Hello and thank you for taking the time to read my story. My name is Christine, and in 1993, at just 22 years old, I was deployed to Mogadishu, Somalia. During my deployment, I worked in and around burn pits—handling everything from chemicals and electrical components to building debris, often without protective gear such as a mask. After my service as a military police officer, I continued to serve my community as a city police officer until I received a 100% VA disability in 2012 for PTSD and head trauma from an IED.
In 2020, I was diagnosed with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS), also known as The Suicide Disease. According to the McGill pain scale, CRPS is considered the most painful condition a person can experience. I was fortunate to be in remission until 2025, when a hip replacement revision triggered a severe CRPS flare. This led to a 63-day hospitalization, followed by another stay at Oregon Health and Sciences University, where a 72-hour ketamine drip allowed me to walk again. Unfortunately, a re-injury in the summer of 2025 put me back into a CRPS flare, and I have now been hospitalized for over six months.
To achieve remission, I need ongoing ketamine treatments, which are extremely expensive and not covered by the VA or Medicare. Your donation will go 100% toward these treatments and, if possible, alternative therapies that have helped others around the world. Some of the best treatment facilities for CRPS are located internationally, and any funds raised will be used solely for medical care and related expenses. If you are able to help in any way, I would be forever grateful. Your support could give me my life back and help me find relief from this debilitating pain.
In 2020, I was diagnosed with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS), also known as The Suicide Disease. According to the McGill pain scale, CRPS is considered the most painful condition a person can experience. I was fortunate to be in remission until 2025, when a hip replacement revision triggered a severe CRPS flare. This led to a 63-day hospitalization, followed by another stay at Oregon Health and Sciences University, where a 72-hour ketamine drip allowed me to walk again. Unfortunately, a re-injury in the summer of 2025 put me back into a CRPS flare, and I have now been hospitalized for over six months.
To achieve remission, I need ongoing ketamine treatments, which are extremely expensive and not covered by the VA or Medicare. Your donation will go 100% toward these treatments and, if possible, alternative therapies that have helped others around the world. Some of the best treatment facilities for CRPS are located internationally, and any funds raised will be used solely for medical care and related expenses. If you are able to help in any way, I would be forever grateful. Your support could give me my life back and help me find relief from this debilitating pain.
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