I have said it before. My wife Lee is my hero. We have spent the past 31 years together, during which she has been battling CRPS and a host of other conditions for 28 of those years. In that time, I have witnessed her courage and determination in fighting for a better life- better medical solutions to diseases that currently have no cure (CRPS, Dystonia, Dysautonomia, Mast Cell Disease, etc.) Not only has she been dogged in her pursuit of a better life for herself, but she has had the goodness to try to help others who suffer from these conditions. We work with RSDSA, a national organization that focuses on CRPS, providing research, funding and education to patients, their families and caregivers. RSDSA has supported us in the creation of the Seattle CRPS Support Group, which we formed in mid-2019. I have learned so much from Lee, partly through the research we do together to understand her conditions, but mostly from just witnessing her efforts to secure a better life for herself and others. Through pain, sadness, loss, limitations and some small victories, I have seen a life well-lived despite all the challenges she faces each day. Even when she is bed-ridden, which is much of the time, she is constantly online doing medical research, trying to connect dots and find answers. She has down days, some really terrible, but she never gives up. CRPS is nicknamed the Suicide Disease, for good reason. It currently is incurable (although some new research continues to provide hope), and the pain related to this condition is horrible. The medical community deems CRPS pain to be as bad or sores that cancer. No two days are the same for Lee. Some days her pain is better but her Dystonia spasms are worse. Other days, her spasms are quieter, but her pain spikes. Or her nausea and vertigo are the main culprits on still other days. No matter what’s going on, though, Lee fights it and keeps moving forward. Her approach to life in general has been an ongoing set of lessons and inspiration for me. And her life is not just about fighting pain. She still has the mental and physical bandwidth to be a good daughter, sister and friend, and, for me, an amazingly loving and caring wife. She shows me every day that I can do better, for myself, her, and those around us.
On top of everything else, over the past few years, we added the dual angst of COVID-19 and divisive political and social turmoil. No matter who you voted for, what color you are, what religion you believe in (if you believe in any at all), no matter what you do for a living, where you live, or what your gender or sexual preference is, try to set aside your fear and anger and have the courage and the wisdom to find common ground with the people around you. We are all fighting these things together, despite our differences. We all want a better life for ourselves and our families. We all want to feel safe and know that there is hope for the future. We need to see these commonalities and not just our differences. Lee has taught me to live my best life. She and I hope you all will do the same. Take care of yourselves and those around you, whether they are your loved ones, friends, or strangers.