CRPS - The gift that keeps on giving

 I have had CRPS for 28 1/2 years.  Who would think that after this length of time, new associated illnesses would begin.  Last year when hospitalized, I was told that I had heart block.  I went to see a cardiologist who did a stress test, echocardiogram, ECG and I wore a monitor for 7 days.  They did not see heart block but I was having runs of V-tach (an abnormal rhythm where your heart beats too fast.  I was already on a Beta Blocker for migraine prevention so nothing was done.  Fast forward a year and every time I stand from a sitting position, I get very dizzy.  Back to the cardiologist for a one year check up.  My blood pressure was dropping and my heart rate increasing when going from a sitting to standing position.  I was diagnosed with POTS.  Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome.  It is part of the dysautonomia that may of us have with CRPS.  Dysautonomia is a nervous system disorder that disrupts autonomic body processes. These are automatic functions like your blood pressure and heart rate. Having dysautonomia means these functions don't work properly, causing disruptive symptoms.

Another dysautonomia diagnosis that I received this year is dystonia.Dystonia is a movement disorder that causes the muscles to contract. This can cause twisting motions or other movements that happen repeatedly and that aren't under the person's control. When the condition affects one part of the body, it's called focal dystonia. We tried various muscle relaxants and a medication that treats spasticity.  They did not work.  I am currently on Lamictal which has this under control.

Last summer, I had cataract surgery.  Before the surgery, I had ketamine to prevent the spread of the CRPS to my eyes.  Well, the CRPS is now in my eyes causing them to be very very dry and blurry.  My acuity dropped as well.

Dealing with all of this is difficult.  We all go through stages of grief when we are diagnosed with CRPS.  The five stages are denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance are a part of the framework that makes up our learning to live with the one we lost. They are tools to help us frame and identify what we may be feeling. But they are not stops on some linear timeline in grief. With every change in our health, related to our CRPS, we start the grieving process all over again.

I am struggling to get past depression right now so that I can accept what has happened!