why we often see medical professionals
prescribing medications
as they do. It’s as if the patient
either doesn't have any other
treatment options available, or
the medical professional is unaware
of how to treat them. The
key here is being able to access
programs and recommending
alternate treatments.
Help at Last
Through a friend of a friend, I
was able to find a neurosurgeon
that would try and help me in
Saskatchewan. Until now, my
only treatment plan had been
opioids to help with chronic
pain.
This neurosurgeon has experience
working with CRPS patients.
He recommended a combination
of medication and neurostimulation
to treat my CRPS.
This would require implants.
Within months I would face the
first of multiple major surgeries
to place two implants to try and
alleviate my pain. I faced a long
road but at least I was filled with
hope. Within the next year, I
started walking again without
the use of a walker.
Through my care team, we created
a treatment plan that would
ultimately give me back what I
had lost, a quality of life. The
difference was that I was working
with professionals who knew
the illness and the few treatments
available to me. We were
effectively able to reduce all of
the medications by half.
At the same time, we were able
to put together a self-care plan
that further helped to reduce the
symptoms of CRPS. The plan
includes meditation, biofeedback
and other self-care techniques.
Final Remarks
It isn't perfect by any means but
it’s a start until they either discover
a cure or have better treatments.
I’m still dealing with
chronic pain and all the symptoms
of the disease on a daily
basis. For the foreseeable future
that won't change.
If I were to explain every detail
of CRPS or what I have had to
go through I would have to write
a book. Therefore, the first thing
I asked myself when I started
writing this piece was how do
you cram thirteen years into
1700 words. You can't!
What you do however, is bring
awareness to the things that happened
to me, the nature of my
illness, the shortcomings of our
healthcare system, and use them
to build a better healthcare system.
This is why I advocate and
bring my voice as a patient to the
things we need to change or
make better. Nothing about getting
sick is ever good. If I can
use what has happened to me, in
order to help just one person not
to have to go through what I
have then it’s worth it. My goal
as a patient-advocate is to help
other patients, so that they won’t
have to deal with the same physical
and mental health issues that
I have over the last thirteen
years.
Ross McCreery is a patient advocate
fighting to raise awareness
and create change for those of us
who live with chronic pain. In
2006 he was diagnosed with the
rare disease called CRPS
(Complex Regional Pain Syndrome).
Ross is the founder of
CRPS Awareness Day in Saskatchewan
which is an initiative
designed to educate and raise
awareness for the disease. He also
works with the Rare Disease
Foundation and has launched
with them the first Adult Peer-2-
Peer Resource Group in Canada.
Internaonal Pain Foundaon—23