If you are not getting adequate pain relief, Helen gives some excellent information here about her search for pain-relief. Let her inspiring experience help you to reach out to the American Society for Action on Pain (ASAP) for help with your chronic pain too!
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At Sat, 22 Apr 2000, Helen Chalmers ( Hchalm@aol.com )wrote:
I want to let everyone know that I have won half of my battle, and that was finding a doctor to treat my pain for adhesions. Not more than 4 weeks ago I too sent my message of needing help, feeling alone, depressed, scared and not knowing how to help myself, to the Adhesion message board.
In finding The International Adhesion Society, I found everything I needed. I found knowledge, courage and the strength through all of the wonderful people here to do battle for myself and I won. In finding the site...
* American Society for Action of Pain (ASAP)
http://www.widomaker.com/~skipb/skiphome.htm.html
...and sending my plea for a doctor, I was contacted by a representative for Maryland and given a name of a doctor in Virginia who is a pain management specialist. I saw him Tuesday, 4/18, and he was wonderful. He knew and understood about adhesions. I did not have to prove myself, beg or plead. He put me on a pain management program, and I am now able to be more active and enjoy my life more until I can have my surgery.
Here is an e-mail from the state placement representative for the state of Maryland to myself:
Dear Helen Chalmers,
I'm so sorry to hear of your pain. You are not alone and I hope I will be able to help you. I suffer from FMS (Fibromyalgia) which is a muscle syndrome...if you don't already know about this condition. I believe that chronic pain is chronic pain and all chronic pain needs to be taken seriously and treated the same by DR's. Unfortunately there are too many DR's out there who don't agree.
Anyway, I am going to give you the name of a WONDERFUL, caring Dr. He has been my Doc for over 2 yrs now and without him, I would either be in bed screaming in pain or not here at all. I truly owe him my life. He is located in Centerville, VA. I know that may sound like it is far from you; but for the relief you will get, I'm sure you will find that it's not far at all. From Baltimore I think it would take you no more than an hour. He will need a referral from another doc before an appt will be made; but if you absolutely cannot get a referral, Let me know and I may be able to help you. I have a wonderful relationship with him and have sent him many many patients.
Below you will find the information you need to know.
Dulles Pain Management Center
DR Joseph Statkus
Dr. Stephen Whittman
13890 Braddock Rd
Suite 106
Centerville, VA 20121
Tel # 703-449-8720
Fax 703-449-8745
Best of luck and hope to hear from you soon.
Sincerely,
Terri Clayton
ASAP MD State Placement Rep
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The following letter is from myself to Skip Baker at American Society for Action on Pain (ASAP)
Dear Skip:
I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart. I suffer from adhesions that have placed me in the category of chronic pain. I too sat here for days crying and trying to figure out what I was going to do because I could not find help from my OB/GYN with proper pain management. I was being allowed to take one tylox per day for chronic pelvic pain due to adhesions, and being scolded for that. I was also told this was my last prescription and I would have to go to a pain clinic. After finding your site and being contacted by Terri Clayton and getting in touch with Dr. Statkus in VA, I have hope that I will not have to suffer in unmanageable pain.
I just wanted to let you know that I posted your website on the International Adhesion Society Message Board, for those people (and there are many) experiencing the helplessness that I felt in trying to find adequate pain management and dealing with doctors that tell us to take 4 advil and deal with it.
Thank you, thank you once again for your campaign on finding caring doctors to treat chronic pain.
Helen Chalmers
Baltimore, Maryland
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>From Skip Baker to Helen Chalmers:
Thanks Helen. You can give them either of these 2 URLs to get to my webpage, if you will:
1.) http://www.widomaker.com/~skipb/skiphome.htm.html OR:
2.) http://www.actiononpain.org/ ...may be the best one as long as the link is always in place.
There will be, Lord willing, a special program this summer on TV about this awful "Pain Crisis" caused by the DEA. Check the web page for the time and channel. I don't know how long it will take them to put it all together but they spent all day here filming Saturday. I'd like to use your statement about "One Pill a Day" next to my pointing that out on my page. So many doctors write for exactly that amount: "30 pills per month" and I used to get those too. What torture!
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To everyone out there who is suffering with pain and cannot find a decent doctor to help you, please go to the above website; there is help!!! If I can assist anyone in anyway, please feel free to e-mail me. Thanks to Bev and Helen again for assisting me and giving me the strength I needed in this journey that, unfortunately, we have all found ourselves in.
Helen Chalmers