[lindatall2]

Hi,
I'm newly diagnosed and still in the 3-4 month window of opportunity I've read about. I have it in both arms as a result of surgery I had in December. I've been on neurontin, lyrica, lidocaine pain patch, fentanyl..nothing relieves the pain. It does go away at night though, which I find kind of odd, but am very greatful for. It only hurts at night if I move or stretch my arm a funny way.

I'm scheduled for a stellate ganglion nerve block on March 4. The Santa Monica UCLA pain clinic doesn't do ketamine infusions. If the block doesn't work I want to go right to ketamine. At SM, you first see a resident, then a physician. It's awful!! I asked the resident about Ketamine and she said, oh you're not right for that...you get hallucinations, etc. What an idiot. I didn't even bother asking the physician.

I'm willing to go into my 401K to pay for the infusions as I doubt blue Cross/Blue Shield pays for it. My question is the doctors I've googled who do ketamine all want a referral. I don't know that my pain doctor will do it.

Anyone know of any ketamine infusion doctors in LA that I could just go to without a referral? I won't live with this kind of pain.

Thanks,
Linda