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Transformation and Hope—The Means to Recovery
By Kathleen Campbell, M. Div
Things that didn't help my recovery
There were several strategies not helpful to me which others
have tried with CRPS, most of which are named earlier. These
included two lumbar sympathetic blocks, acupuncture, and biofeedback.
I also tried a session of Reiki, but found it to be similar
to the meditation I was already doing at home and not worth
pursuing. Other things decidedly not helpful included the
following:
Physical therapy without clear goals and strategies
Bob Brown, my second therapist, was very helpful in reducing
hypersensitivity I experienced early on as he massaged the
foot regularly and got me doing it at home. He also helped
reduce my stress by letting me elevate my foot and meditate
for twenty minutes at each appointment. He also got me started
on the treadmill that was so helpful in walking without a
limp. After the first couple of months when I ran out of insurance
coverage, I found I was not progressing. I began to increase
my time on the treadmill on my own because I knew I could
do more, but got no direction from Bob on how to keep moving
towards more challenging activity. I asked him how long he
thought it would take to "get better". His response
was that nature had a way of healing, and some patients he'd
seen take two months and others take twelve. It was as if
I just needed to sit back and watch healing unfold. The lack
of direction became frustrating as I approached the third
month of pain and was still far from reaching my goals.
When I began with Roger Allen at UPS, I got lots more direction
and the structure that I needed with the quota-based exercise
approach. Still, I returned to see Bob every week or two because
the massage continued to be useful in reducing my sensitivity
to touch. Scheduling a medical appointment was also the only
way I felt justified in taking twenty minutes during the day
to elevate my foot and meditate, which felt very important
in the first few months when the edema and pain were highest.
Dealing with an HMO
Midway through treatment my divorce was finalized and I had
to switch insurance coverage. I now had the Group Health Options
Plan. The "Options" piece meant I was allowed to
see my regular doctors, but it was cheaper to use the Group
Health practitioners so I decided to try them. I searched
the website to review the backgrounds of the Group Health
doctors and found one that seemed like a good match. She had
a particular interest in neurology and so might know something
about CRPS. On my first visit, I found I was right. She had
worked with CRPS and knew the options for medication and the
importance of integrating different disciplines in treating
it. I was very organized with a list of questions when I first
saw her, and was surprised as she got up to leave after 15
minutes. Unclear where she was headed, I told her I had one
more question. Her response was "My time is up."
I could check at the desk to answer the question I had about
their counseling resources. I never saw her again.
I tried later to get a referral to a pain specialist through
Group Health and was expected to drive to Seattle where they
have a Pain Center. An appointment in Seattle meant taking
a half-day or more off work for just one appointment, and
so I insisted on a referral to someone in Tacoma. I was referred
to a neurologist at the Tacoma center who also evaluated my
foot and discussed my situation for 15 minutes. As he entered
notes on my chart, he told me he would use the term "RSD"
in the chart since that's what most call it. The condition
was renamed ten years earlier in 1993. I couldn't work with
someone who refused to be current on the literature.
Fortunately, I budget well and had the financial resources
to pay the extra needed to see my regular family physician
and the podiatrist who first diagnosed the CRPS. While they
didn't have lots of knowledge about CRPS, they were willing
to read up on it and consult other colleagues with their questions.
I settled for that and continued my primary approach to treatment,
which was the physical therapy, combined with psychological
support systems and strategies, and spiritual disciplines.
The painkillers they prescribed provided what I needed from
their profession.
» Introduction
» Onset and
Diagnosis
»
Transformation and Hope
» Challenges
and Setbacks
» Appendix
1: My Goals for Therapy and Recovery from CRPS
» Appendix
2: Physical Therapy Exercises
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