Everyone of us who lives with chronic pain on a daily basis --- or who cares about someone who does --- is different and at the same time we all have common interests. We are a kind of community separate from others and deserve to have our voices heard.

As a Support Group Facilitator for the American Chronic Pain Association (ACPA) and the Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Syndrome Association (RSDSA) as well as a Chronic Pain Sufferer who has lived with RSD/CRPS for more than 11 years, the materials and information I provide at support groups help reach out to others to help them better understand the social, economic, and personal issues related to experiencing pain 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Sometimes, the best way to help one’s self is to help someone else.

Living with a chronic pain condition requires changing the way we think about own health care, our own life and sometimes it begins by first reaching out to help others so that is what I did … I began to help others by simply learning to become a peer to peer support group facilitator for the ACPA and the RSDSA by providing support through scheduling physical onsite support group meetings at a local facility in my small town where I would provide chronic pain materials and information I had learned through online tutorials previously attended provided / offered to me.

This is RSDSA's first virtual walk; however, it is an opportunity for you to get involved. Even though you, yourself, may not personally have RSD/CRPS ... you may struggle with chronic pain and understand what it is like to live daily through the struggles of chronic pain. If you do understand and are financially able to give … it would very much enable RSDSA the ability to be able to continue to provide the materials, information and research to individuals, physicians, researchers across the globe that it does then I implore upon you to help in our endeavors today by donating here to our team even the smallest amount to help us reach or exceed our fundraising goals!

When my husband was diagnosed eight years prior to my diagnosis during his tour of duty in the United States Marine Corps I was completely lost. I had no idea where to turn for answers and help regarding RSD. It took over two years for a diagnosis and he surpassed all stages of RSD and was wheelchair bound for more than six years advised he would not walk as he did prior to RSD.

Thanks to RSDSA, its knowledge, materials, etc. my husbands willpower, and strength … he fought the RSD battle for years and is still fighting but graduated from the wheelchair to two four-arm crutches to one four-arm crutch to a cane to no cane to today riding a Harley Davidson and the occasional cane usage when the RSD flares up. Once we had the right knowledge in place, a spinal cord stimulator implanted to help control the pain, the future was bright. However, almost nine years later came my diagnosis with no explanation of how that is even possible.

Your donation today will ensure that this organization can continue providing the services, research, materials, and knowledge to the thousands of families like us as well as physicians who are still learning about what this disease’ ultimate impact is on the human body.

From our family to yours … we thank you from the bottom of our heart for your support!!

Here are some articles for a potential interesting read.

https://www.therecordherald.com/article/20140729/NEWS/140729848

https://www.echo-pilot.com/article/20130928/news/130929868