What is the Diagnosis?

My primary diagnosis is Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS), documented as the worlds most painful condition and otherwise known as the “suicide disease” because of the extreme and debilitating pain it causes. I’ve been living with CRPS for 8 years – progressing and spreading with time. The unrelenting pain ranks at the top of the McGill pain index, is difficult to describe, and is constant. CRPS can lead to changes in skin temperature and color, swelling, and hypersensitivity to touch–even gentle stimuli like a light breeze. It can also cause muscle weakness, tremors, joint stiffness, and difficulty with movement. So many symptoms, in addition to the pain, affect my daily life. I have written some of the other symptoms down below – not for sympathy but to hopefully spread awareness.  

In addition to CRPS, I have numerous other diagnoses: Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS), Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (EDS), and Gastroparesis. Something that is also common among those who develop CRPS are many coexisting infections. I have been diagnosed with so many over the last few years some of which include:

Anaplasma Phagocytophilum (Tic Borne Disease)

C-Diff

Chronic EBV

Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (CIRS)

H-Pylori

Leaky Gut

Lyme

Sibo

Staph

Strep

These conditions culminate in a wide range of chronic symptoms that hugely impact every moment of my life. Simple tasks that were once taken for granted now become monumental challenges. The constant pain, fatigue, and limitations have become my unwelcome companions, making even the most basic activities a struggle. Here are some photos of my life the last few years.