CRPS and Lady Penelope Strongbow.

Lady Penelope Strongbow has her very own CRPS mission.

It’s a personal mission. Things tend to be on a personal level when you suffer from this disease.

CRPS takes over your life.

Complex Regional Pain Syndrome changes your life. However, Lady Penelope Strongbow would like to think that somewhere along the line just maybe, perhaps, her story might help others, or at least give them a moment’s amusement when they read her story.

(You can read why I call myself Lady Penelope Strongbow in my previous CRPS post.)

It began last December. Just before Christmas and all the stores were full of pretty things. She had just returned her shopping trolley to the bay and was walking back toward her car when she heard a lot of shouting.

trolleybay
safe in the car park?

I wonder what people are shouting for? she wondered.

Then, blackout. Just like that. The lights went out and there was pain like you wouldn’t believe.

Someone had reversed his car into her making her fall and causing two breaks to her wrist and forearm and a very sore head where it had bounced on the concrete parking lot.

The cast was enormous.

CRPS origins
trying to write a post for my website

CRPS began almost immediately. When the upper part of the cast was removed, the Lady Penelope fingers were already in evidence and the pain affected the whole arm, elbow and shoulder.

CRPS fingers
bent and twisted fingers already painful to touch

CRPS had already set in, but the diagnosis wasn’t given until the rest of the cast was removed.

Three painful CRPS months later

It took three whole months to work out pain relief that didn’t cause me to vomit or give me diarrhoea or space me out so far I didn’t know which way was up.

By this time , we had various test results. The echograph (like ultrasound) showed no serious tears in the soft tissue, but lots of inflammation.

The scintigraph (bone scan) came next. The bone scanner machine is as futuristic as Thunderbirds used to be.

scanner for CRPS

Lady Penelope was suitably impressed.

Results of the hand/wrist scan show where CRPS is affecting the bones.

CRPS dark spots on bone scan
dark spots show CRPS activity

You can see how every part of my wrist and fingers is affected.

That’s why I have a Lady Penelope hand.

That’s why, like her, I can’t open doors.

CRPS hand
no chance!

 

It’s why when I put my left hand on top of my head, it looks like this –

CRPS hand
this is far as it goes!

And when you’ve got a CRPS Lady Penelope hand, you’d better forget about opening that pack of doughnuts.

CRPS hand can't open packet of doughnuts
even opening packets is too difficult

Squeezing the packet between my thumb and forefinger is all I can do with my Lady Penelope hand.

In my next post, I’ll have information about the treatment I’m receiving.

There’s a lot of treatment. Every day. As I’ve already said, CRPS takes over your life.

Please feel free to leave a comment, and do please Share if there’s someone you know who might like my posts.

Till next time,

 

4 thoughts on “ CRPS and Lady Penelope Strongbow.

  1. In February 2018 I was hit by a bus in a crosswalk, broken elbow, torn tendons on my shoulder and hand cracked rib and terrible pain in my neck back , after 3 months and my hand looking like mushroom my doctor diagnosed me with CRPS , but the comp doctor said I didn’t have it of course, I would like to learn as much as I can about the disease, thank you Diane

    1. Hello Diane,
      sorry I didn’t see your comment straight away and also I’m sorry to hear about your recent diagnosis. I agree with you it’s a good idea to learn as much as you can about CRPS. Have you found the CRPS pages on Facebook? There are lots of willing helpers on there who are willing to share what worked best for them.
      I think, by use of the word ‘crosswalk’ you are not in the UK but I believe the members of Burning Nights and other CRPS pages on Facebook are based worldwide. I hope this helps a bit.
      Sincerely,
      Celia

  2. Hang in there. I’ve been suffering 3 years. As painful as it is, move it – or loose it! Literally. I can’t be touched by wind, water…anything and looked like you. Just keep pushing each day. I highly recommend meditation classes immediately as mental stregth is the only tool that will possibly help you live your new life and try to eventually find a new kind if happiness. Each journey is individual as you said so I won’t even get into treatments (you name it I have it in me or have or am doing it) but the tips I listed are the two things we all need to survive this. Stay strong lady. One day technology will catch up, or at least a little, by little, by little…..

    1. Thank you for your comment. Yes, I’m hanging in there. I’m still writing and I’m still pushing myself to do a little more each day. Best wishes,
      Celia

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