Emergency Medical and Personal needs with RSD/CRPS

Hi! My name is Jen Cope and I suffer with a rare disease called CRPS, which stands for Chronic Regional Pain Syndrome. It is also known as RSD, Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy. It’s the most painful chronic pain condition known to man, and is also referred to as the suicide disease. Stress is a huge trigger for flares, and often time my pain rates higher than child birth, amputation of a digit and some cancers on the McGill Pain Scale. The pain never goes away, it’s constant 24/7.




I developed this condition after a knee dislocation and it has since spread to the entire left side of my body.




I have lost my ability to work and am currently trying to get SSDI. I have no income coming in and because I don’t have kids and I’m single it makes it very difficult to qualify for any state cash assistance. In addition to losing my ability to work, I have lost my home and have had to cash in my life savings, 401k, sold everything I own, and most recently had to sell my car. I have lost everything due to this medical condition and medical expenses and bills. I never imagined this happening at 41 years old.




I am currently living with a friend, but still have bills to pay and a long wait while appealing to SSDI. With no income at all coming in, I have no idea how I’m going to pay them, cover co-pays etc.




I’ve never been good at asking for help, and have always been the one on the other end. I am in desperate need of financial help. I don’t have a lot of family that can help, and none live near me. I’ve lost both of my parents as well. If you can help a stranger in need, it would mean everything to me. If you can’t but know someone who can, if you can share this, it would help just as much. If you can send me some prayers, I would be grateful for prayers. I know the power of prayer is strong and it’s what gives me strength and keeps me going.




Thank you and God Bless.




With love,

Jen



Update:

The past few months have been incredibly difficult for me and in some ways hit rock bottom. The financial toll that RSD/CRPS has taken on me, I can’t even put into words. What’s just as bad is the emotional and physical toll it’s taken on me. As what typically happens when you apply for Social Security Disability the first time, I was denied. What I wasn’t expecting was the time it would take with my lawyer for the appeal. 12-14 months. A few months ago, I sold my car, the last thing of value I haven’t sold, for a few hundred dollars. That money is now gone. I need help. I’ve got thousands in medical bills, my own personal bills which I’ve managed to whittle down and money to help cover the cost of copays, medication and just day to day things that SNAP doesn’t cover like toiletries and all of the over the counter medication. It all adds up. I’m so stressed that it’s causing me to flare, not sleep and become very depressed. I’ve taken the step to talk to my Dr and am now on my 3rd medication for depression. The first one was working but had a lot of unpleasant side effects. The second, I had a horrible reaction to, that scared me. I didn’t even know who I was. I’ve been praying to God every day for help and as much as I didn’t want to do this again, I have no choice. 




I need your help again. It’s so hard for me to reach out and ask for help, but I’m at my wits end and am terrified. To everyone who has already helped, thank you. If you can afford to give again I would be so grateful and if you can share this, spread this around I would greatly appreciate it. I can’t make it thru the next 12-14 months without your help. God bless.




If you’d rather use PayPal or Zelle to avoid fees, my email is [email redacted]




With love and thanks, 




Jen




My name is Jen and I have RSD/CRPS. The average person doesn’t know what that is. Believe me when I was first diagnosed, it was so rare I was told to “Google It”, and that’s exactly what I did. Short version, it’s the most painful chronic pain condition known to man. RSD Website There is no cure, and you are in pain 24/7. Something as simple as getting a shower, wind on your skin or a loud noise can cause me extreme pain. The pain changes from burning (imagine having the worst sunburn you’ve ever had inside of your body, then pour some gasoline on it and light it on fire), to being electrocuted, to having a hot knife stabbed thru you constantly, swelling, muscle aches to having muscle spams and cramps (Charlie Horse anyone?) and drumroll; having these all happening in your body at once. It varies in degree from person to person and there was awhile (4 years) where mine got better (it never fully goes away, you’re still in pain) and I was able to work and get off of all the medications I was on. Sadly, about a year ago I started flaring up again. I started having to go back on medications (currently on 5), back to physical therapy and monthly Dr’s appointments. Had many nerve blocking injections in my back and leg and nothing helped. I ended back up walking with my cane and missing more and more work. I tried the hardest I could to make it in, but the more I tried, the worse I became. I’m now basically bed ridden. And being 40 years old, that’s a tough pill to swallow. 




My Dr and I have been going back and forth about my ability to work. I didn’t want to give up, I wanted to try and keep working but last month I was told by my Dr that my best course of action would be to apply for Social Security Disability and I should not return to work. I’m in the process of applying for SSDI but it’s a long process (usually a year), short term disability which is taking awhile and thru work, but since I’ve exhausted my FMLA benefits at work, I lost my job and all of my benefits, which include my medical insurance. I’m still not sure what is going to happen with the short term disability claim I opened since all of this just happened. I worked at a hospital, which I loved and will miss all of the wonderful people I have gotten to know. 

If you can please help me, it would mean everything to me. If you can’t, I understand. And if you can’t, and could even educate yourself on RSD/CRPS that would mean a lot. Because we are a small community trying raise awareness, understanding and one day, hopefully a cure. It is honestly the most painful condition a person can have and has been nicknamed the suicide disease because of the unbearable, unrelenting pain, lack of understanding and financial ruin it causes individuals and families, but especially single individuals. 




Thank you for taking the time to read and share this. And thank you for your donation.