Friday! :)

Happy Friday, World!

I had Stats this morning and now I’m done for the day-hooray! We had to enter in some data at a computer, so when giving instructions the Prof turned to me and said, “You can walk over there and do it, right?” Um, yes. How do you think I got to class? Really, people. Really. My crutches allow me to do pretty much anything a person walking on two legs can do. But thanks for your concern…

Today also marks six months since my last hospitalization! Another reason to celebrate. Six months ago I was on a field trip to watch the Cleveland Browns practice football, and my dad was on the way to the hospital to pick me up that afternoon. It’s crazy how time goes so fast. At the time of my discharge I still didn’t have full function of my hands or left leg back, but now everything is good to go! I still use my good pal Kinesio Tape every so often, but for the most part I’m back to my “normal.”

Left- The day I fell and my RSD spread to all extremities again; Right-Leaving the hospital!

Today I am thankful for warm clothes to protect me from the monstrous weather that decided to continue. I’m thankful for the opportunity to go home and relax this weekend, and I’m thankful that I’m almost done with a month of classes! Here’s to hoping that the weekend slows down and the weekdays speed up, because Spring Break will be here before we know it 🙂

Hope everyone has a great Friday! Thanks for stopping by 🙂

Thundersnow and other Craziness

Over the past 48 hours I’m pretty sure we’ve had almost every type of weather. Yesterday it was gorgeous and sunny, and warm enough that I didn’t even need a coat! This morning was mild, but by 10am the weather just couldn’t make up its mind! I left my anatomy class and headed to Spanish, but on the way there I was pelted by a mixture of snow, ice pellets, and rain. It was crazy! On my exposed RSD leg it felt like dozens flaming darts were shooting into my body. Not the best sensation.

The rest of the day has been a rollercoaster. More rain, snow, ice, and even thunder and lightning! The lights in my dorm have flickered a few times but I think the chances of us losing power are pretty slim (although it has happened before!)

I do love rainy days when I can sit and enjoy a good book while sipping a hot cup of tea, but my body doesn’t. Weather changes are particularly because of my RSD/CRPS so I have to do some damage control on days like today. It’s so wild to me how the body can react so strangely to changes in conditions. To minimize the pain I try to stay inside as much as possible (which seems like a given…I mean, why subject yourself to more contact with the precipitation when you already have oversensitive extremities?), relax, and keep the stress levels low. Obviously these are hard to do when you’re a busy college student, but I try.

Rain also brings back the nightmarish memories of falling the first time my RSD went full-body. Thankfully my rain guards on my crutches have been helping reduce the slip risk, but the possibility of falling is still pretty high so I have to be extra careful.

I’m very thankful that this week has been better than the past few, even with the nasty weather. I’ve been in better spirits and I’m starting to understand what we’re learning in my classes a bit more. I’m going home tomorrow to spend the weekend with my family so I am very excited about that. I need this break so badly to realign myself and take a moment to breathe.

I hope everyone is staying dry and cozy! I’m going to go finish my tea and get some work done before bed.

Peace 🙂

Surviving Snow on Crutches

Since I talk about my snow misery quite a bit, I thought it would be good to make a post about just how one might deal with snow when they have the delightful experience of being on crutches. In spring and summer, being outside isn’t a huge deal. But come winter (and even sometimes Fall, with those slippery leaves!), it’s a whole different story.

It looks so nice and innocent…until you get out there. Slush and ice-covered sidewalks are not my friend!

Tip #1 on this topic should be a given: GO SLOWLY. It doesn’t matter if you’re stopping traffic or you look like a 90-year-old Grandma (no offense to those sweet grannies out there!), it’s better to be slow and safe than fast and in the ER. <–This is what I have to tell myself every.single.day.

#2: Invest in some good snow-tough crutch tips! Yes, they exist. I currently have Rain Guards from this lovely site, and they work great on wet surfaces! The company also sells SnowBoots, which are even better crutch tips for the snow. I might have to invest in some of those soon 🙂

Rain Guards. So fab. They’re designed better than normal crutch tips so they don’t trap water!

#3: Snowy surfaces are generally better than slush or ice. Even though my school does a great job of keeping the snow plows busy, sometimes it does more harm than good. When you’re on snow, you have a bit of a cushion and it’s not as slick, but once you get on ice or slush, you never know when your next step might end up becoming a faceplant. I always stay on the edges of the sidewalk, because that seems to be where snow accumulates the most.

#4: Watch where you are going. I know they say to look up when you’re walking, but when you’re dealing with winter weather and crutches, keep an eye on the ground. Of course, that doesn’t mean ignore the rest of the world completely-you don’t want to run into someone!-but be mindful of the conditions on the ground.

#5: Wear GLOVES! Everyone should know this one, but it’s especially true for crutchers (Is that a word? People who use crutches? If not, I’m making it a word) who can’t just slip their hands into warm pockets. Admittedly, I don’t heed this advice enough and often end up with frozen fingers, but it’s important. Especially if you’re paying attention to tip #1 and walking slowly!

Now obviously the best way to stay safe in winter is to be inside, but when you have an actual life and need to go places, it’s best to be smart about it. Those are my tips for now, but if I think of more I’ll have to add them. Stay safe, winter-weather friends! And if you’re in a sunny, happy climate…I am so jealous.

Hello!

Well hello there, and welcome to my little corner of the world.

My name is Rachel, and as the title of the blog states…I’m a college girl navigating life on crutches. I’ve been in a battle against a chronic pain disorder called Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD), more commonly called Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS), for about 7-1/2 years. Because of this, I am often in the hospital, on crutches, or doing some sort of therapy or treatment. This makes for an adventurous life since I never know what each new day will bring!

I am currently in my junior year of college studying Psychology and Occupational Therapy. If you look at my entire story of my life you’ll quickly figure out why I chose those majors, but we’ll save that for another day. I live somewhere in the Midwest, which means it is cold and snowy for too many months out of the year. This creates some fun challenges but I’ve found some ways to wiggle around the weather.                                                                                                                                                                                                                      This blog will be a story of my adventures through college and all the fun (and not-so-fun) times that come with it. Being “disabled” means I have to be creative with how I do things, so maybe I’ll share some tips and tricks with you readers out there. Because believe it or not…it is possible to live a somewhat normal life, even when you can’t use both of your legs! Woah, what a concept 🙂

Thanks for stopping by, and we’ll see where this adventure leads!