Called into the VA today to find out what was going on with my new doctor. The nurse starts reading me the notes, and there are quite a few mistakes, mistakes would impact my care. One said I already had an appointment at the pain clinic which I don't and the second said that I refuse to get lower back shots. It's not that I refuse it's just the idiot the VAMC has hired I wouldn't let work on Rumsfeld (a person I dislike intensely). Now I am wondering what kind of other mistakes are in my medical records.

The thing is, my new doctor seems to think that when I'm weaned off the pain medication my pain will magically disappear! Wouldn't that be a miracle? The problem is that each time I step down on the Fentanyl Patch my pain gets worse. My back is now spasming, something that hasn't happened in more than five years. I hurt in places that I don't remember hurting in before. I'm terrified that when they get me weaned off the pain is going to be more horrible than it was when I started on the meds.

It's not like I don't have a lot of horrible painful conditions. Short list: TOS, RSD, complex pain syndrome, arthritis, DDD, stenosis and the list goes on. Any suggestions?

The VAMC is determined to implement this policy of weaning all veterans with chronic pain but no cancer OFF THEIR MEDS. No case by case basis, let's institute this policy and consequences be damned!

I hope when I get to Denver and the VA medical Center pain clinic up there I will find some sanity. But there is at least a four month waiting list and we can go until the spring anyway. Just had to vent a bit.

There should be a law that every VAMC has a pain clinic. What about all the chronic pain patients that are being created in our war on terror.

When they instituted this policy they didn't even have other modes of treatment in place. What kind of sense does that make?

Anyone with any suggestions or someone I can contact about this please feel free.

Thanks for listening.

Charli