The True CRPS Hero
By Linda Lang

Many people suffer from devastating diseases. In the case of cancer, for example, our reactions are predictable. We want to help find a cure for the disease. We applaud those who face their illness with courage and we sympathize with their pain. If their cancer goes into remission, we rejoice with them; if it does not, we cry with them. We would never think of attaching personal blame to those whose battle with the disease is not successful, nor would we confuse a cure with the personal ability of a patient to fight the disease. Instead, we speak of miracles, of wonder drugs, of successful new treatments. We easily separate the disease from the person and our praise is applied appropriately. Lance Armstrong, for example, is seen as a hero not because his cancer went into remission, but because he did not let the fact of his cancer stand in the way of his training for and winning the Tour de France.

Somehow, we apply different standards when it comes to CRPS. We, too, equate a patient's efforts with the outcome of the syndrome. If the CRPS goes into remission, the person, not the treatment, is considered a "success." The opposite follows; if the syndrome worsens, it is somehow seen as the fault of the patient. Granted, patients have personal responsibilities in order to help themselves. They must follow the established treatment plan, which may mean taking medications appropriately, participating in physical therapy, learning and carrying out stress-reduction techniques, eating a balanced diet, and so forth.

A patient who does all of this certainly deserves praise because the treatments can often be painful and difficult. If the treatment is successful, however, the patient can no more take personal credit for it than can the cancer patient who has gone into remission. By the same token, you cannot blame patients whose syndrome progresses despite their best efforts and those of the medical professionals.

Having CRPS is neither a punishment nor a gift. It just is. The same applies to the course the syndrome takes. While patients can certainly help in their recovery, the recovery itself is a fact to which no praise or blame should be attached. The successful CRPS patient is not necessarily one whose symptoms have lessened. In fact, more often the opposite is true. The CRPS hero is one who has accepted having CRPS and yet continues to build a meaningful life. The successful CRPS patients are those who, despite living with devastating pain and disability, feel that they are people apart from their syndrome and can find pleasure in what they are still able to do. The CRPS "hero" does not waste time feeling angry or apathetic. Instead, he or she concentrates on finding ways to grow and expand. There will certainly be times when the pain escalates and the syndrome feels like it is gaining the upper hand, but they somehow find strength within themselves to ride out those times. Rather than feeling sorry for themselves, they want to help others and no matter how difficult things get, they find the strength to go on, living their lives to the fullest extent possible. The true CRPS "hero" is everyone of you who is reading this article and I applaud your tremendous effort.

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