The bad news:
During the last month, Kathryn has been the sickest that we have seen her since she was first diagnosed with CRPS nearly 5 years ago. Her pain has spread into new regions, particularly her back. We initially saw a decline in her health in November and December, which was probably brought on by an undiagnosed Urinary Tract Infection. This UTI then became a Kidney Infection which was finally diagnosed on Christmas Eve.
With chronic pain, “normal” or “routine” illnesses like UTIs often get missed or even misdiagnosed. In the tangled muddle of CRPS symptoms and meds, missed symptoms can have devastating results!
Kathryn has been trying to deal with the horrific pain moving into new body parts. She is much like she was when she was a crying, suffering, fearful child of 10 years old first dealing with this monster. When the brain first tries to process this level of pain, the body can go into seizure-like spasms. Kathryn has spent most of the last month horizontal and out of school, with activities and outings extremely limited or impossible.
Each night Kathryn prepares as if she is going to school tomorrow. She plans her medicine, chooses clothes, and does as much school work as her pain racked- body and drugged brain will allow. Then she plans around mom’s work schedule in hopes…. “Maybe if I go in late… maybe I can go for a little while and leave early if I just can’t make it through the next class…”
But every day for the last month her body rebels and will not cooperate. She misses friends, teachers and she simply misses experiencing a teenage life. Dealing with excruciating pain daily and handling the daily medications is all she can manage many days.
Some hopeful news:
Kathryn traveled to the NC Pain Institute on January 28, 2013, where she was encouraged to start the long process of discontinuing her current pain medicine.
I KNOW, I KNOW!
How can she stop her pain medicine now while she is this sick with pain? And why is this information under our “HOPEFUL” section?
Because some of the alternative medicines are having some hopeful results and, most importantly…. Kathryn is more hopeful!
Kathryn and Dr. Kahn (her Richmond doctor) were originally planning to start this process in May to avoid missing as much school as possible. However, both Dr Kahn and Dr North (her North Carolina doctor) agreed that now is the time to move on with these difficult medication changes. The time is right due to this recent severe flare-up, and Kathryn has been too sick to attend school or even do her school-work from home either.
And we need to move as quickly as possible toward new treatment for Kathryn! Seeing her in pain every day is painful for all of us and we cannot begin to understand the pain she feels.
So, for the next 17-20 weeks, our only focus for Kathryn will be to help her make these medication changes and keep her as comfortable as possible during the process. We know her pain will be almost unbearable at times, but we know this is the right thing to do and again, Kathryn is hopeful.
These will be difficult weeks/months ahead, but medical evidence supports the approach. Medical research has proven that it can ultimately lead to better results from future treatments.
We are so thankful for each one of your prayers! God is faithful and he makes His help evident every day!
Please remember Kathryn and pray for healing, comfort, and peace as she embarks on yet another journey filled with difficult days and uncertainty.
Kathryn's Pages 