[Maria]

I remember going to the PM office here in LB. Met a few people I still know who were/are spineys ~ met some people who had quite a few surgeries looking for relief and not finding it. Met some pretty drugged out people as well~

In Tampa there were 2 waiting rooms full of patients waiting patiently for their scripts or orders for injections of various types..

There was a sign posted not to share medical information but we did, gladly and sadly. People came from all around the state of Fla. as I was told it was very difficult to find a PM that would give pain med scripts. My husband was so patient to have hauled me there one hour back and forth and wait 2 hours for me to be seen each month and in the summer it was so unbearably hot there/sticky/humid he would have to sit in the waiting office as well hearing those mournful stories re pain!

My PM office in San Diego is the best. I'm not in the degree of pain I used to be usually when going there as I only have to go once every 3 months and this doc is worth going down to San Diego for. Something about him even tho he's super busy and treats me like I'm a well person vs. someone with a serious pain prob just really works for me. I like this guy. I like the office (Greg you know the one as it's across from the OSS's office we've been to).

Anyway, there they take me in so quickly I rarely have time to even utter hello to other people. He must know I would blab about my back if given the opportunity.

I remember going to Dr.Regan's office on a squeezed visit Mark got me into and the wait was quite some time. I was lying on the floor with my legs up on a chair and crying right before I was taken in so sitting will really bring out the worst in me with pain! This wasn't a PM visit but that Dr.Apostle was there (the combo PM/shrink) and we won't go into that again but he calmed me down right away as did getting into a room and lying down. Before that I spoke with a number of persons in pain who had been or were being treated by Dr.Regan and another specialty doctor in same office. We commiserated quite a bit. I met Blair and her mother in this office so that was really nice.

Recently when I went for my root canal I met a young man who had numerous spine surgeries with good results actually but he was in pain sitting and it showed on his face. He said I looked really good for chronic pain patient. I didn't feel like a spine patient that day since I was there for a root canal vs. my back and was I ever chicken! Had epinephrine flowing and fight or flight so was feeilng no pain! Ok, that's my PM office experience over the last 7 years or so~

Mark, hope Diane does well and is feeling much better with the ESI! I could imagine someone as tall as yourself being really difficult to physically deal with if you were in so much pain to have mobility difficulties! Whew!!!

At least now when in a medical setting and meeting chronic back or neck pain patients I have something positive to talk about and that's Mark's journey to wellness as well as so many others I've met or read about. Seems to change the flow of conversations in more positive and hopeful way. People actually smile thinking there might be a way....