The medical failures that people with a life of pain have to live with

I can't describe the level of frustration I feel when I am stuck with a life of pain, especially when I ask, for example, a nurse about a procedure I had that was approved in late 1983, has left me with a life of agony and they have never heard of it. The reason of course is very simple. They don't teach them about it in nursing schools. Most doctors know, but they want talk about it. Even in my present condition, I am still faceing fusions at L4-L5 and L5-S1 and now I also have nerve root impingement at 3 cervical discs. I can hardly wear a shirt because of the burning sensation in my upper back. My pain level has gone from a 4-5 on a 10 scale, which I had for 20 years, to a constant 9-10 level. My spine surgeon has never even diagnosed my cervical area, even though I had a MRI for it about 8 months ago. While he was looking at my lumbar MRI when I ask about the cervical area, he said he couldn't talk about, I would have to make another appointment for that. Sometimes I really want to just give up. Where in the hell is the compassion!! If I were a Dr. myself (which I am not), there is no way in hell I could let a patient walk out of my office with the levels of pain that I have without helping them. But they do every day across this country to other people just like me. Just go to some of the pain forums.
Their excuse is, I am afraid you will become addicted. "Addicted my ass", I am worried about how to live one more day and this so-called Dr. is worried about me becoming addicted. I have said this before and I will say it again. I know there are good physicians. I have one, my psychiatrist of 15 years and I thank God for him. As for as the rest, at least in my life, I have nothing good to say.

Why does the medical Industry never talk about their failures?

It seems that every time you read a news article and even watch T.V. for that matter, some drug or medical procedure is being hyped. This is where something like chymopapain gets its start. In the press. Then come the big corporate medical lobbies spreading big money around to government agencies, congress and the physicians. Then all of a sudden some drug, device, or procedure gets approved.

But what about the drugs, procedures, etc. that don't turn out so well, you never here about them or at least the patient doesn't. Try getting a surgeon to day to talk about chymopapain, or some of the other harmful substances used in myelography, discography and even still the so-called epidural injections, like Thorotrast, Lipodil, Pantopaque and Myodil, which were all contrast materials used for the above mentioned tests. Well they quietly "fell from disuse", leaving some dead and most "damn cripples" like me and 50 million others and climbing. People doomed to a life of suffering "horrific chronic pain" that nobody wants to treat. Am I angry? Anger don't even describe the way I feel about the injustice and undertreatment of people like me.

True "Informed Consent".

"Informed Consent" is something that you also rarely get when you go to a doctor anymore, or something that is rarely even mentioned during your appointment. First of all I do not mean to imply that all doctors are bad or unethical. There are some wonderful doctors in all fields but you do have to look for one. I have a psychiatrist that has been treating me for almost 15 years, because with Chronic Pain comes a never ending battle with depression. I do not know what I would do without him. It may be different for some or most of you but in my life, he is the only one that I hold in high esteem.

Everyone has the right to have their condition fully explained to them, and especially if you are having surgery, you have the right to have your questions answered fully and to your satisfication. In my case that rarely happens, especially because of my history with intravenous injections and especially the chymopapain injections. I recently asked two different nurses about chymopapain and they said they had never heard of it. Many surgeons think they are "little gods" and you shouldn't question them. That is exactly what I am talking about with "informed consent". You as a patient have a right to know!!