Dear Melanie -

Sorry to hear what you have been going through.

I do have a very strong recommendation for a treating physician, Steven H. Richeimer, M.D., Chief of Pain Medicine at the Keck School of Medicine and Director of the U.S.C. Pain Management Center. I have been his patient since 2003 and can truthfully declare that I have never seen such a combination of technical brilliance, deep compassion, humor and utter humility in any physician. That and he is triple boarded in pain medicine, anesthesiology and psychiatry, having completed full residencies in both psychiatry and anesthesiology.

I have also been authoritatively advised that he is considered the top expert witness on CRPS in California; in a recent Ninth Circuit published opinion they overturned the district court and granted a woman - convicted of murdering her husband by an intentional overdose of medication - a new trial, based solely on Dr. Richeimer's declaration as to the extreme improbability of the prosecution's theory as to the manner of death.* The opinion must refer to the "Richeimer Declaration" close to a dozen times, something I don't recall seeing in the almost 30 years since I graduated from law school: in other words, Dr. Richeimer can also write very well.

And such is his reputation that the credentials of some of his clinical fellows (post-residency) are staggering in their own right. Calls are always returned the same day, if by one of the fellows.

Over the last few of years, the practice of the former U.S.C. Pain Clinic has expanded and Dr. Richeimer has taken on a couple of more recently minted (post-fellowship) pain doctors, who hold the title of Assistant Professor of Medicine at U.S.C. I heard from one person on the forum that she was not able to get into see Dr. Richeimer and was offered one of his associates instead, which I urged her to take, and the feedback that I've gotten sounds as though she is in good hands. That said, in light of the severity of your condition it may be possible for you to be worked into Dr. Richeimer's schedule as a new patient.

Here's the contact information:

Steven H. Richeimer, M.D.
Director, U.S.C. Pain Management Center
1520 San Pablo Street, Suite 3450
Los Angeles CA 90033
323-442-6202
323-442-6255 (fax)

Please note that the U.S.C. Medical Campus is just East of Downtown LA, so that should be convenient coming in from Riverside. I suggest you call and ask to speak to Monique, who may well answer the phone, and briefly explain to her the gravity and complexity of your situation.

Good luck!

Mike


* A sensational case in San Diego, the wife worked in the Medical Examiner's office, where she was having an affair with her boss, but Dr. Richeimer's declaration made clear that the level of the medication found in the husband's tissue samples - left unlocked for 36 hours in the ME's lab before the ME recused his office from the case - were so high (and inconsistent) that it could have only been added to the samples post mortem: someone in office had framed her!