By Felicitas Tschurtschenthaler

My whole world shattered into thousand little pieces when I became sick on October­ 3, ­ 2010.

Little did I know at that time that a sprained ankle would take over my whole life within a matter of days when I developed Complex Regional Pain Syndrome. Soon after that, I entered a vague state of existing rather than living, seeing doctor after doctor, not being able to think clear because of the medications and excruciating pain, and eventually having my high hopes for treatment and a cure crushed over and over again.

Life kept going on, but I just wasn’t a part of it anymore. Instead, my life now consisted of social isolation, trying to find the missing pieces of this never ending puzzle, desperately trying to convince my doctors to do something, researching and becoming my own advocate at age 11, and dealing with the emptiness that held the girl I used to be in hostage. I just wanted to find a way out of this dark and painful world. I wasn’t done living yet. But the pain didn’t care. It felt like I was drowning, unable to move, burning from the inside out. I lost not only my leg to this disease, but also my friends, education, hopes and dreams.

But I did not lose my smile, and CRPS will never ever take that away from me.

And one thing is sure; I will never stop fighting and I will throw the very last punch.

I will survive.