I called bobber Friday evening after he didn't respond to this thread. Turns out hasn't been able to use a keyboard in 10 days. He asked me to post this (in all it's detail) and to ask that all of us keep him in our prayers, so here goes . . . .

10 days ago, at the suggestion of his orthopedic surgeon he went to a new pain doc in a small town for a block. Only thing was, things went very badly.

First, the “pain specialist” (Call him "Dr. W") didn't use fluoroscopy, as incredible as that sounds. Secondly, without bobbers consent, Dr. W. attempted to implant an 18 gauge catheter along the spinal canal: in some states that alone is a battery. Finally, without consulting with the referring physician, Dr. W first injected a placebo and waited to see if bobber reported any pain relief in the 10 minutes that followed, before giving him the actual block, believing that he was malingering.

But back to the first mistakes, the lack of fluoroscopy. As Dr. W struggled for some time to secretly shove the catheter into bobber, it was taking forever and bobber was in incredible sciatic pain down both legs. Dr. W. apparently kept muttering that he kept “hitting bone” as he was working blind. While bobber knows he’s hitting nerves. This went on for a half an hour and finally, with bobber in the worst pain of his life, Dr. W asks him to describe it in detail. Bobber does and Dr. W replies “I’m on the wrong side of the canal," or words to that effect. (As I can recall, bobber told me that Dr W said that he realized that he was working "on the right side" of the canal.) It was only after he got home did bobber open an anatomy book and see what the doctor had meant: by going down the right side of the canal, he had been threading the catheter through nerve roots.

The word that best describes the whole thing is butchery.

Ultimately, I guess bobber got the block, not that it mattered. He looked up once the procedure was done and saw the ashen faces of the women in the O.R. looking at him in horror. And once Dr. W realized what he had done, it sounded to me at least that he began doing everything he could, including immediately prescribing medications that bobber didn’t feel comfortable getting from the man because Dr. W had lost his trust. Case in point, at one point near the end of the torture, bobber asked how many times he had been poked with the doctor’s “needle” and was told just once, while on getting home his wife and friend counted and photographed eight obvious points of entry.

Dr. W also told bobber to immediately begin keeping a journal of his symptoms, on an hour by hour basis. For the first two days, it didn’t seem important, because he had felt more or less okay once the torture had stopped. Day Three was however another matter. From that point forward, not only has bobber experienced extreme and unremitting sciatic pain in both sets of hips, legs and ankles, but neither leg cannot stop “twitching,” not regular RSD spasms but sudden clench – relax – clench.

Unfortunately, it was not until the day we spoke that the orthopedic surgeon put bobber on oral Prednisone. Meanwhile, an MRI has revealed no obvious stenosis that would otherwise explain the sudden onset of debilitating sciatic pain in both legs. So, finally, on Friday, his orthopedic surgeon told him that he should see a neurologist. (A medevac to the nearest tertiary care facility with a neurosurgical ICU immediately after the procedure would have been more in order.)

Since the procedure, Dr. W called bobber four times, first with what would have sounded like helpful suggestions, except that they were being made with obvious CYA intent. But the calls soon deteriorated, to the point that Dr. W was attempting to explain how it was all the fault of his OR staff for distracting him during the procedure. And on Friday, when bobber saw his orthopedic surgeon for the second time since the procedure – at the first one he read from his new journal and the doctor became almost physically ill – the ortho mentioned that he had been getting his own set of daily calls from Dr. W, it being apparent that Dr. W saw himself as something of a dead man walking. (At least Dr. W can walk, something bobber - with primarily upper body CRPS - is suddenly unable to do: all the while the issue of "spread" hangs low in the air.)

The good news, such as it is, is that bobber has been admitted into a ketamine infusion program at the state university medical center. It cannot be expedited soon enough.

Please keep him in your prayers and hearts.

Mike

Thanks for that update, Mike.

However, the content is so horrific I am still in shock after reading it!

I hope bobber has engaged a good attorney as well!

Take care, bobber. I hope your ketamine treatment works for you.

OMG !

Bobber, you are in my prayers !

I have a few thoughts about what should be done to that butcher too !

Thank you so much for providing us with the update. Reading the details has my head reeling! I can not believe our Bobber has gone thru this! I get tears in my eyes when I try to picture the visual of him going thru that procedure.
You mentioned "CYA intent"....what does that stand for? just curious...
And when you talked about the 'dead man walking' , do you mean that Dr W himself sees himself as this? (Meaning he realizes how badly he's screwed up?)
I'm trying to understand why Dr W kept calling the ortho.....
I apologize for all the Q's, it's just that I care so much for Bobber (as we all do) and I'm trying to really get a grip on what's going on here.....
So, does it appear that Dr W realizes that he's up against a potential lawsuit? Is thay why he keeps calling the ortho?

