Lora Rossi once had a vibrant, active life. She spent her summer days at the beach with friends, she had a job she really enjoyed, and her future looked bright.
And so it was, until she developed Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS), after having surgery on her ankle.
Today, her life is managed one day at a time, and she depends upon her parents to help her with the simplest of tasks.
CRPS is rare disorder, and very little is known about it.
For example, why do some people develop CRPS, while others with the exact same injury or trauma simply recover and go on with their lives? CRPS is also notoriously difficult to diagnose, and the pain is difficult to manage.
In search of relief, Lori had a spinal cord stimulator device implanted on her spine to help disrupt nerve impulses, but it was minimally successful, and her pain continued to go from bad to really, really bad. She eventually had to give up her job. Also gone were the days of hanging out on the beach with her friends.
Fortunately, CRPS has the attention of scientists and researchers, and a new treatment is being offered in the form of ketamine infusions.
The procedure, which is not without risk, involves the administration of ketamine over a four hour period for 20 days. Side effects include elevated blood pressure and hallucinations, so patients must be monitored during the infusion process. Because the treatment, which has so far shown great promise, is considered experimental, insurance will not cover the $4,500 initial cost, so Lori has started a gofundme page.
If you would like to help Lori reach her goal by contributing, even a small amount, visit her page by clicking here. As of this writing, she has already raised over $2,800!
