Holidays with CRPS

   I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday! I truly had a great past couple of days- not because I was feeling great, but rather because I had amazing company. I enjoyed quite the feast with my family on Thursday and with the in-laws on Friday. It's actually fortunate with my current circumstances that my dad and my husband's mom insist on always cooking for the holidays. Lord knows it would be too stressful for my husband to try to put together a family gathering by himself as I wouldn't be much help. (I don't cook, but I used to be able to clean!) It's hard enough on him worrying about transporting me in the car to our family's houses as that never fares well with my pain.
   So aside from the meals, I LOVE the holidays and everything that goes with it. I enjoy the decorating, the shopping, the festive parties. The worst part over the past 2 years is that I cannot enjoy those things like I once did. I have a large (fake) tree that I can barely wait till Thanksgiving to trim, along with all of my other Christmas decorations and lights to put up. What used to take me a day to do everything, this year has taken me almost 2 weeks to get things out little by little. I even started earlier than normal anticipating I would need to take my time. It's officially almost the Sunday after Turkey Day & I'm finally done. With my CRPS in both legs, I cannot even begin to count the times I had to sit & rest or take pain killers just to try to get through one more box. What has always been such a joyful activity for me has now become a tedious chore basically. It's another sad reminder of how having this disease limits everything we can do. I almost considered throwing in the towel this year knowing decorations do not define the holiday, but I was determined no matter how long it took me, I would not let this defeat me. With a debilitating illness, it is really important to not let it take everything from you that brings you joy.
   As far as shopping for gifts goes, I think I will be doing most of that online this year. I currently cannot drive due to pain, and riding passenger is just as bad for me actually. I can't stand the bumps and sudden stops or jolts. Unless I am going to a doctor's appointment, I really don't get out much these days. I have to use a wheelchair when I do go anywhere, which makes being out and about not very appealing anyways. That brings me to holiday parties. I think I'm passing on any of those this year. I love being around friends & it definitely brightens my spirits, but for me, it's just not worth the repercussions. I am still young & this won't be my last opportunity to celebrate the festivities. Besides, parties, decorations and gifts do not make a holiday. They are all things we have integrated into the holiday season simply to help bring smiles and merriment. What we need to remember is the true meaning behind Christmas & why we rejoice in that day. It's the people we spend it with, the birth of Jesus & the gift of forgiveness. As long as we keep that in mind, it makes our illness a bit more easy to bear. After all, someone else once decided to bear the weight of the world for us! ;o)