Diagnosed with RSD/CRPS, what's next? Becoming Stable

By Stable, I mean, you are able to keep the pain level, swelling, stiffness, mental issues at a level you can deal with on a day to day basis. This stable point is your fine line. Then learn how to walk you're fine line to stay stable.

I have been STABLE for many years. This doesn't mean that I am ever totally without pain and can do whatever I want. It means that for the most part, I know how to walk that line, and if I "fall off," I know what I have to do to get back on that line again.

It can take years to get Stable.  And in that time, you can keep an eye on the new treatments offered, etc. that you may be willing to try.  Now that I am stable, there has not been anything in a long while I am willing to risk doing.  

How to become stable you ask?

1)  Drug Cocktail:

Take the time to work with your doctors on developing a  drug cocktail recipe that works for you.

Try the drugs he offers, only adding new ones after you've been on the last addition for two or three months.  You should be able by that time to know if its helping or not.  If you see any change for the better in any of your RSDS symptoms, and it's enough to make living better, stick with it, adjusting the dosing as needed with your doctor's help. 

2) Treatments; Blocks, PT, Aqua Therapy (must be in 95 temp water),

Take note of EVERYTHING going on in your body before during and after any new treatments.  Give your body time to adjust to whatever treatment you are trying before doing anything new.

3) Cut WAY BACK on your activities to get this thing under control, because doing too much can increase your pain and symptoms! 

4) Limit those activities and situations that cause your pain to increase, and be severe in this limiting!

Any and all of the following can increase our pain or decrease our ability to deal with the pain;

Stress, commotion (people moving around, talking, laughing, etc), sights, sounds, vibration, movement which touches our bodies such as air pressure, sea waves, wind, breezes, stroking of our skin. 

5) Learn how much of your day that you can be active...for me that's only about from 5 or 6 PM till about 10pm.  I CAN do a whole day of some activity occasionally, realizing that I probably will need a couple days to recoup!

6) Think of the body as a very sensitive, specifically adjusted tuning fork which can sense and regulate air and internal temperature, air pressure, sound waves and adjust to keep the status quo. 

Now, think of the RSDS body as a tuning fork that has been bent and it can no longer do all the adjusting needed to handle the onslaught of all it is sensing.  When our bodies are hit with all of the above mentioned, it can not rebalance itself so easily and it ends up causing us more pain.

Somewhere along the way you will realize, hey, I can pretty much just take my meds and regulate my pain by keeping the balance between doing too much and doing too little. By not allowing my body to be overwhelmed by an onslaught to my nervous system.   

Which is as I call it, walking the fine line.