T -

I understand that the ketamine program at USC is just getting off the ground. I have been a patient of Steven Richeimer, MD, the Director of the USC Pain Center and Chief of Pain Medicine at USC, since 2003, in one capacity or another: first as a consultant and w/in the last 3 years as my primary.

When I last saw him in August, he told me that I was not going to be his first patient - he didn't know who was - because with my histrory of glaucoma and the apparent need to have my pressures monitored during the procedure which he is setting up through another department - he didn't want to take the chance that their first case could be scrubbed by Ophthalmology well before the series of infusions had ended.

As it is, my glaucoma specialist has referred me to an ophthalmologist at USC, whom I will see in a week or two, both to to determine if I need additional meds for my glaucoma and whether he will oversee the monitoring of my pressures during the infusions by a resident of clinical fellow. But if he does not believe that I should be receiving ketamine under any circumstances, then it's the same result as I had via email with the doctors in Saarbrücken, Germany on Aug. 13, 2004, when I was told - with tickets for travel in 9 or 10 days already in hand - that even well controlled open angle-glaucoma operated to per se disqualify me from participating in their ketamine coma trials.
Hopefully, that won't happen here. And so far, the early indications are looking good, at least on the issue of per se disqualification.

And while there are other doctors in LA administering ketamine, I would trust Dr. Richeimer with my life. That, and USC takes most insurance, whereas the other guys who are into this are essentially (if not exclusively) on a cash basis.

So I'll see what happens. Thanks for asking.

Mike