An insight in what it is like to live as a young person with a chronic pain condition that has no cure. Follow my journey with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome by reading the posts below.

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I suffer from a debilitating chronic pain condition called Complex Regional Pain Syndrome. Facebook: @LivingWithCRPS

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Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS)  is a chronic pain condition characterised by pain that is greater and lasts a lot longer than would ...

Thursday 15 September 2016

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step" (Lao Tzu)

Earlier in the summer I traveled to Kenya on crutches, to volunteer at a school that serves the local Maasai community.  In a matter of hours I went from not going out the house on my own to on a plane going to Africa on my own.  I was extremely excited at what lay ahead, I had been to Kenya on a family holiday four years previously and this trip had been a long time coming.

In the two weeks that followed I had an amazing time, teaching primary age kids anything from CRE (religious studies), maths, English and all about life in Britain. Seeing how much the kids loved being at school and learning, put a massive smile on my face.  

I spent two weeks singing and playing games with the most amazing group of children and teachers, that I almost forgot what I had been through in the months leading up to it. I was doing what you would expect at my age, rather than being different (not that that is a bad thing). I  proved to myself, my family, friends and medical team what I was capable of even with CRPS.  

Seeing the conditions in which many of these children lived in and how many of the children walked for up to two hours each way to school, put into perspective my situation,  I realised how lucky I was to live where I do and,  to have access to services such as hospitals.

I was also able to meet the two children my family sponsor to go to school along with the rest of the sponsored students. This was the highlight  of the trip. Seeing how much it meant to the children to meet their sponsor and also to go to school, made it all real. It was very emotional and I still cannot put it into words. 


Looking back over those two weeks I made such a positive impact on the children at the school and on the ones that we sponsor, it made the hard work I had to done in order to go to Kenya such as physio, all worth while.  All of a sudden going back to university seemed easier and the future a lot brighter, CRPS was not going to stop me doing what I wanted to do.

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What made the trip  possible?

The key to making the trip possible was the special assistance services provided by the airport and airline. I had notified the airline regarding my needs a few days before the flight. When I arrived at the airport their systems hadn't quite worked as they should, and it appeared quite chaotic. However within an hour they had sorted the issue out and had a wheelchair ready to take me to the plane. I was taken through security and through to a lounge, where I waited to be called to be taken to the plane. I had booked the bulkhead seats which provided plenty of leg room, allowing me to stretch my CRPS leg out during the flight, which really helped.  When I arrived in Kenya I was helped from the plane through passport control all the way to being picked up by family friends, it couldn't have been easier. 

On the way home from Kenya it couldn't have been more straightforward in getting to the plane. My only complaint would be when I landed in Heathrow. My flight was one of the first to land early that morning, I was taken in a relay style system in a wheelchair to just before passport control, where I was told it would be a 45 minute wait if I wanted a wheelchair the rest of the way. Given you have to notify the airline a minimum of 48hours beforehand, I thought they would know how many wheelchairs they needed for each flight and when they were coming in. Luckily I was able to use my crutches and a few of us followed a member of staff through the special assistance queue and to where my parents were picking me up.  

This was the first time I had traveled using special assistance and I learnt that you have to be patient but the service works. All the staff who helped me were friendly and knowledgeable and I would recommend the special assistance service.