RE: Karyn.../to Shelly

[Guest guest]

-----Original Message-----

From: SHELLEY TINSLEY

Sent: Monday, November 11, 2002 1:49 PM

<<<...Yes. I would love to have this info, as I am having my second celiac

block this Thursday...>>>

, my surgeon was Mark who was with the U of L Surgical Group.

Since he left over a year ago I don't know of a surgeon but Dr told me

he was training someone on the pancreas. I have posted this infomation on

the web site but the Gastroenterologist's name is Whitney . He is on

the teaching staff at U of L but practices at both Jewish and Norton

Hospital. His office is in the Jewish Outpatient building Abraham Flexner

Way, Suite 402, Louisville, Ky 40202. The phone number is . I

have seen him since April 2000 when I wound up in the ER with no elevated

blood count but after doing a CT and listening to my history he took me on.

I have found him to me tough but sympathetic. After the surgery (distal

pancreatomy) did not stop the pain he referred me to a pain doctor. There

they did the Splenic nerve block which had no effect. They were then trying

to sell me on the medtronic stimulator, but in the meantime his staff

treated me like I was some kind of dope addict, would refuse to give me the

key to go to the bathroom (because they might want to do a drug test) which

was never the case. The final straw was they left me in a patient room for 2

hours after I had already waited 1 hour past my appointment time in the

waiting room. I went back to Dr and we discussed the morphine pump

and he recommended another pain doctor. This time I went in knowng what I

wanted and had already had the psyc evaluation done for the medtonic

stimulator so I was approved very quickly for the morphine test dose and

then the pump implantation. Dr Ricky Collis was the pain doctor who did the

initial workup but then turned me over to the surgon who impalanted the pump

and then now to the pain doctor who maintains my pump and breakthrough

medication.

Again, Dr is well respected among the medical community here and with

his recommendation you can get to where you want to be. That is where I

would start although it's tough to get an appointment.

The pain doctor who refills my pump and oversee's my pain meds is Dr. Rodney

Chou. He practices at Kindred Hospital at 1313 St. Place,

Louisville, Ky. 40204. His telephone number is . Again I don't

know if they would see you without going through Dr and/or Dr Collis.

I had the pump installed in February and up until last week still had a lot

of breakthrough pain. As I said Dr is teaching him about pancreatitis

and had a discussion with him after which they increased my does to a 21 or

10.5 mgs a day. At this dose I have little breakthrough and unlike with

pills you don't have the ups and downs of having relief for an hour and then

going 3 hours in pain before you can take it again. It does make me sleepy

of I'm not active, but otherwise there are no side effects. Right now I'm

on liquids and have an appointment with Dr tomorrow. I have been on

liquids since October 3rd and have lost 30 pounds since this flare started

in early September.

This should be enough to get you started. If you need more information

don't hesitate to post