What a doctor did to me.

Back in 1996 I was seeing a doctor for my chronic pain , back then it was hard to get pain medication for mild to moderate pain .Even with my disability letter from social security saying my pain was severe and intractable still doctors refused to help me with my pain .I must have gone to 10 different doctors before I ended up with this doctor named, well lets just call him Dr.Doctor. He was my pain doctor for 3 years and did several epidural injections to my neck. These injections where suppose to help the pain ,they just made my pain worse.

One day I asked this doctor if surgery could help my pain and if it was a option for me. He told me well Mark no surgeon will ever touch you in fear of you coming out of surgery saying your still in pain and want more pain medication .I told this doctor if any surgeon could surgically fix my neck then I would no longer need any kind of pain medication.
We talked about having surgery for about 6 months , for some reason this doctor kept cutting back what little pain medication I was getting. I was getting 120 vicoden a month and he cut it back to 90 a month. So I finally asked this doctor if he knew a surgeon that could fix the bulging disc in my neck. He said yes ,he knew of one but like he had said before no surgeon will ever touch me because they are afraid after surgery I will say I'm still in pain because of the vicoden being addicting. He told me if I would go in to detox for 2 weeks ,that when I got out he would have this surgeon do cervical fusion to fix the disc disease in my neck .So I wanted the pain to stop so I checked in to a detox, I figured how hard could it be , two weeks and I'm out. Then I would have this surgery all my problems would be fixed and I could get on with my life.

So for two long weeks I go through detox , it was terrible , the pain I went through and the medication leaving my system at the same time. I did not know that they mixed in people with mental problems with people who where really messed up on drugs. The things I saw the people I dealt with, that had to have been the worse two weeks of my life.
Finally I get out, I felt bad, the full force of the pain was on me and I cant begin to describe how miserable I was .But everything was going to be okay Dr.Doctor had a orthopedic surgeon that was going to fix all of my problems. I made a appointment with the pain specialist to set up my surgery. I go to my appointment feeling really bad and in pain but looking forward to having my problem finally fixed. Dr.Doctor walks in his office sits down and ask what it was like going through detox .I told him how terrible it was and I was hurting really bad and I was ready for the surgery. Then he gets this look in his eyes, he said Mark there is not going to be any surgery, I just put you in to detox to get you off of pain medication. I can remember him saying I have a surgeon that will fix your neck, the two weeks I spent in detox passed through my head, I had suffered for 16 days and now this doctor is telling me there is not going to be any surgery. I think part of me was in shock and the other part wanted me to put my hands around this guys neck and strangle him. I remember jumping out of my chair and saying what, what do you mean there is not going to be any surgery .At this time all I could think of was inflicting pain upon this doctor for lying to me .All that time I spent in detox was for nothing , my hopes where blown to pieces, I was write back to where I started.
How could a doctor a person who calls himself a professional Pain Specialist do this to me or any human being .Yes this happen to me ,one of the worse thing that I could ever think of.
This was one of the cruelest things a doctor ever did to me.

I filled out complaint forms on him and let them know what he had done to me. The whole time I was in chronic pain trying to file charges against this doctor.
I needed pain relief because I could not think .this doctor could no longer prescribe to me because I went in to detox , and after a person goes through detox the doctor does not have to prescribe to the pain patient anymore. So I learned over the years. I found out my surgery was not a option for me and this doctor knew this.

Finally a year later I found this Foundation and Dr.Hochman finally got my pain under control .Its been 11 years now that I have been with this Foundation.
So all of you be aware of how cruel some doctors can be. And know the difference between a caring doctor and a person who does not deserve to be called a doctor.


Mark Barletta

That is the most horrible thing I have ever heard of a doctor doing. I am so sorry you had to go through such toture. I am glad you finally found a good doctor.
Ruby

I'm not surprised by any of the things done to you. Thank God you found the help you desperately needed. Doctors today lie to patients and do all kinds of unethical things. We must stick together and fight this injustice against those of us who truly suffer. The ones who get help must advocate for those of us still searching and NOT beat us over the head for the ways in which we find help.

We must have compassion, patience and understanding. Condemnation never solves anything or helps anyone. After the last Pain Management doctor shot me in the back of the skull twice....the main reason I allowed him to do this was because he insisted "this was our starting point". After he realized he made things 50 times worse, he wanted nothing else to do with me, he kicked me to the curb. No referrals, no medication-NOTHING, but more suffering. This must stop!!!

Ms. BROOKLYN@Nite

Mark, I'm so sorry you had to go through this. I was sitting here reading it to my husband and watched tears run down his face. He has been disabled since 1994 and You have gave me such good advice before. I spoke with you a while back when my husband checked himself in and was giving up on life because he was told he was at his max with pain medication and he just couldn't bare to live with such pain. As I was reading him this, he thought about how some of the people he meet in there and was treated so bad, kinda the same story. Even though you are dealing with the pain now, you are making it positive and your story is helping others by knowing, "you've been there and done that". My husband has found out that he can help others and make a difference too. We actually brought a man home he meet that was also living with chronic pain, homeless and lost everything. He just need someone to help him get started on his own. This was like the best medication he had ever had and now feels he has a purpose in life besides just laying in bed. He helps out at the shelter some but mostly a listening ear is all he can offer. It's a wonderful thing to be here for each other and know how they feel, without being judged. So, Thank You for your time in this foundation and to everyone else that is a part of it.

Nana,
That's a awesome thing your husband does, helping out at the shelter. I have to say it seems when i first started having pain , I never knew how awful it could get. It seems to consume you, but you and only you can overcome the pain from bringing you down.
I know i have to keep my mind and hands busy or the pain will take over. I'm constantly thinking ahead to the next thing to do so my mind does not get idle.

My Mom just had surgery and its going to take a month for her to heal up. She called me today and asked me how I deal with pain on a daily basis. I told her its just something you get use to and take it one day at a time. Her nurse was telling her not to take her pain medication unless she is hurting. I told my Mom not to listen to that nurse, if you know the pain is going to be there the best thing to do is take the pain medication before you start to hurt ,not when you start to hurt, the pain medication will not work as well if you wait till the pain has overcome you.
She said well that makes since. I also told her to ask questions if your not sure about something.
I hate to see my Mom in pain it tears me up inside, so I go visit as often as I can, I can make her laugh, and that seems to take the pain off of her mind.

You know I do what I can to help these people in chronic pain but it takes all of us to work together for things to work out. If everyone does their share life would be so much easier for those that suffer every day in chronic pain.
I hope your husband and Mom and yourself are doing well.
The summer days are long but the years past fast.
I'm praying all that suffer from chronic pain find the relief they need and deserve.

My experience with chronic pain and life has made me a different person, when I was young I learned about life but it was not till I got older that I
understood what it was i learned. The time I have been in pain and the experience I picked up on over the years has made me a better person.
I sure wish everyone has gotten their pain under control, if not all you have to do is ask and i will try my best to help. i know I cant help every person that comes along, but the people I do help and encourage makes me really feel better.
This is what I have to offer and even better its free. The price of being in chronic pain is the price we pay and thats enough for all of us that suffer in chronic pain.

Mark Barletta