I’ve was diagnosed with CRPS two years ago after a hard and long painful search for answers. 9 doctors shrugging their shoulders, one giving up, another telling me it was in my head, another saying I was only a drug seeker, another saying it was only my knee replacement rehab (yeah, I can’t control my foot and it’s on fire and I can barely stand to touch it because I’m in rehab? Try again.)
I kept going like you and finally found someone who knew what to look for and was told the truth although yes, I wasn’t ready to hear it either.
But like you, I am smart enough to know the truth when I hear it. I guess intelligence and education can be a double-edged sword. 20 years in pharmacy (at that time) and healthcare told me that my career and way of life was over (I was the only breadwinner due to the fact my husband’s disabled as well.) I crashed and hard.
But when healthcare turned their backs on us later, I began to grow as angry as you are right now. What had we done to meet out this punishment from the community I’d devoted my life to?
You are beginning a new day. You have reason to be angry and hurt. Grieve now. I’m here to listen and be a sounding board when your family and friends don’t or can’t understand.
But move along and move ahead.
You are not your pain.
You are who you are, PAIN INCLUDED.
And now you are a warrior.