Bob: Yeah, sadly I went to 3 different pain management docs over a period of 15 yrs, and all three were nothing more than “pill mills”. The last one, I saw for 12 yrs, and just stopped going there after October 2013 after he prescribed me eight 10mg Methadone tablets per day. Then, I’d get epidurals (which helped 1000%) every other month, or every third month. But even though I never once took over 4 Methadone tablets a day, I asked if I could just come off the meds, and take the epidurals. He said “No, either you need them both or you don’t need either”. That was code to me as saying “we know it’s the drugs that keep most ppl coming back here”. Well, it made me mad as I wasn’t “most ppl”.
Anyway, it was such a turn around from 12 yrs earlier when he was fresh out of his pain management specialty training and thought of you as a person, and not “$$ signs”. First time I saw the guy, back in 2001, he drew pics for my wife and I after getting my results of an MRI he ordered and explaining EVERYTHING from Here’s how the spinal cord works and looks, or how it’s SUPPOSED to look and work, and here is how yours looks and works, and here’s the “plan of attack” to get you feeling better etc ect. And it worked. After the VA quacks I’d seen he was a God send. But as he got more and more patients, and his love for money grew and grew, it got sadder and sadder. Anyway, I know there are great pain management docs out there and maybe I’ll find another one, but they, like VA docs, have left a bad taste in my mouth for now. And it’s sad, because I think that most ppl really are in pain, but as usually, the drug seekers are the ones that make it to where the few hurt the many, and the ppl who really do need pain relief cannot find it because the docs are afraid of the Govt. Chuck From: Bob Sent: Monday, February 09, 2015 7:56 PM To: VFB Subject: Re: [VFB] Thoughts and prayers needed You have them. Have you looked into pain management? My back problems cannot be repaired surgically. My spinal canal is shrinking due to arthritis. PM has been a godsend. It took awhile but they got the pain under control. I can still work. Fishing has been limited but I am hoping to be able to start again. I can finally sit in a car for more than 20 min! BobH -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Chuck Alexander" <chuckalexan...@centurylink.net> To: "fly fishing for panfish" <flyfishingandflytyingforpanf...@yahoogroups.com>, vfb-mail@googlegroups.com Cc: "Cheaper Living" <cheaperliv...@yahoogroups.com> Sent: Monday, February 9, 2015 8:40:45 PM Subject: [VFB] Thoughts and prayers needed Folks: I had to see my doc today about a back condition (6 bulging discs all total) I have had for yrs. Last Thursday I put a Reese type hitch on my new PT Cruiser that We took off the old Cruiser one it got wrecked. Anyway, crawling around under that car on my back, with the car on ramps and/or jack stands was a no no, as when I woke up Friday morning my right leg, from the knee to my toes, and my right thumb and index finger were both sound asleep. Not pins and nedles, but ASLEEP. But I thought I had just slept wrong, and wiggled my toes and digits all day, but the feeling didn’t come back for 30 hours or so and when it did, it went from numb, to pins and needles, then to pain, and even now, my fingers are all good, but the back of my right calf feels like a mule kicked it. So, I had to see my doc about it today,and he thinks I might need back surgery as he can actually feel a part of my spine that is swollen, and that, combined with X-rays, he is referring me to an Ortho doc. He bypassed a rheumatologist as he can see arthritis on my spine, but says it’s minor enough that he don’t think it’s the problem causing the pain. So, he asked had I ever been told I needed surgery and I told him that although I had seen a lot of docs about it, I always told then that I did NOT want surgery as I knew a lot of ppl who were worse off AFTER back surgery than before, and our pastor;s wife in FL had fusion surgery and was bed ridden for six MONTHS. But, those were the “bad old days”, and there are commercials on TV now that say they can (depending on the problem etc of course) make a 1/2” to 1” incision, and have you up and walking a little the next day, what with micro and/or laser surgery etc. Plus, I’m at the point now with the amt. of pain, that I’ll try anything, or it won’t be long till my fishing days are over, as well as exercising not to mention AND bending, stooping, lifting, twisting etc. It already hurts like crazy to just drive or ride in a car more than about 20 miles. It got so bad recently that the yr we were FINALLY planning to come to Sow Bug, we had to cancel that plan as I knew my back would not allow a 1,000 round trip drive/ride in just a few days. I wouldn’t be able to enjoy it if I did make it. Anyway, please keep me in your thoughts and prayers that whatever it has to be, whether surgery or whatever, that it will help the problem, and I’ll have a speedy recovery as it’s getting old like I said. I just bought both my grand daughters new fishing rods and reels, tackle box filled with tackle, and they want “Paw Paw” to be able to take them fishing soon as the water warms up a little and I surely want to take them too. Because of moving, and my stomach problems last yr, it’s been going on four yrs since I was able to have a full fishing season’s worth of fishing, and I’m having fishing “withdrawal” symptoms here LOL... I can’t even sit in place long enough to tie over about 3 flies at a time without having to get up and walk around a little. Thanks a lot, Chuck -- -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the "VFB Mail" group. 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