Originally Posted by Lynns409

Hi there... Havent been around here in a while, but perhaps it is providence that I saw your message. I was a patient at UCSD for 8 years- I went to school there. Dr. Ahadian was my doctor and he was/is absolutely wonderful. (I'm having surgery there to revise my SCS in January, even though I now live in the Santa Barbara area.) Dr. Wallace is absolutely terrible. He almost killed me.

While I was a patient of Dr. Ahadian's, Wallace was running a medication trial for RSD. I was desperate so I signed up. The medication is called lenalenomide, and it is a cousin of thalidomide. Both of these are known thrombolytic agents. I had been on the medication for 6 months when I had 6 massive pulmonary emboli and nearly died. I was in the hospital for a week. Dr. Wallace actually told me that he was surprised that I lived.

They knew that this medication could cause, and often causes, blood clots. Yet they did not put me on any sort of preventative treatment. Later on, when they continued the study, they told other patients that the only problems that had been caused by this drug had been "brought on by the patient." How on earth could I have caused major blood clots? I have never smoked, and I was not on birth control.

I now have a permanent blood clotting disorder and will be on coumadin, which is essentially rat poison, for the rest of my life. I cannot have children. He never even apologized to me.

The esteemed Dr. Wallace also told me that my only problem was that I didn't exercise enough. (I was 20, 5'6'' and weighed only 110 lbs.) When I told him that it hurt to even walk, let alone exercise, he informed me that I "needed to push pass the pain and get over it." This is a supposed pain doctor.

See Dr. Ahadian or even Dr. Leung. Ahadian is sympathetic, has a great bedside manner, and is incredibly smart. He put in my SCS and is willing to take leaps to help his patients. And he always remembers who you are and what you do.

I hope that this helps you, and if you have any questions, feel free to ask or email me.

Lynn