CRPS Sucks Eggs

I'm being nice, CRPS (Complex Regional Pain Syndrome) sucks much worse than just eggs.  CRPS is a chronic progressive disease characterized by severe pain, swelling and changes in the skin.  There are two types of CRPS, Type I which shows no demonstrable nerve lesions (nerve damage), and Type II shows evidence of nerve damage.  If it hasn't been obvious just yet, I have CRPS Type I.

I acquired CRPS following a fall while working as a volunteer EMT (Emergency Medical Technician).  I suffered a non-displaced fracture of the radius and ulna of my left wrist and while still wearing the cast, I began to experience pain, strange pain, it almost seemed as if I had re-fractured the wrist but subsequent x-rays showed normal healing.

When the cast was removed, I had a quite severe lack of motion with the wrist to such an extent that I couldn't make a fist or even turn my hand palm up.  Interestingly enough as I began physical therapy it became so bad that I would do physical therapy on Monday and on Wednesday and Friday I could only do cold / hot therapies as well as the infamous "tingles" therapy.

Its been just over 3 years since the injury, and there is still no end in sight, just pain meds, meds for depression and endless pain that is affected very little by the pain meds.  CRPS has taken my left arm and made it into a club, I have no grip strength, I have lost arm muscle, I have gained substantial weight, I have diabetes and I have an amazingly crappy outlook on life and I absorb heat very well.  So I have all of that going for me, which is nice.

If you have ever met anyone with chronic pain, look at their face, humor if it graces their face, is fleeting, smiles are replaced by frowns and days no matter how bright and sunny, are dark and rainy.  People in chronic pain live with a sentence most people can't understand, but they can give their uninformed opinion and at the same time look like complete and utter fools.

I would never wish this disease on anyone, nor would I wish the problems that come with it onto another persons family and friends.  CRPS is not fun, and CRPS DOES suck eggs.