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Back Pain
Jeremy - Decatur CountyAs an EMS employee of Decatur County Memorial Hospital, Jeremy Haley is no stranger to DCMH and its many services. But being a patient of the Pain Management Clinic, he has a greater appreciation for all DCMH has to offer the community and its clients.
Jeremy, a 2000 graduate of South Decatur High School and father to three active daughters, has been an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) for the past five years. He has been suffering from a herniated disc for the past sixteen years which has kept him from enjoying a normal life as a professional and a Dad. Jeremy seemed to be in a constant state of discomfort: “The pain was so intense that I could not sleep for more than three hours at a time. I had a hard time sitting and would stand for relief.”
As a means to try to relieve the pain, Jeremy met with a surgeon last July who suggested he go through physical therapy. The therapy did help but proved to be short-term relief, and he needed a long-term solution to his pain.
As an EMT, he worked closely with Mike Trabel, Director of the Emergency Department at DCMH. Mike suggested he contact the Pain Management Clinic to see if they could help him with the pain he was experiencing. Jeremy says this was the best decision he could have made.
Jeremy consulted with Dr. Turnak, Pain Management physician, and shared that due to his position in the EMS, he did not want to be given narcotics. Dr. Turnak was quick to relate some alternatives for pain relief that would allow him to keep working without worry. After discussing the options, they agreed to try epidurals. Jeremy received one steroid injection in November and another six months later in April. After each injection Jeremy felt a difference: “I felt immediate relief. Even as Dr. Turnak put the injection into my back, I felt the pain subside.” He was equally thrilled to find that the injections didn’t leave him feeling sore.
Jeremy cannot say enough about the care he received from the Pain Management Clinic. Dr. Turnak listened to his concerns and his suggestions regarding pain treatment and was open to his ideas and suggestions: “Dr. Turnak and the staff in the clinic are tremendous. They answer all of my questions and ‘dumbify’ it for me. Dr. Turnak will take the extra time to explain things to me and talk to me about my treatments.”
After the injections, Jeremy was thrilled that he was able to dance with his girls at home again in comfort. He was able to play with them and sleep again ‘like a baby.’ Jeremy was quick to share, “I was back to a normal human being;
I was pain free.”When asked why the Pain Management Clinic is important to this community, Jeremy feels the answer is clear: “It gives the community members the option of getting pain relief without having to have surgery. I would recommend anyone in pain to call the Pain Management Clinic.”
