I am the partner of a sufferer of CRPS, who was unfortunate to develop this condition following a crush injury to his foot at work, It's quite a long story, and it’s been a long journey for both of us, personally, financially, relationships with friends and family. Everything has changed due to this much misunderstood illness, and that's where much of the problem lies. Even advice from doctors, physios, consultants and pain specialists, most of whom have different opinions and advice.

David my partner was in a really bad place when I decided to scour the Internet for advice, support groups, anything that maybe would give me a greater insight into CRPS and who better to ask advice from, than fellow sufferers. It was on one of these forums that I was told about a book that a lady called Sunny Boshoff had written about her own personal experience with CRPS following an accident at home. Having nothing to lose I ordered this book, just for me to read I may add, although I had told David about looking at forums etc, he didn't show any interest, and I certainly didn't expect him to read a book about it. I can only describe David as a typical working man, who worked hard, liked to come home to his tea, read the football pages of the daily paper with a couple of cans of beer, spend his spare time with me and the family, all our holidays were spent with our daughters and grandchildren ,we all did everything together. he was very contented with his lot in life.

Following his accident and developing CRPS, he felt he had lost his identity, he was no longer the provider, the one the girls came to when they were after something!!! Now he was dependent on me and the girls,  roles had been reversed, he didn't want to go out anymore, he said he felt useless, no good to anyone, he thought everyone was thinking he was shirking, a malingerer, mainly I think because no one that we knew, had ever heard of CRPS, never mind understood it.

Back to the book, which is written in the form of a diary. The day it came through the post, David asked if he could read it first. I was shocked, in fact he didn't come to bed until he had finished it and the next morning he couldn't wait to tell me about it, even though I reminded him that I would like to read it for myself. I don't know how Sunny managed to do it but he really sat up and took notice of every word, the main thing for him was that she had managed to put into words what he had wanted to say, but didn't  quite know how to put it and that was important to him. I had got quite a lot to do that morning, but he really wanted me to read it, in his words "he wanted me to know how he really felt". Well what an amazing lady Sunny is, she certainly is an inspiration to anyone with not only CRPS, any illness in fact. She didn't sit there and think "poor me " , feeling sorry for herself, she was determined to go head to head with this debilitating condition and not let it beat her. As she takes you through her journey, she shares the tears and laughter, the ups and downs, her determination to challenge what doctors, consultants etc. told her, her experiences exploring alternative treatments.

The fact is David somehow felt uplifted and inspired himself, he had found through Sunny a new determination not to just sit there and accept what everyone was telling him, now when we visit the hospital he takes a list of questions and challenges what they tell him, he has even asked for information regarding alternative treatments, I must say I never thought I would hear David saying the words "alternative treatments" never mind consider them!

All our family have now read the book, and all have enjoyed the wit, the humour, the illustrations, the practical information, but most of all t hey would all like to thank Sunny for allowing us to share her journey, giving David hope and giving us all a better understanding of CRPS.

Thank you Sunny!

Sue Stark and family
Sheffield

I received details of Sunny Boshoff’s book from the Pain Relief Foundation three years after my accident.

I would say it is a pity I hadn’t had this book much earlier on, so that I could have felt and understood that I wasn’t on my own with this condition, which was bizarre, truly unexpected and painful beyond belief, following what appeared to be a simple wrist fracture.

Sunny’s feelings, frustrations and symptoms were almost identical to mine, so all this related well for me.

Unfortunately three years after the event I still have the symptoms of CRPS – burning sensation in both wrists, hands, fingers and one foot – though I am fortunate in that I have good movement (thank you to my wonderful physiotherapists who worked with me for over two and a half years).

The addresses, details, resume, procedures and treatments in Sunny’s book are a reminder for me and will be helpful as I continue to try to get my ‘left over’ symptoms settled.

Sunny and her book have given me a bit of hope that the outcome might improve and confirmed that I must persevere with any advice and treatments available to me.

Thank you Sunny Boshoff.

Reading CRPS Awareness by Sunny Boshoff has been an eye and heart opener.

I strongly recommend this book.  You really don’t need to have CRPS to read it. I found this book which is written like a diary with beautiful personal illustrations, captivating and touching the intimate cord which is in all of us. Pain, humour, courage and love all play together here. I would recommend this book as a present to friends or family who are suffering from difficult health issues, just to introduce to them the strength and creativity in which Sunny faced her condition after her accident. There is a lot of spirit and inspiration to be drawn from this book. As clients of any health system in the west, most times we don’t question medical procedures.

Here is a case of a person who took responsibility for her health and came through. By reading how Sunny collected her medical records is enough to make you want to be more in charge of your own journey. It encourages people to question what is being put towards them and listen to their body and intuition. Acting on that is vital.
The knowledge of the therapies which are offered here are also enlightening.
As a therapist (Chinese Medicine, Graduated from ICOM , East Grinstead in 1986 ) I recommend this book to anyone who works with people just to be reminded that no matter what field you are in, it is important to meet the heart of the person who comes through the door.  It is part of the healing process.

The vast amount of information about different therapies, anatomy, physiology and pathology which appears in this book in a beautifully aesthetic manner is also very important. No one should feel intimidated by medical terms.
Learn to just look things up.
Sunny does that in a brilliant way.  

Ilana Agmon
 

When Sunny Boshoff, a healthy and active 58 year old, suffered a crush injury to her right hand she was assured she would make a full recovery in a matter of months, it didn’t happen. Instead she found herself assailed by a constant and excruciating pain that would eventually be diagnosed as CRPS, Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, an increasingly common but little understood condition.
CRPS Awareness Moving against Pain is based on the diary she kept during the following two years as she sought desperately to find a means of eradicating the pain and regaining the use of her hand. Told with refreshing candour and wit this book fully details all the treatments she received during this time, both conventional and alternative, and the part they played in her recovery. Plus it offers really practical advice to anyone trying to get through the day to day with a debilitating injury. It’s full of fascinating diagrams and photographs and her own rather wonderful illustrations achieved with her left hand.
Not only will this book be a godsend to anyone who has suffered an injury to their upper extremities it should also be required reading for any healthcare practitioners working in this field.