Help Lauren get back on her foot
Donation protected
Almost 13 years ago, in October 2004, Lauren suffered an injury while playing college soccer. She played 2 days later and finished the season. After a spring season and part of a summer soccer league, Lauren found out she needed surgery. Since August 2005, Lauren has had more than 20 surgeries to her right lower leg, foot and ankle. The surgeries caused a lot of damage to the nerves and Lauren developed Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, CRPS, in 2008. (More information below.) There is NO CURE for this horrible condition.
Lauren couldn’t do simple things like shower/shave, sleep under the sheets or get dressed without severe pain. The slightest touch would cause tears. Before getting dressed, Lauren had to apply Lidocaine patches to the areas with CRPS. The most comfortable shoes have been wedges because they keep pressure off the area on the bottom of her foot where they have drilled. At times, the CRPS has prevented Lauren from being a wife and mother. Lauren couldn’t even calm her children when they were hurt because the screaming/high-pitched cry would trigger the CRPS. The CRPS has also prevented Lauren from being at the ball field, attending her husband’s games and coaching her children’s teams.
In 2015, Lauren went through 3 surgeries, in 4 months, to have a permanent spinal cord stimulator implanted in her back. The stimulator helped control the constant burning pain throughout the day and allowed Lauren to continue working, but by evening, the pain was uncontrollable. The stimulator also did nothing to help the contact pain. She has tried every treatment, medication, trial offered, but has not been able to put the CRPS into remission or mask the pain. This was not the life Lauren wanted to live.
After meeting with the orthopedic and prosthetic doctors last month, Lauren decided to go forward with a below knee amputation. The surgery was done on Wednesday, July 5 in Winston Salem, NC. Lauren has had ZERO CRPS pain since the surgery and is so excited to have her life back. However, all the appointments, surgeries and treatments have put a financial strain on Lauren and Jason through the years. Lauren has also been traveling the 4-hours (round-trip) to and from the doctors in Winston Salem, and will continue making this trip as she recovers and goes through the prosthetic process. Lauren has a long road ahead of her as she works towards getting her life back.
Many people have expressed an interest in helping Lauren and Jason. This is one way we felt people could help ease the financial burden on Jason and Lauren as she recovers from surgery.
See below for more information on CRPS.
The following comes from www.rsdhope.org.
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. The pain is typically accompanied by swelling, skin changes, extreme sensitivity, and can often be debilitating. 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 is ranked as the most painful form of chronic pain that exists today by the McGill Pain Index.
Lauren couldn’t do simple things like shower/shave, sleep under the sheets or get dressed without severe pain. The slightest touch would cause tears. Before getting dressed, Lauren had to apply Lidocaine patches to the areas with CRPS. The most comfortable shoes have been wedges because they keep pressure off the area on the bottom of her foot where they have drilled. At times, the CRPS has prevented Lauren from being a wife and mother. Lauren couldn’t even calm her children when they were hurt because the screaming/high-pitched cry would trigger the CRPS. The CRPS has also prevented Lauren from being at the ball field, attending her husband’s games and coaching her children’s teams.
In 2015, Lauren went through 3 surgeries, in 4 months, to have a permanent spinal cord stimulator implanted in her back. The stimulator helped control the constant burning pain throughout the day and allowed Lauren to continue working, but by evening, the pain was uncontrollable. The stimulator also did nothing to help the contact pain. She has tried every treatment, medication, trial offered, but has not been able to put the CRPS into remission or mask the pain. This was not the life Lauren wanted to live.
After meeting with the orthopedic and prosthetic doctors last month, Lauren decided to go forward with a below knee amputation. The surgery was done on Wednesday, July 5 in Winston Salem, NC. Lauren has had ZERO CRPS pain since the surgery and is so excited to have her life back. However, all the appointments, surgeries and treatments have put a financial strain on Lauren and Jason through the years. Lauren has also been traveling the 4-hours (round-trip) to and from the doctors in Winston Salem, and will continue making this trip as she recovers and goes through the prosthetic process. Lauren has a long road ahead of her as she works towards getting her life back.
Many people have expressed an interest in helping Lauren and Jason. This is one way we felt people could help ease the financial burden on Jason and Lauren as she recovers from surgery.
See below for more information on CRPS.
The following comes from www.rsdhope.org.
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. The pain is typically accompanied by swelling, skin changes, extreme sensitivity, and can often be debilitating. 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 is ranked as the most painful form of chronic pain that exists today by the McGill Pain Index.
Organizer and beneficiary
Matt Sochacki
Organizer
Kings Mountain, NC
Lauren Bridges
Beneficiary