Poor Bobber...... he's not the type who would aggressively pursue a legal action for the sake of the money, but I sure do hope he gets compensated for this financially, because if memory serves me, I don't think he had very good insurance or any at all.......He deserves the highest quality of medical care there is and hopefully this can end up being the avenue that gets him there.
Please continue updating us, Mike. So appreciated!

Make sure our Bobber knows how concerned we all are.....
.....and the prayers....never let up.....

Rae

Dear Rae -

I will of course pass on everyone's concerns, although I suspect bobber is actually reading the thread: he just can't type.

On you questions, CYA is widely used a acronym, for "cover your [posterior]," and "describes professional and organizational practices that serve to protect oneself from legal and administrative penalties, criticism, or other punitive measures." This is taken from a helpful little Wikipedia article on the topic, but the incredibly sensitive software on NT prevents me from even entering the URL. To see it, go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ and fill in the search box on your left.

And yes, you have the gist of Dead Man Walking. I lifted it from a 1993 book of the same name by Sister Helen Prejean, a leading advocate for the abolition of the death penalty, recounting her struggles on behalf of condemned prisoners. In 1995, a more widely known film based on the book was made, starring Susan Sarandon and Sean Penn. According to the Wilipedia article:

The title comes from a phrase once traditional in American prisons, to designate a man condemned to death. Prior to the 1960s, when wardens would lead a condemned man down the prison hallway, they would call out, "Dead man walking! Dead man walking here!" Why was this said? There are various opinions. It may have been to warn other wardens or prisoners, to let them know they should be on their guard since a death row prisoner has nothing to lose and could be violent. It may also have been a kind of honorific declamation, to let other prisoners know that they should move out of the way - death row prisoners being seen as a kind of elite within the prison system. Alternatively, the call may have been a stigma attached to the condemned man, to remind others within earshot not to touch him in order not to catch his bad luck. In any case, its logic is clear: the condemned prisoner, in the eyes of the law, was dead already. The phrase was regarded as cruel and unusual by civil rights activists, and was subsequently outlawed.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Man_Walking

However, the use of the term is my own. But based on our long conversation last night, that's the essence of the understanding the ortho conveyed to bobber earlier in the day, as to how Dr. W sees his situation right now. While everything about him looks intact, he's seen what awaits, and it isn't pretty.

I suppose he first started calling the ortho to see how bobber was, and may have provided a ton of excuses along the way. But I suspect the real reason is that his anxiety is out of control and it's easier to touch base with the ortho than tell his own wife. Of course, that's just a bold-faced guess. And more importantly, our sympathies lie elsewhere.

Mike

OMG Mike, Please count me in when speaking with bobber... When I started this thread I never would or wanted to think anything was wrong..I was just hoping he was taking some time away..Never ever thought somthing so terrible was happening.Bobber, if you are reading this post..plz my friend..stay with us in heart and in sole..I'd like to drop kick this Dr. but more importantly your health comes first..so please try to stay comfortable..one day at a time and please stay strong... I am so sorry for this and we all miss you and care about you!!

Many hugs and prayers... Kathy

Yeah, I BET Dr W is gonna try the 'CYA' tactics......and that's why I'm wondering about the repeated calls to the colleague (the Ortho) to perhaps try and find suggestions/tools he can use in his favor.....?
But the legalities aren't in our hands.......we're here for Bobber....
I do think the 'journaling' thing is good idea, to be used in B's favor if this turns into a nit-pickin detailed play-by-play........
It's obvious Dr W messed up. One of the first things that peeved me was reading about the 'placebo' trial to see if there is 'malingering' going on! OMG

That right there showed me what this Dr "W" is made of and where his priorities lie...................man, I'm ticked about this!!
...........*deep breath*........

Well, for the sake of 'Keeping the Faith', i'm gonna put on my happy face and Trust God......I bet that's what Bobber would be typing to us if he were able to type.....
......praying for this to turn around........
I'm sure he's got his family and support system right there with him.......
Very anxious to hear how the Ketamine goes!!
At least he's finally getting put on the 'A' list of healthcare priorities!

You da man, Bobber....YOU da bomb! (.....he said that to me in a pm a while back...... )


Rae

Dear friend Bobber,
We are with you every moment of the day as you try and unravel the situation you're in! There are people on your side who are going to advocate for the best medical attention you can receive.
We are sending you all the inspiration, love, friendship and prayers that you have always shared and provided for us!
Bobber, we are here for you and send our healing love and prayers!
Hope4theBest

Thank you Mike You are indeed a very good friend..
H4tb

I'm so sorry this happened. I just wanted to add my prayers and support. I'm sickened, saddened and just wanting you to get wonderful treatment from here on out that really relieves your pain.

Thank you Mike for calling Bobber, as I read this I cried for him. It is unbelievable that something so barbaric can happen in this day and age. Please let him know that we are lifting him up in prayer. I am also so relieved that he is receiving ketamine Infusions. Again Thank you for letting us know.
Sandy