Re: Leap of Faith/TP decision to Percy

[Guest guest]

Dear Percy,

Thank you for your special greeting, I have been wondering how you were

getting on.

I know you have gone through so much frustration and pain to reach the

decision you just shared with us all. These last many months have not been

easy ones, with near abandoment by your doctor...what else would you call it

when he permits you only a few Lortab a day and says that's all he can do?

You've got a surgeon who says he can do the TP and nothing else, and that

you will end up being a surgical diabetic. And then the fiasco that caused the

CRPS. This accummulation of one distressing problem after another certainly

has worn you out and forced you to seek an answer, a solution, to help end

your problems.

Many of us pray to God, or whatever supreme entity they believe in, for

support and for an answer to their problems. I know you have done this,

Percy, and you have prayed hard for a solution as you made this leap of faith

and finally decided to go ahead with the TP.

Yet before you do this, I dearly wish that you would think about consulting with

Dr. Sutherland before you make your final surgery plans. You can email him

and tell him what you medical situation is, and he WILL answer you. We have

all the information here that I could send you about how to get in touch with

Dr. Sutherland, and I could send it to you today if you want me to.

I believe God will stand behind you with whatever decisions you make, just as

He has when you decided to write to us announcing your decision and asking

for our feedback. My feedback to you is from the heart and from my own faith,

and that is that you are entitled to a second opinion. There are other options.

I feel that it's unwise to make such an important decision regarding such

irreversible surgery and your future health without getting a second opinion

from another specialist. In this regard, Dr. Sutherland is the forerunner of

this

procedure and his procedure with the ICT offers more hope than just the

simple TP.

Continuing your life without the complications of diabetes would be so much

better. As a brittle type 1 diabetic, I'm speaking from personal experience.

Now that you have decided to make this move, why not take it one step

further? My personal experiences urge me to suggest this. I made a mistake

by thinking I had enough time (with the reassurances of my doctor), so I

postphoned making the aggressive decision about the TP/ICT until it was too

late. I didn't get a second opinion and I dearly regret not doing so. You

still

have that chance, and that choice, that I didn't get.

Whatever you decide, Percy, do know that you are in my prayers and you will

always have my support. Your struggle has been such a long one and you do

deserve to have your relief and this chance to get your life back together

without so much pain. I'll be thinking of you and ask that you please let us

know the when's and where's before they happen.

With love, hope and prayers,

Heidi

Heidi H. Griffeth

South Carolina

SC & SE Regional Rep.

PAI

Note: All comments or advice are based on personal experience or opinion,

and should not be substituted for consultation with a medical professional.