Project3x5

Happy Feet go Hiking!

This morning, I was woken up slightly too bright & early as I officially began an intense physical therapy program that will go for 6-weeks and work as a pain management tool. At this point, I’ve tried almost everything! So, working on the back of my recent SCS implantation & ketamine infusion relief, we’re going back to basics as I simply try barreling through this disease in order to reset my sympathetic nervous system & hopefully gain relief.

Huh..? What..? Why..?

Well, basically my system is constantly overstimulated which leads to extreeeeme pain whenever I do, for the most part, anything. No one wants to be walking down the street to suddenly feel as though they’ve been lit on fire, right? No thanks! Not fun! It makes good sense then, that often I’ll stop what I’m doing and take a little break. While this feels great for me as the patient, unfortunately it’s a bad idea disease-wise as my hyper little nervous system then thinks it’s done the correct thing. Make sense? So, the next time I take a walk down the street, it freaks out causing perhaps even more physical-pain, and definitely acting as a pain in my ass. 

When I said we’re going to barrel through, I really did mean it. Under a strict routine designed mainly by my doctor - I’ll be walking, hiking, swimming, yoga-ing, stationary biking, etc. Up at 8am to swim for an hour, before walking at least a mile, then a break, then exercises. And so on it goes… 

Eeesh! Right!? I don’t even know what ‘eeesh’ means necessarily, but I’m fairly certain that it perfectly explains how I feel about this whole thing…

As a former athlete, I am excited about it, please don’t get me wrong! But my emotions are also annoyingly complicated, I suppose based on the fact that due to pain I can barely (and sometimes not) wear the shoes needed to do all of these activities! It’s overwhelming and certainly very daunting! 

Despite this though, I want to win. I want to beat this. ‘They’ say that there’s no cure, but I know that I’ll be fine. I always am! And really, who are ‘they’? ‘They’ can’t even decide on a single name for this disease! Is it Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) or is it Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy? I made the decision early on not to listen to ‘them’. I will never let anyone take my hope.  

Prayers & good vibes please! I’ll definitely need them.