I am looking directly at the May 1981summary of my Pain Clinic experience at the Mayo Clinic at Rochester. Some of the handwriting I cannot read; but here is what was written:
3-31-81 GI Clinic: Their "Impression -- " Chronic functional abdominal distress. She thinks it is related to adhesions from 1970 surgery but I dismissed this as an unlikely cause."
Their "Recommendations -- 1.) Would not do further GI studies. 2.) Consider pain management center after psychiatry consultation or Pain Clinic consultation. Suspect pain management center would be best route for her."
5-26-81: Pain Clinic Initial Consultation "More than 10 years history of abdominal pain. Continuous burning pain RLQ, midline below incision. Patient feels adhesions are cause of pain."
5-26-81 Nerve Category 1: "Tried local injection of 10 ml .25% marcaine into internal re ? faschia - no relief. (Tomorrow intercostal block to rule out abdominal wall pain. Finally to celiac plexus block if intercostal block unsuccessful.)"
5-27-81 Nerve Category 2: "Intercostal block T10 - T11 with 6ml .5% marcaine + 20 mg Depomedral to each intercostal nerve."
5-28-81 Nerve Category 3: "No relief from intercostal block. thoracic epidural T10 - T11 with 7 ml .25% marcaine and 70mg Depomedral. Loss of resistance technique. Some pain relief today."
5-29-81 Nerve Category 4: "No pain relief from thoracic epidural. Proceeded with right celiac plexus block with 12 ml .05% marcaine. No immediate relief. Relief was not obtained from this block. No further management from our department available. We have been unsuccessful in blocking the pain."
I had been there for a week and I had been on the receiving end of injections into specific locations on my spine on a daily basis for each kind of nerve block. Needless to say - since the nerve blocks did not give me any relief from pain, I had had it at that point. All I wanted to do was go home!!
Please note that the following comments (about what I thought was causing me pain) were referred to in the above summary:
1. "She thinks it is related to adhesions following her 1970 surgery." and
2. "Patient feels adhesions are cause of pain."
No one was listening to me!!!!!!!!! All I wanted to do was go home - and I did!!
-- The 15th century proverb which summarizes the purpose of medicine is: * To cure sometimes, to relieve often, to comfort always. *