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Monday, June 6, 2011

Pain Management

It appears, that in the world of Pain Management, you are either “spot on” and get a facility and doctors who understand and help or you  get a facility that treats you like “you’ve been pissed on”, and are a doper and are treated like crack house scum.  Please pardon my language, but those of you with chronic pain issues know what I am talking about.  Right now, while I am in extreme pain, is probably not a good time to be writing this note.

My Dr., here in Cleveland TN, is one in a million that knows about MCS.  Unfortunately, his main office is 45 miles east of Cleveland and he is only in town once or twice a month.   His office personnel, for the most part, are nice.  I have been seeing Dr. Siddique for approximately 5 years so everyone knows me; but the Practitioner will not write any of my meds because in her eyes apparently I am just another “doper”.  She actually told me to go to the mental health clinic to get a refill on my Xanax which I take because the pain causes quite a bit of anxiety.  Last I heard, Fibromyalgia was not considered mental illness.

You might think that one could go to another facility, what’s that you say,  about a patient’s Bill of Rights?  Surely you jest!  I am not jesting and please don’t call me shirley.  You have no right.  If you use the reason that you don’t feel comfortable with your doctor or staff, they can write on your chart that you were uncooperative then no-one has to treat you.

Once you go to one of these guys, and don’t follow their rules, or if you take a med from another doctor and forget to tell them,  you can and   likely will   be  “blackballed”    everywhere.  I understand the need for security, but I have short term memory loss, and have had surgery and will be having more surgery which means I will not be able to drive in for a blood test and consultations at the drop of a hat. But since I have no choice I will do so on crutches or in a back brace and wheel chair on the city bus.

I am afraid I forgot to mention that even though is is June 6, 2011, I will not get an appt. until August this year.  That is a lot of pain and anxiety to go through before someone can see me.  I pray for my sanity and that of my family.

Now I know they are not all bad.  I had great Pain Management in Memphis TN.   They did me a world of good.  They were not dark and dingy dungeons.  They performed the epidurals and nerve blocks in their facility.  it was the top floor of a medical building at Baptist East Hospital.  Large windows, lots of sunshine, smiling faces and genuine concern  It was a 180 degree turn around from this area I live in now.  

Welcome to small town America in the middle of the “Meth Belt” as well as the “Bible Belt”.  We are all addicts until our brain scans show our pain.

Please feel free share your experiences with Pain Management.