Pain

on Valentine's Day 2011 I suffered an electric shock which cause burns. Two months later, after burns had healed. I awoke with agonizing pain in my hands that sent me to the Hospital. The pain is indescribable. Imagine the worst static shock you've ever endured, then imagine the worst rash you've ever had, combined with pain of 2nd degree burns. Now imagine the pain doesn't respond to antinflamatories, or opiates. All while my hands initially looked normal. No external indication of how much pain I was in.

Because I'm type 1 diabetic, I incorrectly assumed the pain was just neuropathy. The doctor prescribed powerful painkillers and told me to follow up with PCP.

What follows is a 3 year odyssey of; specialists, diagnosis, and misdiagnosis, doctors disputing my diagnosis, doctors accusing me of being a drug seeker, of being mentally ill. Finally after all that, I got a great PCP and a great pain specialists.

Imagine pain I described earlier, then imagine enduring the slings and arrows of everyday life. Dealing with grief and heartache, financial insecurity. Losing the ability to work, to drive, to hold a book, to play video games. That is CRPS and it's really easy to lose myself in a sea of hopelessness.