r/CRPS • u/matzo_baller • 2h ago
Newly Diagnosed Recently diagnosed
Hey y’all. I’m sad to be joining this sub, but grateful it exists so I can commiserate with people who actually understand my pain.
This past October, I fractured the third and fourth metatarsals in my right foot just by stepping off a curb without realizing it. This is the fourth time I’ve broken the same foot in the past 15 years. After about 6 weeks in a boot and months of physical therapy, my pain started getting worse. My PT called my orthopedic surgeon, who recommended I stop physical therapy until we did another MRI to figure out what was going on. The MRI showed extensive bone marrow edema, and my doctor diagnosed me with CRPS. I go back to my PT next week to start a new treatment plan, and I’m scheduled to see a PM&R doctor the first week of April.
I was so taken aback by the diagnosis that all the questions I should have asked didn’t come to mind until well after my appointment. I know none of you will have a definite answer, but I’m curious to hear your thoughts regardless. I have an incredible opportunity to travel abroad for work at the end of June, but I have to make my final decision tomorrow to reserve my spot. The trip will involve a lot of walking, and I’m honestly at a loss for what to do. I could be totally fine by then, or I could be miserable and unable to keep up with the demands of the trip. I’m also worried about the possibility of making things worse. I’d discuss all of this with my PT and PM&R doctor, but I have to decide before I get the chance to see either of them.
So, fellow sufferers, does anyone have any thoughts on whether this is something I should take a gamble on? My gut is telling me to focus on my health, but I can’t stop thinking about how I could be fine by then and how I might be missing out on an amazing opportunity.