Hi Jak:

Let me see if I have this straight. Your doctor won't refer you to a pain clinic, even though you are in pain.

And this is because your stat has some kind of "zero tolerance" for pain meds if the patient needs it. Because they are afraid you'll become addicted?? Is this correct?

If this is the case, I'd get on the phone to my representatives and tell them what's going on. Maybe, politically, someone Higher Up on the totem pole, well, maybe they can get you into some research program, or some protocol where you will be given something to manage your pain.

I got into a diabetes protocol at Cornell Medical Center because they were doing a 9 year study on the affect of Cardio vascular disease in diabetic women. I get all my meds and testing stuff at no cost and I get complete physicals, (head to toe), all eye testing (done by a top guy at Cornell). All of this for no cost because I am in the ACCORD PROGRAM.

You should have seen the face on the guy in the Opthamologist's office in the Cornell Building, when I was sent for my first complete eye examination. There was this case with $500 eye glasses. There were people who had some kind of implants in their eyes and they were showing me their implant cards. I never saw such hi-tech stuff in my life. When they asked me what I was there for and I said "I'm in the ACCORD program and I'm in a study protocol and I don't pay, well the look on their face was priceless.

As was the look on the face of the guy at the front desk when I gave him my appointment letter and he goes "what kind of insurance do you have?" and I said "I don't need insurance, I don't pay anything". and he goes "what kind of nonsense is that, what do you mean YOU DON'T PAY??" and I simply said one word ACCORD. Shut him right up.

The point I am making is this. If I had never looked into study protocols and various programs, I would have never found the ACCORD program and I wouldn't be where I am today.

Maybe, in your state, there might be SOMETHING to look into where you can get pain management. I think it's terribly unfair for your doctor to expect you to be in pain and not give you what you need simply because he thinks you might become addicted.

Like I said in a previous post. "Let the doctors spend one day with neuropathy" You'll see how fast they pass a pain management bill or something to that effect!!!

sending you cyber hugs.
Mlody