Hi all,
I wanted to give an update on recent PM apt. As many of you know I was very concerned about meeting the new PA and what my "on again/off again" PM might do with my meds. Of course, they did an immediate drug screen and made some notes about my antibiotics that I have been taking. Then the PA came in, introduced herself, and started asking me about my condition. After a lengthy discussion, she did some physical tests about my hand and arm strenth and determined that my right side has less strenth than my left. I had never realized that....anyway.... she asked me more questions about my neck and then asked if I was interested in injections (to prepare for RFA) in my neck. Of course I am, so she left the office, reviewed my file info again, spoke with the primary PM, and scheduled my first one for next month! She had no problems with my meds and made notes about the Soma having given me some relief from spasms (it was a new med at my last PM apt). We then discussed the sleepiness and how I monitor my meds (I use my phone with a program called RemindmeRX) It's a free app and they now want a few of their patients to try it.
I was so afraid of meeting this lady because I had received a call from another
relatively new patient who is using the same practice and had what he considered problems with her. He made the fatal mistake of asking for more meds by name and she wouldn't hear of it. He has only been on that med for a little while and had taken some meds from another DR (which showed up in the drug screen). He said she had Ok'd him taking them, but then she had a fit about him taking meds from somewhere else. I imagine this is fairly accurate, but something doesn't ring true because that med (dilaudid) doesn't stay in your system very long and should have been gone unless he is taking it on a regular basis. I can't understand why he would have done that before he went in for an appointment. Who knows????
Anyway, I wanted to report that all went well and I am very satisfied with the new PA. At least I can stay with this PM for a while longer and postphone the transition to a new practice. There are so few here that I want to postphone the change as long as possible (unless something else crazy happens). I want to keep using the RFA's every six months and in several areas rather than just the small area we have been doing for a while. I'm also going to skip the SCS trial for now and stay with what works for me. She was actually very supportive of that by saying that so many Dr's recommend SCS, but so many patients still have to take pain meds on a regular basis after the implant and that adding anything into the body is risky for someone who has so much difficulty with surgery success.
All in all, it was a positive experience and I have to say I was very impressed when she said she thought they could help me. 
All my best to all of you!!!!! Your support has been wonderful for me during my time with HW. I don't always check in as much as I used to, but I think about you guys often and always keep you in my thoughts and prayers!