Hello and Welcome Joe mama,
You are definitely not alone. NT is a great community. We have an active and supportive CRPS forum.
I am sure all of us cried when getting this diagnosis. I know I did. But I second it not being a death sentence. There is a lot of misinformation out there and you will have to be careful of that. Sometimes CRPS does spread but according to CRPS bigwig Dr. Michael Stanton-Hicks of Cleveland Clinic 80% of people improve over time. Starting treatment and having a savvy, caring practitioner who is willing to try different things will help. PT is a great start. If you can do anything in a pool that is even better. Don't get discouraged if it goes slow, that is par for the course with this.
Several of us recommend the following 2 hour video by Dr. Pradeep Chopra who is highly regarded in the field, is non-doomsday and offers plenty of treatment dos and don'ts. You will learn a lot here.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=s3LKhOZ8mAM
I will also second what Dr. Chopra says about ruling out nerve entrapment and injury. Especially in cases with trauma or surgery. There are amazing things that can be done by peripheral nerve surgeons in certain circumstances. I had a 3.5 hour nerve surgery to remove a neuroma from an injury and it got me out of being balled up on the couch all the time. My CRPS came after something else and is actually less painful.... Information about nerve injury and entrapment can be found here.
http://nerve.wustl.edu
I am glad you found your way here, where you will have much compassion and support. We all need it. Depression and anxiety are common with chronic illness and pain. Many of us have struggled with it. If you are feeling stuck or want to get help coping, consider seeing a therapist versed in pain. It can make a big difference. I saw one who did EMDR and hypnosis which I found quite helpful. Sometimes pain practices will even have one in their group or can make recommendations.
Come see us at the CRPS forum and make yourself at home. You will get through this. Recovery does come, just sometimes in very small increments. It takes grit and resilience but I am pretty sure you have those already.
Sending hugs and healing love,
