Question: Hi & thx for your help. I have never had back pain in my life & was a gymnast into my early 30's.
In 2004, after rollerblading & swimming in the surf @ the beach, I awoke my first morning home holding onto walls to walk. I have been an anesthetist since 1980. Had only worked @ my new hospital for a year. Found out several years later that the surgeon I trusted had put in hardware for a 350lb man when I only weigh
125lbs. Postop calf complaints were brushed aside as RLS. Four years later, referred myself to a neurologist who found NEW spinal root nerve damage. I have now had an intrathecal pain pump for 4 years with Dilaudid & Marcaine. Also have a PTM for occ bolus during the day. What my pain clinic does NOT know is that because they refuse to allow me one Norco per day, I have had to turn to 6 drinks per day with 1.5 jiggers each to perform ADL. Recently moved fm VA to AR. Think my only hope is to move to CO. Are there any pain clinics that perform refills on intrathecal pumps AND allow medical marijuana? Am terrified of becoming an alcoholic or developing cirrhosis of the liver. Was told when obtained pump for severe bilateral neuropathic pain of calves that I would be back to work in 3 months. It has now been 4 years. Would love to even just try the new CBDs' available in CO. Can you help me??

I do not understand how my exact location will help you in my care. The main thing I need to know is where are chronic pain clinics in XXXXXXX that will be able to
provide me with intrathecal pain pump refills of Dilaudid & Marcaine every 8 to
11 weeks or so & also allow me to use medical marijuana on a prn basis. That way I can stop using ETOH altogether. I will move anywhere in XXXXXXX that will provide this service.

By the way, the reason I needed emergency back surgery in 2004 was because I had a benign cyst wrapped around my spinal nerve roots. Even though I gave anesthesia to my back surgeon's patients in my work as an anesthetist (he mainly performed craniotomies & had performed a successful neck surgery on my mother the year before)--I was not aware that he only performed simple back surgeries. I have been told by two surgeons since 2004, it would have been more ethical if he had sewn me back up & referred me to another surgeon more proficient in
'complicated backs'. Instead, when I began having the start of severe bilateral
neuropathic calf pain about 6 months postop, my back surgeon brushed it off as my
having RLS (Restless Leg Syndrome). After four years of going from one physician to another for RLS Rx, I finally consulted a neurologist on my own who confirmed that I indeed had ongoing damage from my back surgery in 2004. In case you are not aware of this, even though XXXXXXX has medical marijuana as well as recreational marijuana, the majority of chronic pain clinics will not allow medical
marijuana use. Please help me find one that does, along with supplying refills for my intrathecal pump. I will move anywhere in XXXXXXX that I need to for this help. My pain pump is an immense help but I still need a multi-modality approach to my pain management. I am not an alcoholic but am afraid of becoming one because my father was. Chronic pain clinics will allow use of alcohol, although am sure not to the degree I have been using. Please let me know any abbreviations in my first letter that you were not clear regarding. Thank you immensely for your kind help!