Since my teen years, I had several sprains, and breaks in my feet and ankles, which I later learned, never healed properly. I was actually born with some foot problems, and even though I was in braces for a while when I was a baby, and a toddler, my feet still turned in quite a bit and I was diagnosed with "weak ankles".
When I was a teenager, I started waitressing at local pizza shops, and then a sports bar, which later led to my bartending career. (20+ years of being on my feet and usually always on cold concrete floors)
Anybody who has ever bartended, know that this can be a very brutal job, long hours, no breaks, and very rarely sitting down!
I found a surgeon after a few years off searching, to help me with a reconstructive foot and ankle surgery. She finished the left foot and ankle first and scheduled me for the right foot and ankle to be done 6 months later. Well, after a year, I was still stuck in a wheelchair, and in much worse pain then I ever was in my life.
I ended up leaving several messages, asking what I am supposed to do, no answers, I went back to my family doctor and he sent me to physical therapy, and more orthopedic surgeons, and they just continued to refer me elsewhere and send me away after apologizing and admitting there was nothing they could do.
I have been to several different doctors, surgeons, neurologists, pain management, and nobody can do much of anything for me, except "treat" my RSD.
So, after all of my injuries, torn tendons, failed surgery, heel spurs, drop foot on both feet, and many fractures that made my feet and ankles even more weak, I ended up with RSD, a neurological chronic pain disorder.
I have also been diagnosed with all kinds of arthritis, and most recently, MS. On top of this, the tendons that my original surgeon "repaired" have since re torn, and my heel spurs are back, and the hardware that was put inside my heel, foot and ankle, are supposed to be removed, except, I can't find a doctor brave enough to attempt this crazy mess I'm in!
This has affected my life immensely! My family has suffered a great deal because of this and I'm not always able to help or do as I used too. I still bartend pt on the weekends, even though it is getting much harder and it takes the whole week just to get back to "normal". There are days I can barely move, and there are days I just get terribly sick from medications, and from being in constant pain. I get very little sleep, and it takes an average of about 4 hours to just get into an ok enough state just so I can go about my day here with my little ones.
I keep a diary of my pain for my pain management doctors and especially since RSD is such a weird disorder, something new seems to happen each day, as well as spread like wildfire throughout your body.
Pain management is something I can not always even get much relief from, if at all. On top of it being expensive, and after so many treatments, certain things just don't work anymore. I have had so many nerve blocks, and injections, and different prescriptions. If insurance would cover some better treatments for RSD, I could possibly take advantage of Calmare Therapy, Hyperbarrick Oxygen Chambers, and my newest referral is for nerve cutting surgery, which I really don't want. However I don't think this is getting any better, it continues to go downhill.
I have been going back and forth with different pain relief treatments, creams, vitamins, capsules, and I have tried so many different products over the years and have had some of the worst experiences and some that were not as bad but didn't help much of anything.
I recently had the opportunity to try, Ateevia Botanica PRIME Daily Pain Defense Cream, and I can really attest to the fact that this has provided me with a great deal of pain relief! (and it came at just the right time of year!!)
Ateevia Botanica, is formulated to alleviate inflammatory pain, such as: Arthritic Joints Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Tennis Elbow Tendonitis Lower back pain Heel pain and Sports bruises.
Another reason I was interested in this product is because it is made in the USA!!
Some of the other reasons: because Ateevia is an all natural formula that is one of the most therapeutic topical analgesics that are out there today. PRIME stands for, Phytonutrient Rich Inflammation Minimizing Extract.
We've been trying to convert to all natural and organic in our home, and this is something I would love to focus on this year and hope to replace even medications that I am prescribed. Ateevia, is a good start!
While my chronic pain disorder may be a little different then others, I do also suffer from a few other chronic pain disorders as I mentioned above. The arthritis, and constant, achy, soreness around my ankles and heels is what bothers me most mornings. It seems my doctors steer clear of treating this, even though I think and wish it could be treated separately because whenever I do have a little relief, I can get around a little better. It all kind of depends on the day and what hurts and bothers me most when I wake up.
So, anyway, I started using Ateevia on my ankles and heels, in the morning. I didn't notice a difference right away, (Ateevia doesn't claim that results will be instant, it of course will depend on amount of pain, type of pain, etc. You can refer to their website to read more testimonials about their product and more about how you may need to apply more then once a day, or even several times a day) I did notice my skin around my ankles was quite a bit softer, and that was instant! That was enough to keep me content! I have such bad swelling some days, and super dry skin. I try so many kinds of lotions, body butters and creams and they seem to soak right in and disappear. Ateevia, is much different and I am more then pleased with this. It's rare I can not be so embarrassed with my giant ankles, legs and feet;)
The scent is also pleasant and I even received compliments on this. Oh, and it makes my hands very soft. Most creams and topical ointments I tried in the past have a very mediciny type smell to them, and they are pretty greasy. It seems to be, "just right" with Ateevia Botanica, because it does soak in and I firmly believe has actually started to heal my extremely dry skin from the inside out. (at least the dryness, but this is the worst of all of it with me.)
After a few more applications on the first day, I could actually notice a difference in the layers of pain that this cream helped! (The achy, bone, sore, beaten up kind of pain.) It has also helped with some newer pain I acquired since my accident a few months ago.
Nothing ever will take chronic pain away 100%, but when you find another piece to the puzzle and you can get just one step closer to having lower levels of pain each day with a specific product combination, or even just by itself, your life becomes just a bit more bearable.
I do recommend this for people who are struggling with various types of pain and inflammation. I will be adding this in the mix on a regular basis for my pain days!
You can also find Ateevia on Facebook!
I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.
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