December 14, 2017
At last! An appointment with a “pain doctor”! However, going into the department labeled “Physical Rehabilitation” raised a lot of questions. Is my pain due to something physical? If so, can I really be “rehabilitated”?!?
Dr. Sumetanon asked all the necessary questions, and I told him what my PCP had said: “At your age, there is nothing I can prescribe for your pain.” His assessment was that, because of all the “opioid epidemic” hype, many doctors have become overcautious about prescribing pain medication.
I told him that all I had wanted from Dr. Chan was a muscle relaxant (like Flexeril). He did not hesitate to order a prescription of Flexeril, though he started with a minimum dosage (which I later asked him to increase, and he did).
He had the results of my x-rays taken two days ago. I asked him about the Pain Management program and he told him that the referral had to come from my PCP. What he did order, though, was three sessions of group acupuncture (done right there in their department: Physical Rehabilitation/Acupuncture. He also suggested having an MRI of my neck (cervical spine). He noticed my raised eyebrows as thought out loud, “I wonder how much the co-pay is for an MRI.” He said that maybe the Flexeril and group acupuncture would solve the pain problem. But, if not, I could decide whether or not to get it.
I feel like I’m starting to make some progress! On my way out, I stopped at the desk to get an appointment for a group acupuncture session. And the Flexeril was ready in the pharmacy downstairs!
