Eyecatcher For adolescents

16-year-old girl

I’m 16 years old and have CRPS in my right hand. Before I went to Datteln, I was in hospital several times, went to physiotherapy and ergotherapy twice a week, had outpatient rehabilitation, went to a psychologist who was actually supposed to help me deal with the illness, then I had an appointment for CRPS/morbus sudeck in Erlangen, and they advised me to make an appointment in Datteln.

From the beginning my family supported me; they all approached my situation with understanding and always tried to help me and to be there for me. At first my friends were shocked when I explained my illness to them. The school and teachers spared me which I now know wasn’t good. I was allowed to go home when I couldn’t stand it any longer, I didn’t have to write tests, but always did them orally, I copied class notes from my friends. No doctor was familiar with my symptoms, each one was more clueless than the next, this uncertainty also carried over to me after a certain time, I felt not understood and left alone. When I then went to Datteln, I got to know pain in another way; there were people who were familiar with my illness and my problems and who wanted to and could help me. It was a strenuous time in which you had to think a lot about yourself and your life and make decisions. I learned a lot that I would never have learned on my own. But there was always fun, whether it was in the rooms, in sports or afternoons together, we were simply always laughing.

All in all I learned a lot about pain memory and know when pain increases and when it decreases. I know many distraction techniques. At the present time I can’t say that I have my pain under control. But the pain in no way has me under its control. What helps me the most right now is simply to live my life; for that I take even bad pain upon myself. I go to parties, pursue my hobbies and simply have fun, even when it sometimes takes a lot of will power.

I can advise everyone who is plagued by pain in daily life to go to Datteln; the team there is really smart and can really help you, and when you achieve something, you are all the more strengthened to go on.

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