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A 22-year-old United Kingdom woman whose leg was injured during a kayaking accident recently made the decision to have her limb amputated after suffering from a rare chronic pain condition for years.
Helena Stone, 22, of north London, was involved in a kayaking accident about six years ago. Following the incident, she developed a classic bread syndrome CRPS.
CPRS, according to the Mayo Clinic, is a "form of chronic pain that usually affects the arm or leg." The rare condition typically develops following surgery, stroke, heart attack, or other injuries – but the cause is not yet well understood.
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The condition is dubbed the "suicide disease," as those who are known to have their own life in a desperate attempt to find relief. In fact, more than 70 percent of participants with CRPS were considered to be "high risk" for suicide.
Helena Stone in hospital after amputation.
(SWNS)
"My foot got caught in the water and my leg got pulled," Stone told SWNS of the accident, which occurred when she was 16. She said she was being treated by a doctor, "the bread never went away," she said. She was required to use crutches for a period of time.
Spinal injections, physical therapy, and psychotherapy – but nothing worked.
"It was like having a barbed wire around my leg and pulled it tight. It was so overwhelming, "she said of the bread.
"I would always have a baseline of bread, but it would be unbearable. It was not just a simple knock or bash. Changes in air pressure could be off, "she continued. "People did not want to sit next to me in case they brushed it. I could not have a shower without breaking down. "
In January, a "desperate" Stone said she first began to contemplate having her leg amputated.
"You get to a point where you're so desperate. You just think, how much worse can it get? It was worth taking that risk, "she said of her choice.
Helena Stone's legacy of complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS). (SWNS)
"It was also a mental health decision. I would not say I was suicidal but I had days or weeks where I could not be bothered, "she added.
On Sept. 3, Stone's right was removed at Princess Grace Hospital Marylebone. The surgery was successful and the stone claims it does not have any more bread.
"It [has] been amazing. It's the dream scenario. I was telling the doctors the nerve bread was gone, "she said. "Any question they asked me, I kept saying the CRPS was gone. I was so overwhelmed, I could not say anything else. "
The 22-year-old will soon be fitted for a prosthetic.
"I just can not wait to start running and kayaking again," she said.
"The accident has not changed how I see kayaking. It's a big part of my identity and I still love it, "she added.
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Though Stone feels connected by her choice, she has to be thoughtful before making the choice to amputate.
"If you're considering amputation, that's completely normal, but it's not underestimate the magnitude of the decision." "I would not want anyone to look at me, who's fine now, and make the decision to lose their limb," she said.
Amputation for the condition is controversial and is typically used by the Ochsner Journal. There is no cure, patients with CRPS can sometimes enter remission, for the Mayo Clinic.
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