From Patient to Advocate: My CRPS Transformation

Complex Regional Pain Syndrome took my career as a carpenter, my independence, and nearly my will to live. The pain in my left hand and arm after a workplace injury spiraled into something no one around me understood. CRPS is called the "suicide disease" for a reason — it is rated higher on the pain scale than amputation. When my workers compensation insurer cut off my pain medication without warning, I spent three weeks in withdrawal on top of my CRPS symptoms. No taper. No alternative treatment plan. Just a letter saying my prescription was "no longer authorized." That experience radicalized me. Today I am a full-time patient advocate. I help others navigate insurance appeals, connect with compassionate providers, and understand their rights. My pain has not gone away, but my purpose has transformed it. Every patient I help reminds me that our suffering is not meaningless — it can fuel the change our community desperately needs.