CRPS: Elena suffers from one of the most painful diseases in the world

Elena is only 26 years old and for almost five years she has been suffering from pain so severe that she is even contemplating a voluntary amputation of her leg. Her odyssey began in 2018 with sharp pains in her left foot. In the meantime, the torment spreads over her entire left leg.

For the young woman from Rösrath, south-east of Cologne, the pain started a years-long medical marathon that has not yet been completed. Because initially it was unclear for a long time where her pain came from – there was no acute injury.

It took 1.5 years to get the diagnosis

Only after a year and a half did she receive the diagnosis: CRPS, complex regional pain syndrome. A chronic neuropathological pain that results from past injury or nerve damage. On the so-called McGill pain scale, those affected have greater pain than those giving birth or people with amputated body parts.

In Elena’s case, the syndrome could be traced back to an initially harmless injury to the left ankle. The nurse loved spending time in nature. She sustained the injury on a mountain bike tour in the summer of 2018.

In Germany, Elena is considered “treated out” – her hope is now in the USA

Since her diagnosis, Elena has already tried all the therapies possible in Germany, her friend Ramon writes on the page “GoFundMe“. In Germany, she is now considered to be out of therapy, doctors do not know how they can help the young woman. That is why he is now asking for donations for therapy in the USA.

There is a clinic specializing in patients like Elena. The “Spero Clinic” in Arkansas has been able to successfully help many CRPS patients in the past. Now Ramon and Elena hope that they can also put an end to their pain-ridden everyday life. However, the costs for the US clinic are not borne by the German health insurance company. According to the appeal for donations, the minimum stay of 13 weeks costs 49,500 euros including flights and accommodation. However, some patients stayed in the hospital for up to six months. So 87,000 euros would be due.

Since they cannot estimate how long Elena’s stay in the clinic will actually last, Ramon collects the donations in stages. If there is any money left over at the end, they want to donate it to other pain patients.