Get Emily Walking

2 weeks ago Emily's brace was filed down at the back to allow it to bend with her foot when she walked. She's done pretty well with it! I'm extremely impressed with her continuing efforts to lead a fulfilling life, she amazes me everyday.

Although it's sad that someone of 11 has to experience this I feel that she's learned a valuable lesson. We all say that we have to live life everyday like it's your last but RSD makes you embrace your pain free days with great enthusiasm. It's taken 7 months but I feel that we're learning about this condition. Balancing pain medication and gabapentin is tricky but I would say that maybe 4 days out of the week we've got it down to a fine art. Emily always has pain, that's not going to go away but together we're learning how to live again. When this happened life suddenly stood still and it was so frustrating and hard. I think as time goes by you learn that for the most part you're on your own medically. They can chuck drugs at you but here in Texas they really don't know what pediatric RSD involves.

You learn to modify the diet and reduce triggers and you realize that any illness or virus multiplies pain dramatically and makes coping tough for everyone. Once the virus has gone my job is to restore Emily's positive spirit, this enables her to get out of bed and get going again. She's great because no matter how much it hurts she gets up. I always plan something fun usually on day 3 of a flare up. 3 days is all I give her because I feel that after 3 days a little bit of self pity hits and everything looks bleak. On day 3 we plan something fun so the incentive's there to put that foot on the floor and take a step.