kansas for the Munchkins' birthday, I need to have spoons ready for that. The Bombshell and her fam will be here for Christmas, so I absolutely can not afford any more pain spikes or that will take spoons away from the Munchkins, and that is just unacceptable for me. Even if it means saying "no" to something fun that I want to do, I must always remember what the activities are for which I am saving my spoons. Hence the lists, because I don't trust my Etch-A-Sketch Brain to remember everything. (ie: a night of dancing with the Fun Folk or <look at list> Small Business Saturday shopping with Mom? I can't do both, so which is more important? DUH!! Mom!!)
I have faith that I will honor my priorities, painbedamed. I have faith that I will take extra care when devising my lists this year because I am also dealing with a sprained knee, so my spoons are even more limited. I have faith that I will do the majority of my shopping on Cyber Monday because being a pinball in a crowd of insane shoppers on Black Friday is only a recipe for more pain spikes and flares. I have faith that I will get to see most of my fave Twigs (the name I've given the extended family) on Thursday and that is always a hoot and a half. I have faith that these are the things on which I will focus today, instead of the screaming pain in my knee and the freezing vice flare that it's causing in my lower leg and foot.
Yup, Happy Hollerdays!!
Saturday, November 10, 2012
Awareness Raising, Jenn-Style
Well, it's here and it's in full swing ... Nervember is RSD Awareness Month!!! This year I have challenged myself to bring my awareness raising skills to whole new level ... and so far so good, if I do say so myself. Last year's goal was to inform 2 people per day, so this year my goal is to inform 3 new people per day of the existence of Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy AND to make it fun, even though the disease itself is far from "fun" ... (30 days x 3 people per day = 90 newly aware people). Today is the 10th and I have already exceeded my goal for the whole month ... and then some!! I have had a ton of fun doing it, and I'm not done yet!! It's not about beating the information into people's heads, it's not about scaring people with the nitty gritty details, it's not about prying people away from their paychecks and allowances. It's about explaining the existence of the disease, the pain, the invisibility that comes with it, and most importantly, it's about showing them that this disease has not beat me and that there is hope in my future as long I as I have faith in that hope!!
The last week of October I encouraged all of my family and friends to wear orange in Nervember ... and then I realized that I, Jenn Samson, had no orange winter wear!! Can you believe it?? I was appalled at myself!! My Mom was in Kansas visiting the Bombshell and the Munchkins, so instead of hauling ass over to the Castle to cry on her shoulder, I sent her a text expressing my disdain for myself. (This is how amazing my Mom is...) She was already scheduled to fly home on the afternoon of Sunday Nov. 4, and by Sunday night she was at my door with 3 bags!! 1 from Kohl's, 1 from Dillard's, and 1 from Target. (I hate shopping!! ... I know, I'm rare!!) I can now wear orange for a whole week during the fall/winter without wearing the same thing twice!! (And of course there were also 3 new pairs of crazy socks in one of the bags ... cuz Mom is just that cool!!)
Monday Nov. 5 was International RSD Awareness Day. I started the day by modeling my new orange clothes for Kiva. I let her pick which top I would wear ... and then I had to de-fur it with masking tape. After spending the required spoons to shower, dress, and do my hair and make-up, I headed to Walmart to buy 2 spools of orange ribbon, a box of 200 tiny safety pins, and a small pair of scissors. While the lady was ringing me up at the register, she asked if I was "sewing something." I laughed and then I took the scissors out of their packaging and the removed the tape that was holding the ribbon in place on the spool. I cut a piece of ribbon, took a safety pin from the box and handed it to her along with the gift card I was using to buy the stuff. I told her that it was RSD Awareness Month and I was about to drive all over 2 counties to Ribbon Bomb people. She laughed and then asked me about RSD. I told her that it's a painful nerve disease that has been around since the Civil War and that there is no cure for it, as of yet. As she started to pin the ribbon to her blue apron, she asked what the initials stood for. Without batting an eye, I replied, "Really Shitty Disease." She abruptly stopped pinning the ribbon and looked at me like a deer in the headlights. I smiled and told her the truth. Whereas it stands for Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy, it is also a Really Shitty Disease. I informed her that everything that nerves come into contact with can be affected and it causes intense pain 24/7/365. Some sufferers have it localized to one or two specific body parts, but some sufferers have it throughout their entire bodies and even some have had it affect their organs. And then I told her that I have been dealing with the disease for 21 years, the last 10 of which have been full body. She finished securing the ribbon to her apron, smiled at me, and sincerely thanked me for "bombing" her with awareness.
