Az-Di,

I've been thinking about you all day but just didn't have a chance to write until now. I'm so sorry that on top of you pain you are dealing with difficulties getting to and from your doctors offices. I'm sure your family doesn't really feel as if you are a burden.. no one likes to go to doctors offices/hospitals so I'm sure it has more to do with that then anything else.

I'm in a similar situation with doctors visits as I am 2-3 hours away from anyone of my team of doctors. Like you I am having a difficult time driving and medications often make it unsafe. I often have to explain to my doctors that it is difficult to ask anyone to take basically an entire day off work for these visits. It isn't that they don't want to go but, after literally hundreds of appointments over the past 2 years that is a ton of lost income for my husband and friends all added up! One thing that helped take the burden off of any one person was to reach out to our local church and also to medical ride share offered to persons with disabilities. The ride share doesn't work as well since I live remotely but, in a pinch it is much easier to ask someone to drive the 45min to where they do pick up than to ask for them to take 6-8 hours out of their day. Our local church has been a Godsend in that many ladies are willing to help in anyway they can.. maybe that is an option worth looking into? You might also check with the local chamber of commerce to see if they are aware of any assistance programs.

Regarding your doctor demanding you keep the slot.. personally I find that a little odd. All treatment options/timing ultimately are up to you. If you need to re-schedule this appointment then that should be your call. Unless there is proven evidence that doing so will make the procedure less effective (which I doubt) then waiting an additional week or two shouldn't matter. Seriously, I would question this lack of consideration for your ability to attend this appointment.

Please don't hold on to the feelings you are having about being a burden.. I'm sure we have all felt this way on/off during the course of this beast. Just keep doing what you can when you can, that is all that is all you can do. If family or friends don't understand why you aren't always able to do things like you have prior to this.. then maybe they should go with you to a pain psychologist or to your CRPS PM doctor so that they can hear it from them. This helped my husband understand better than I could ever explain. Sometimes hearing it from a professional makes it more clear to them.

I do hope tomorrow brings a smile to your face and the emotions that are eating at you today are long forgotten!

Kindly,
Tessa