[Maria]

AJ,
I remember when I worked for the VA in San Francisco in the Neurosurgical unit and the attitude of the fellows and residents on rounds towards patients they thought were "users" or "slackers." I was 27 at the time and knew nothing of chronic pain or even acute pain. I injured my spine the following year but I had left the VA system for the University system. What a rude awakening into the treatment of back pain and patients with back pain let alone a nurse with back problems.

I was never even offered pain meds until 2001. First spine surgery was '89 and second was in '92 and failed terribly. While I have too have gone thru some "attitude" not quite what many have experienced though enough.

My own attitude towards pain meds was shaped and formed by the career I was in and the attitude of the healthcare practitioners I worked with for many years (and that was that people that used pain meds on a regular basis were drug seeking most likely or poor lost f'd up losers.) I can remember clearly when I had joined another spine forum where the majority of people had multiple spine surgeries under their belts and were on pain meds. I thought I was doing so much better than them because I didn't take anything however I was off my feet all the time crying all day long and thinking some very unpleasant thoughts about being alive in that much chronic pain.

I don't know what kind of coursework most physicians have in medical school with regard to working with patients in chronic pain if any. Episodic pain is one thing but chronic/ intractable pain is quite another. Even some of the PMs I've seen may well understand the physician's side of it but the patient side of it is more of about $$$ that can be made by various treatments.

You may not want to post too much detail about yourself with regard to your situation since your case is still open right now.

I wish you the best and hope that you don't have to suffer thru anymore than you already have. I don't get where people in healthcare don't understand that labeling a patient in pain with other labels doesn't "help" patients heal or get better but then again I do understand some of the fear and attitudes in medicine though that doesn't justify what people who are legit with problems are made to suffer and go through. IMHO.