Next stop, Ziggi's Coffee House!! (What? Thought I wouldn't?) I ordered a small Americano with an extra shot and extra room for cream (so basically 4 straight shots of espresso ... and cow juice) and, as I explained RSD in my "adult" fashion, pinned orange ribbons on all of the employees and a few patrons that were brave enough to ask me what I was doing with "all of the orange." 10 people Ribbon Bombed ... <BOOM>
Then I was off to my Dad's law office. It's a small firm, but they're usually game to help me out with my crazy shenanigans. Even though they are all familiar with RSD (thanks to me) they were all more than happy to sport the ribbon. <BOOM> 7 more bombed.
On my next stop I lost count of the number of ribbons that I handed out. While I was sitting in the parking lot of the school where my brother teaches, mentally preparing my body for the onslaught of hugs from all of the Little's, I pre-cut 50 ribbons and shoved them in the pockets of my jean jacket along with the box of pins and the orange Sharpee that I keep in my car at all times. I put the remaining spool of ribbon in my purse but left the scissors in the car ... it's a school, they have their own scissors. I walked(ish) into the building and bee-lined for the office to sign in ... in orange Sharpee. After securing the yellow name tag to my jacket, I reached into my left pocket and pulled out 2 ribbons and 2 pins for the 2 office ladies. These women watched me go from "good" to "un-good" during volleyball season. They were so happy to see me having a "good day" and they were more than willing to sport the orange. The school nurse came out of her office to see what the giggling was about. Um ... she had never heard of RSD!! A Registered Nurse!! We went into her office, I handed her a ribbon and a pin as she started to Google RSD. I stopped her. I took a sticky note from her desk and wrote down (in orange Sharpee) RMRSD.org and RSDSA.org. She graciously thanked me for informing her and apologized for not knowing what it was. She really felt bad about that.
On to the 2nd grade hallway and a quick stop at Coach Chez's classroom to say "hi.". Even though she's been aware of RSD since the 1st week of vball, she saw the ribbon that I had for her in my hand and grabbed it. I love her!! It was then time to walk up the flight of stairs to the 5th grade hallway and Houdini's classroom. The school has allowed me access to the elevator, but I was on a mission, so I hoofed it up the 23 steps. 4 minutes later I walked into my brother's classroom. (I hate stairs. I really really do.) It was the end of Rotation 4 and they had just wrapped up their Language Arts lesson. Houdini and 26 fifth graders ... ribbon bombed!! The bell rang and kids were hugging me and high-fiving me as they left the room (ow, but worth it). The homeroom class started filtering in and, seeing the other kids with orange ribbons, asked me what was going on. There were about 10 kids that already had the ribbons from the previous class, so I was able to bomb 16 more kids with them. Before the end-of-day bell, I went across the hall to AP's room. There were a few orange ribbons already (from Rotation 4) but AP and the rest of her class needed them too. I had to grab a pair of dulled 5th grade scissors and cut more strips from the spool I had taken from my purse. (this was where I lost count) ... Next stop on the 5th grade tour was JC's room. Again, there were only a few orange ribbons so I had to fill in all of the gaps. The last bell rang before I could I could get to BR's room, but I left enough ribbons and pins for her to hand out the next day. I was proud of the fact that I was only a minor distraction on Monday. I've been known to walk into a 5th grade or middle school classroom and sit with the volleyballers during a lesson. The rest of the teachers love me, as long as I'm containable. But then another plan was born ... <dun dunt duuuuun> ... Houdini wanted to spread the word throughout the school that Friday would be Orange Day since other teachers and kids were bummed that they didn't know about wearing orange. (He made it happen, by the way.)
My body wanted me to be done but I still had 1 more place to Ribbon Bomb ... My ColoAngel is the office manager at call center that's about 15 minutes from Houdini's school. I used up the rest of the 2nd spool of orange ribbon (and my last 3 spoons) on my girl, the supervisors, the sales reps, and the maintenance reps (and then the drive home.) But my International RSD Awareness Day wasn't over yet. I was being taken out to eat by my ColoAngel and Bosley was meeting us!! We hit the B-Dub-Dub for greasy burgers and FU RSD toasts.
From the moment I stepped into the shower until the moment I got home from dinner it was go-go-go-go-go. 10 highly productive hours, approximately 120 miles, 2 spools of ribbon, and a full belly later, I was toast ... for 3 days. Even though they were painful, they were a happy 3 days.
