Color the World Orange

Today, November 4th is CRPS/RSD awareness day.
(Complex Regional Pain Syndrome/Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy)

Tonight, the Bank of America Plaza in downtown Dallas will glow orange as it did last year.

This photo was taken over 15 miles away.

It was so exciting to know that people all over the area were seeing it and asking questions about it.

CRPS/RSD is difficult to explain.  It is a rare disorder of the sympathetic nervous system that causes the brain to send continuous pain signals long after an injury occurred.  It is like the sudden pain of hitting your funny bone....only that initial sharp pain doesn't go away.  The following posters from the internet help explain how it feels to have CRPS/RSD.....

It is very frustrating.

And very painful.

We have low pain days and days that are off the charts. But when you live with it 24/7, you have to come to grips with it and learn ways to cope and push the pain into the background.  My art has been my coping mechanism.  God has exceedingly blessed me with the ability to draw.  And now I am learning to paint.  And I was  blessed to have been placed with a hand specialist early on who taught me to "move it or lose it", as my affected limb is my dominant hand, arm and shoulder.

At this point there is no cure.

Color the World Orange

This Monday evening, look toward the Dallas skyline to see the Bank of America Building turn Orange to bring awareness to CRPS/RSD!

Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, CRPS, formerly known as RSD, Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy, is a progressive disease of the Autonomic Nervous System, and more specifically, the Sympathetic Nervous System. The pain is characterized as constant, extremely intense, and out of proportion to the original injury. It usually affects one or more of the four limbs but can occur in any part of the body and in over 70% of the victims it spreads to additional areas.

CRPS/RSD is classified as a rare disorder by the Food and Drug Administration.  There is no known cure.

There are FOUR Main Symptoms/Criteria of CRPS:

1. Constant chronic burning pain - The pain, which is usually significantly greater than the original event/injury;  though the affected area may feel cold to the touch to the patient it feels as though it is literally on fire; and is ranked as the most painful form of chronic pain today by the McGILL Pain Index. This symptom also includes allodynia which is an extreme sensitivity to touch, sound, temperature, and vibration.
2. Inflammation - this can affect the appearance of the skin, bruising, mottling, tiny red spots, shiny, purplish look; as well as affect the skin temperature of the affected area, cause excessive sweating, etc.
3. Spasms - in blood vessels (vasoconstriction) and muscles (sometimes referred to as rolling spasms) of the extremities.
4. Insomnia/Emotional Disturbance - includes the major changes to the limbic system such as short-term memory problems, concentration difficulties, sleep disturbances, confusion, etc.

There are a great many additional symptoms that can also occur over the course of the disease. Not every patient will have all of the symptoms and the symptoms may change over time due to the stage the patient is in, the medications the patient is on, the treatments the patient is receiving, and even such things as time of day/month/season, and whether or not she/he is currently under excess stress.

Sources: http://www.rsdhope.org/what-is-crps1.html,  https://rsds.org/event/2018-color-world-orange/