Doctor is patient, compassionate

Chava Peebles, Henderson

Thursday, Sept. 18, 2008 | 2:02 a.m.

The Las Vegas Sun’s Tuesday article headlined “One reason behind Nevada’s problem with narcotic painkillers” was very one-sided and would have had more validity had you talked to more of Dr. Kevin Buckwalter’s patients. I have been a patient of Dr. Buckwalter’s for seven years.

I was diagnosed with Stage 4 endometriosis 12 years ago. After countless procedures and many medications, it was determined that a hysterectomy would be the only option to relieve my pain. I am 34 years old, married and have no children. That option just wasn’t feasible. (I was 28 at the time of the recommendation.) My disease is a difficult one to treat and pain management doctors don’t want to be bothered with a disease that won’t make them any money (i.e., injections, spinal stimulator implants, etc.).

Dr. Buckwalter showed compassion and patience with me as we tried to find a medication regimen that would control the pain and allow me to function day to day. I credit Dr. Buckwalter with helping me to remove short-acting pain medications from my life completely. I now require only one medication for my pain control. Dr. Buckwalter has also done wonders for my asthma control (another debilitating disease I suffer from).

He is always well-educated on all the new medications being offered for any condition, and I cherish him as my physician. Maybe your next story can be on why pain management doctors refuse to help pain patients who have diseases/conditions that require medication management and thus don’t make them any money. That is the real crime here.