Aaaaaaaand then on Friday (yesterday) I got to do it all over again!! I donned my new orange corduroy pants that I'd soaked in fabric softener for 2 days, and shuffled my oostakaka back to the school for Orange Day. Painbedamned I was not missing this day!! I'll let the pics speak for themselves, but the day was a huge success and I was able to come up with a G(ish) rated version of my explanation of RSD for the kids. I told them to imagine what it feels like when you're really super cold and your teeth are chattering and your whole body is shaking. And then I told them to imagine having a really really bad sunburn at the same time. The kids' eyes were bulging as I kinda acted it out in front of them. And then I quickly said, in a pretty loud voice, "now hit your funny bone!!" Yes, there gasps and even a couple little screams ... from boys. I got my point across!! You need to be careful when describing something like RSD to children. They are so susceptible to influence at this age that if you give them too much specific information, they tend to over think their own maladies and start claiming that they have the disease, at which point they can manifest symptoms. It's scary but true. At the end of the day, one of the boys came up to me and asked if it would be ok if he made an awareness video for RSD. He said that he could post it to his mom's Facebook page and to his YouTube page. I was speechless ... and amazed ... and overwhelmed ... and honored ... and blessed ... and you're damn right I said "YES!"
These are just a few of the good things that come from raising awareness!! I have faith that I will continue on my mission ... as long as I have a couple of days in between for recovery time. I also have faith that I will now take a "bingo nap" with Kiva, my heating pads, my K-spray, Nicholas Cage movies, my quilt and a nice hot cup of coffee ... with cow juice.
The last week of October I encouraged all of my family and friends to wear orange in Nervember ... and then I realized that I, Jenn Samson, had no orange winter wear!! Can you believe it?? I was appalled at myself!! My Mom was in Kansas visiting the Bombshell and the Munchkins, so instead of hauling ass over to the Castle to cry on her shoulder, I sent her a text expressing my disdain for myself. (This is how amazing my Mom is...) She was already scheduled to fly home on the afternoon of Sunday Nov. 4, and by Sunday night she was at my door with 3 bags!! 1 from Kohl's, 1 from Dillard's, and 1 from Target. (I hate shopping!! ... I know, I'm rare!!) I can now wear orange for a whole week during the fall/winter without wearing the same thing twice!! (And of course there were also 3 new pairs of crazy socks in one of the bags ... cuz Mom is just that cool!!)
Monday Nov. 5 was International RSD Awareness Day. I started the day by modeling my new orange clothes for Kiva. I let her pick which top I would wear ... and then I had to de-fur it with masking tape. After spending the required spoons to shower, dress, and do my hair and make-up, I headed to Walmart to buy 2 spools of orange ribbon, a box of 200 tiny safety pins, and a small pair of scissors. While the lady was ringing me up at the register, she asked if I was "sewing something." I laughed and then I took the scissors out of their packaging and the removed the tape that was holding the ribbon in place on the spool. I cut a piece of ribbon, took a safety pin from the box and handed it to her along with the gift card I was using to buy the stuff. I told her that it was RSD Awareness Month and I was about to drive all over 2 counties to Ribbon Bomb people. She laughed and then asked me about RSD. I told her that it's a painful nerve disease that has been around since the Civil War and that there is no cure for it, as of yet. As she started to pin the ribbon to her blue apron, she asked what the initials stood for. Without batting an eye, I replied, "Really Shitty Disease." She abruptly stopped pinning the ribbon and looked at me like a deer in the headlights. I smiled and told her the truth. Whereas it stands for Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy, it is also a Really Shitty Disease. I informed her that everything that nerves come into contact with can be affected and it causes intense pain 24/7/365. Some sufferers have it localized to one or two specific body parts, but some sufferers have it throughout their entire bodies and even some have had it affect their organs. And then I told her that I have been dealing with the disease for 21 years, the last 10 of which have been full body. She finished securing the ribbon to her apron, smiled at me, and sincerely thanked me for "bombing" her with awareness.
Next stop, Ziggi's Coffee House!! (What? Thought I wouldn't?) I ordered a small Americano with an extra shot and extra room for cream (so basically 4 straight shots of espresso ... and cow juice) and, as I explained RSD in my "adult" fashion, pinned orange ribbons on all of the employees and a few patrons that were brave enough to ask me what I was doing with "all of the orange." 10 people Ribbon Bombed ... <BOOM>
Then I was off to my Dad's law office. It's a small firm, but they're usually game to help me out with my crazy shenanigans. Even though they are all familiar with RSD (thanks to me) they were all more than happy to sport the ribbon. <BOOM> 7 more bombed.
On my next stop I lost count of the number of ribbons that I handed out. While I was sitting in the parking lot of the school where my brother teaches, mentally preparing my body for the onslaught of hugs from all of the Little's, I pre-cut 50 ribbons and shoved them in the pockets of my jean jacket along with the box of pins and the orange Sharpee that I keep in my car at all times. I put the remaining spool of ribbon in my purse but left the scissors in the car ... it's a school, they have their own scissors. I walked(ish) into the building and bee-lined for the office to sign in ... in orange Sharpee. After securing the yellow name tag to my jacket, I reached into my left pocket and pulled out 2 ribbons and 2 pins for the 2 office ladies. These women watched me go from "good" to "un-good" during volleyball season. They were so happy to see me having a "good day" and they were more than willing to sport the orange. The school nurse came out of her office to see what the giggling was about. Um ... she had never heard of RSD!! A Registered Nurse!! We went into her office, I handed her a ribbon and a pin as she started to Google RSD. I stopped her. I took a sticky note from her desk and wrote down (in orange Sharpee) RMRSD.org and RSDSA.org. She graciously thanked me for informing her and apologized for not knowing what it was. She really felt bad about that.
