My 5 yr Anniversary

Five years ago today my day started like any other day.



Five years ago today I was working Mother's Day weekend in the floral dept. and looking forward to my promotion that would start on the following Monday.



Five years ago today I was career driven and rarely saw my husband who worked days while I worked nights. I rarely had time or energy to do things with my four children at that time.



Five years ago today my life as I knew it was changed forever , somewhat for the better and somewhat for the worse.



Five years ago today I ripped my arch on my right foot in half . I was in what I thought at the time was the most terrible pain I had ever been in aside from childbirth. Little did I know it was going to get much worse....



The short story on my initial injury is simply this, I ripped my arch in half while running to get a fellow co-worker orange juice because she collapsed due to a diabetic episode. I went to the doctor and was put in a hard cast. This is where everything went bad.

Two days in the cast I lost the feeling in my two little toes. The doctor cut a piece off around these toes thinking that was the cause. Two days later all of my toes were numb and tingling. The doc wrote this off as normal. A day after that I felt like fire ants and crawled into my cast and were biting me all over my foot and calf. The doctor patiently removed my cast to find nothing so he put another hard cast on even though I begged for a soft removable cast. He said this was necessary for healing. The pain, numbness, tingling and burning continued for 7 more weeks. I even developed migraines thanks to all of the pain. My doctor, who was only a podiatrist, became a little frustrated with my complaints so I tried to suck it up. I was even beginning to think it was all in my head as everyone else already thought. My husband was the only one who believed me. I tried not to complain around my girls because I didn't want them to worry.



By the 8th week when the cast was finally removed for good the pain had become unbearable. I was no better, only much, much worse. This is when I saw a pain specialist for the first time. He tried injections and some medications to no avail. On my 5th visit he noted that my right leg below my new was quite purple and swollen. From here I was sent for a battery of tests that all concluded what he had thought might be going on. This is when I was diagnosed with Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy ( http://www.neurologychannel.com/rsd/index.shtml ). Little did I know the journey I was about to embark on.

So fast foward to today, the RSD has now spread to both of my legs and is now in my hips and lower back. I was told almost 5 years ago that I would be in a wheelchair within 5 years. HAH! They don't know me!!! While I definately would benefit by using a cane, I am not wheelchair bound anytime soon thanks to the grace of God. My health has certainly declined but my spirit has soared. Over the past 5 years I have become closer to God. I started taking my family to church and had one of the best days of my life when my husband and four daughters were baptized! I have made some awesome friends who totally support me and lift me up in prayer. I have been there for my girls when they need me the most. I have been able to be a mother to my two nieces that we have had for 3 years next month. I have been able to be a better wife to my husband. I thank God for all of these things.

Oh, I still have my days when the pain can be a bit overwhelming. Days when the fibromyalgia and Hashimoto's disease decide to team up with the RSD. I am still learning to cope on these days and trying not to fall any deeper into depression. I still find things I can no longer do. But I try to look at all these things as my challenge. I long to help others who are going through similar problems.

In all these trials I thank God for my "wake-up" call. I wake everyday with an open mind and a open heart so that I may do as God has planned for me. Our God is an Awesome God!!!

Glory to God!!!

Dawn