Finding Ketamine Wellness Centers online that one night in March, crying and feeling hopeless, turned out to be one of the most impactful moments of my life. I have full body Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, CRPS. This past year it has caused constant emesis, on a daily basis. I couldn’t keep down anything I ate at some points, which seemed to last for upwards of weeks, at certain times. I would find myself going to the hospital emergency room sometimes two times a week to get rehydrated and checked out. I had just about every medical diagnostic test or procedure done at some point, if not repeated, all which come back normal.
I was originally diagnosed with Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy when I was about 15 years old following an operation on my left knee, which never felt like it quite seemed to heal from. The RSD at the time was diagnosed in both my lower extremities. The next few years were something out of a movie, trying to fight a disease that not many people knew about. I felt ashamed. The pain was unbelievable, or so I thought. I was what we called, one of the lucky ones. I got mine to go into, what I now know as “remission.” It wasn’t until I had a full hysterectomy in 2015, that it decided to tell me just what remission means. I suppose I was young and naïve, now thinking back. But a lot of it had to do with the fact that the information wasn’t there yet, about long term effects of Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy, now known as Complex Regional Pain Syndrome. Now when I saw the information wasn’t there, what I mean by that is, easily accessible for those of us suffering. I at times was told RSD was not a real thing, even by doctors at times. The internet didn’t have much information. NO one in the general public had ever heard of it. And then there is the winning factor sometimes, even the symptoms are not physical to the human eye, in person, or on a medical test or X-ray. I learned to call it for years, an “invisible” disease. It is only these last few months, I am learning to call it the “hidden” disease because I am learning to be in control. There is no perfect medication to treat the symptoms or even generally to know what to expect. It is a very individual disease, if you may.
When I had my hysterectomy in 2015, my support system and I didn’t know that you need to really consider having a plan in place for the CRPS, even though you are not experiencing symptoms at that time. I believe in my heart, this surgery was the storm that rattled a little too loud for my body, and awoke the demons of the CRPS. I unfortunately have full body CRPS today. This past year, I have been vomiting every day. I feel like I can safely say that I have tried almost every medication known for nausea, with nothing lasting longer then a few days. January of 2018, I had an NG Feeding tube inserted for almost 3 weeks. I used the feeding tube for supplements, hydrations, and also my medications. I was struggling.
I am 29 years old. This September is my ugly 30th. But I will tell you, to me, it doesn’t feel so ugly. I am beyond thankful to have found the Ketamine Wellness Centers. I will tell you, honestly, when I found them that night in March, I agreed to go, because my head was in a trash can and my moms eyes were filled with tears. I knew I had to give it one more chance. I had no other options available to me. Doctors had no solution available and we were running out of luck. My family needed this of me. But I was beyond exhausted, and losing all hope.
The response was immediate and beyond sincere. It pulled you in. Without Chera, I would have came into the treatments with just my small support systems hope. But Chera allowed me to change my thinking. She reminded me that there was something still worth fighting for. She was the voice of my guardian angel on the other line. All of the staff there is beyond amazing. They are beyond gentle and caring but it goes so much further with them. They truly build a relationship with every patient uniquely, like a family would.
You can’t help be feel calm and comfortable being there, let alone like you are being taken care of with the best outlook possible. Nicole (Medic), thank you for being you. I love it when you said you “want to treat every one like you would want them to treat your mom”, because you do and it shows. Jamie (Medic), you are an amazingly hardworking young mother who is going to make it far with your determination. And Jonathan, thank you for being that voice of reassurance. Reminding me that I am still here. To the staff, Arizona may be a long ways from home but feel I gained bit of a family.
And to the Ketamine Wellness Centers, on the second day of my five day treatment, they got me to stop vomiting. Words cannot describe the joys that brought back for me. I truly thought I had no answers. I thought I was out of luck. Not only did you give me my strength back but you gave me my heart back. You see, being so chronically ill at a young age and having had a severe medical past, and to give me a future with less pain is unbelievable to me. I still have treatments with this facility and am beyond hopeful for the future!