On to the 2nd grade hallway and a quick stop at Coach Chez's classroom to say "hi.". Even though she's been aware of RSD since the 1st week of vball, she saw the ribbon that I had for her in my hand and grabbed it. I love her!! It was then time to walk up the flight of stairs to the 5th grade hallway and Houdini's classroom. The school has allowed me access to the elevator, but I was on a mission, so I hoofed it up the 23 steps. 4 minutes later I walked into my brother's classroom. (I hate stairs. I really really do.) It was the end of Rotation 4 and they had just wrapped up their Language Arts lesson. Houdini and 26 fifth graders ... ribbon bombed!! The bell rang and kids were hugging me and high-fiving me as they left the room (ow, but worth it). The homeroom class started filtering in and, seeing the other kids with orange ribbons, asked me what was going on. There were about 10 kids that already had the ribbons from the previous class, so I was able to bomb 16 more kids with them. Before the end-of-day bell, I went across the hall to AP's room. There were a few orange ribbons already (from Rotation 4) but AP and the rest of her class needed them too. I had to grab a pair of dulled 5th grade scissors and cut more strips from the spool I had taken from my purse. (this was where I lost count) ... Next stop on the 5th grade tour was JC's room. Again, there were only a few orange ribbons so I had to fill in all of the gaps. The last bell rang before I could I could get to BR's room, but I left enough ribbons and pins for her to hand out the next day. I was proud of the fact that I was only a minor distraction on Monday. I've been known to walk into a 5th grade or middle school classroom and sit with the volleyballers during a lesson. The rest of the teachers love me, as long as I'm containable. But then another plan was born ... <dun dunt duuuuun> ... Houdini wanted to spread the word throughout the school that Friday would be Orange Day since other teachers and kids were bummed that they didn't know about wearing orange. (He made it happen, by the way.)
My body wanted me to be done but I still had 1 more place to Ribbon Bomb ... My ColoAngel is the office manager at call center that's about 15 minutes from Houdini's school. I used up the rest of the 2nd spool of orange ribbon (and my last 3 spoons) on my girl, the supervisors, the sales reps, and the maintenance reps (and then the drive home.) But my International RSD Awareness Day wasn't over yet. I was being taken out to eat by my ColoAngel and Bosley was meeting us!! We hit the B-Dub-Dub for greasy burgers and FU RSD toasts.
From the moment I stepped into the shower until the moment I got home from dinner it was go-go-go-go-go. 10 highly productive hours, approximately 120 miles, 2 spools of ribbon, and a full belly later, I was toast ... for 3 days. Even though they were painful, they were a happy 3 days.
Aaaaaaaand then on Friday (yesterday) I got to do it all over again!! I donned my new orange corduroy pants that I'd soaked in fabric softener for 2 days, and shuffled my oostakaka back to the school for Orange Day. Painbedamned I was not missing this day!! I'll let the pics speak for themselves, but the day was a huge success and I was able to come up with a G(ish) rated version of my explanation of RSD for the kids. I told them to imagine what it feels like when you're really super cold and your teeth are chattering and your whole body is shaking. And then I told them to imagine having a really really bad sunburn at the same time. The kids' eyes were bulging as I kinda acted it out in front of them. And then I quickly said, in a pretty loud voice, "now hit your funny bone!!" Yes, there gasps and even a couple little screams ... from boys. I got my point across!! You need to be careful when describing something like RSD to children. They are so susceptible to influence at this age that if you give them too much specific information, they tend to over think their own maladies and start claiming that they have the disease, at which point they can manifest symptoms. It's scary but true. At the end of the day, one of the boys came up to me and asked if it would be ok if he made an awareness video for RSD. He said that he could post it to his mom's Facebook page and to his YouTube page. I was speechless ... and amazed ... and overwhelmed ... and honored ... and blessed ... and you're damn right I said "YES!"
These are just a few of the good things that come from raising awareness!! I have faith that I will continue on my mission ... as long as I have a couple of days in between for recovery time. I also have faith that I will now take a "bingo nap" with Kiva, my heating pads, my K-spray, Nicholas Cage movies, my quilt and a nice hot cup of coffee ... with cow juice.
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