[Jim M2]

Dr. Andrea Trescot is at the Univ.of Washington Pain Center. She recently arrived from Jacksonville, FL. She impressed me the way Drs.W and Yeung impress me. Extremely knowledgeable and able to explain with excellent perspective and detail. I didn't get the usual canned lines and generalities that specialists throw out. She specifically addressed my situations throughout the examination.

On Tuesday (1/13) she and her resident spent an hour with me. She thoroughly looked at my reports/imaging while talking to me and examining me. She wholistically assessed what was going on and gave excellent rationale for how my situation evolved to where it is today. I've got all of these problems: Loss of curvature of spine, calcified ligments, degenerated facets, functional stenosis, enflamed SI. No one would ever talk about these with me before.

She put me on 100mg/day Ultram ER + up to 3x50mg tramadol if needed. She bumped Gabapentin to 4000mg/day because I told her I used a MEDCO generic that didn't seem nearly as effective as Neurontin. She agreed some generics aren't as effective, otherwise she would not have exceeded 3600mg/day.

To start sorting through the layers of possible pain generators she started with a caudil injection which I had this morning (1/16). Here 9 hours post-injection I notice there's something missing in the normal spectrum of pains and discomforts from the lower back, but it's nothing I can specifically describe. It was fascinating hearing her instruct the resident who actually made the injection.

I'm going back next week for an SI injection.

Too bad I'm moving in 2 weeks, I would like to stay under her care longer.