Success Stories
 

Hey guys!

As I've been going through this journey of CRPS, I have at times gotten overwhelmed by how far I have still to go. As a therapist, I am super aware of how important it is to make a note of even the smallest successes and positive experiences. I thought maybe we could all have a place to share the small successes and achieved goals we have with each other. Maybe it could even become a sticky?

Here are mine so far today:
I went on a 15 minute walk and only had significant pain on the downhills.
I walked down the stairs!!! (This is a huge success for me :D)
I was able to pull my foot up to put my socks on!

What are yours?

I love this idea and congrats on the accomplishments! :) A Sticky about progress sounds wondermous.

It IS very easy to get bogged down. My journey has been made easier by giving myself points for the tiniest little things. Ie: starting the exercise bike at two minutes and then going to three. woo-hoo! Ya gotta start somewhere. Altering one's expectations to fit the illness can decrease a lot of grief!

recent accomplishments...

Getting through two airports last week without assistive devices.
Taking the extra cushion out of my shoe and putting the regular insert back in!
Being able to go without compression on my affected leg.
Walking two miles in one shot on a good day. :eek:
Standing for 15 minutes talking to a neighbor without my foot stinging.
Successfully Decreasing my medication dose.

This has taken about a year since CRPS began. Go for the long view...
:grouphug:

Today I recognized when my pain started to turn into stress leading to more pain, stopped, took deep breaths, and kept my pain from controlling my mind.


What are your successes today guys?

Although I am a bit flared up from re-trying an exercise that bothered my ankle before (guess what, still does!) the flare is a lot less severe than in the past. I am not having as much discoloration or pins and needles as I used to have when flaring.

Thanks Ketamine Doctor Man!

:grouphug:

I am trying something new, completely unrelated to CRPS and using a different part of my body. Too often my thoughts run to foot, foot, foot. I am like a broken record. So I started piano lessons last week. I am taking my son to the music school anyway and they had a slot open at the same time. Hard to make excuses on that one.

I like that it gets me into a totally new place in my head, where I am focusing intensely on my hands and reading the notes. It also re-connects me to a time in my brain before CRPS since I took piano for a while when I was very young.

Yeah for new, non-pain brain activity!

That's amazing!!! It's so great to have activities that can give us a little vacation from our pain. I'm so happy for you!

Okay this may not sound like much but it's the little things right? So for two summers the toenail of my big toe has been turning deep blue when I put my foot down for too long (sometimes 5 minutes). I have used that as a barometer for how rotten my circulation was and indicator to elevate since it almost always started to hurt after turning blue. Between that and not wanting to draw attention to my discolored foot I have not painted my toenails once. Until a couple of days ago. Now they are a searing hot pink. :D

Circulation is improving enough my barometer looks normal most of the time. It is fun to have happy looking toenails. A little normalcy goes a long way.
Thanks again Ketamine Doctor Man!

So glad to hear your ketamine is going well, Littlepaw!

Here's mine:
I got an elliptical the other day and since it is as close to zero impact on my knee as I can get it has been helping so much! I actually got to work out to the point of sweating!!!!!!

That is so good to hear! Sweating takes work! kudos on the new exercise. The more normal sensory input our nerves can get to interpret the better. It helps reset the whole paradigm. I started a ballet/Pilates/cardio kind of thing this week. I was afraid my foot would blow up after doing it but it didn't. It feels like it is increasing flexibility in the ankle. We gotta keep trying new things! No way I could've done that 6 months ago.

That's great!!! I have been dancing too. I have done pole dance since before my crps and it has been great in that it is a medium where anything I don't want to put on my leg I can shift to my arms and core. Dunno where I'd be without it!