Welcome to the forum; sorry for the circumstances!
I remember so well my diagnosis in 2009. The one issue with reading a lot about it is that it can kind of paralyze you. Education is a very good thing, but you have to remember to keep a sort of perspective. Sometimes a break from the internet information is not a bad thing.
The one thing that is evident about CRPS is that everybody is unique. Sure, many of us share similar symptoms, emotions, etc. But you are in charge of your own destiny.
It took me about a year to get a solid diagnosis, another year to figure out how to best handle it, and another year to reap the benefits of how to dial it all in. I'm not saying this is the case for all, but it has been my personal journey. Everyone is different.
I will tell you that things
CAN get better. I am doing much better in 2013 than I was in 2008 when I first contracted CRPS as a complication of multiple foot surgeries.
Is my CRPS actually better? It's still there to be sure but I have learned how to MANAGE IT and I have had some success in taming it and that is making all the difference. And so my life is certainly changed, but it is better now than it once was 5 years ago.
Bram really summed it up very well as she has a knack for but I'll echo the sentiment of finding a number of professionals to help you along the way.
CRPS is always handled better using a "multi-disciplinary" strategy, a team approach.... meaning you'll need a primary doctor who leads the way, help in physical therapy, pain management, etc. It's up to you to determine and decide what disciplines you need. This condition is widely misunderstood even among professionals. Ask them point blank how much experience they have with CRPS. If they ask you what CRPS is, move on quickly.
I use a podiatrist (who is my primary CRPS doctor), a general practitioner who handles other medical issues, a chiropractor, physical therapist and on occasion a massage therapist. As for medications, experimentation with different meds is almost always needed. What works for one may or may NOT work for the next. Not only do you need to try different meds, you need to titrate dosage up and down until you find the "sweet spot" that helps you without taking too much of the medication.
It's a journey. But we're here to help you along the way. It's quite a community here. I've learned a lot and been helped a lot. It goes both ways.
Stay the course and keep us updated. And happy holidays. Don't forget to live your life; don't let CRPS define you.....
