When you don’t know what’s wrong, what do you do?
By Kevin Whipps

It started with stomach cramps. First during the day, and then later, at night, keeping him from sleeping. He saw his doctor, was given a dose of ibuprofen and told to wait. A few weeks later, after a stressful trip to a wedding, things got worse, and by the time his plane hit the tarmac back home, he knew that he needed to see his doctor immediately.

Brian, an SEO specialist based in Arizona, is a slim man. He’s never been able to put on weight, and has always been one of those people that could eat whatever he wanted with no fear of reprisal. But now this stomach issue was starting to consume his life and he didn’t know what to do. His general practitioner wasn’t able to help, and the pain was constant. “The way to describe it,” Brian says, “is someone gnawing at your stomach with a knife.”

What Brian was experiencing at that moment was just the beginning of a long journey. One that would take him to several specialists along the way, and many failed attempts to diagnose him correctly. And, spoiler alert, he’s still not quite 100% yet, but what he’s learned in the process has been invaluable.

No Diagnosis, No Solution

The problem with Brian is one that over three million U.S. residents have diagnosed every year. IBS — irritable bowel syndrome — is an intestinal disorder that can cause symptoms such as gas, diarrhea and bloating, but it’s also something of a catch-all. That’s because not only are the symptoms rather varied, but the cause is unknown and triggers range from caffeine to gluten to stress. Meaning, if there’s a pain in your stomach, some doctors may chalk it up to IBS because there may be no definitive answer.

“Anyone who gets that diagnosis needs to figure out what’s really wrong,” Brian says.

In his case, the next logical option was to check for celiac disease. The condition has made the rounds in the news as of late, as it’s caused by an immune reaction to eating gluten, which is a protein found in bread products (and foods containing wheat, barley and rye). Many have used this as a reason to go gluten-free, claiming that it’s healthier for them long term. But celiac disease isn’t that common, and even though there are thousands of undiagnosed cases in the U.S., it’s still a rare condition. In Brian’s case, a blood test did show that he had celiac disease, but further tests would reveal that the blood work had produced a false positive. Still, just in case, Brian went gluten-free immediately.

Things, however, did not improve for Brian. He returned to his doctor two months later, worse than before. “It got to the point where I was having to go to the bathroom probably 15 times a day,” he says. “And that’s putting it lightly — some days it was worse.” His general practitioner suggested that he go see a specialist, and so that’s exactly what he did, where his gastroenterologist suggested a very expensive medication that cost him hundreds of dollars a month — and that was after his insurance coverage kicked in. It was horrible.

Things continued moving forward, but eventually, Brian elected to have a colonoscopy and endoscopy to see what was going on internally (the endoscopy covering the upper half of the gastrointestinal tract, the colonoscopy covering the lower). This time they had results, and the doctor laid it out to him straight. “He said, ‘You don’t have celiac’s disease, but you do have ulcerative colitis. Your colon is a mess.’”

Brian was told that he would have to take medication for the rest of his life, and to never get off of it. This would be the way he would live from here on out.

And to Brian, that just wasn’t acceptable.

Sound Science

Up to this point, Brian did what any other person would likely have done in his situation: he trusted his doctors and followed their suggestions, even when it worked to his detriment. But the one thing he didn’t do was something that would become critical.

Doctors are here to help, and if someone gets a quality doctor who knows what they’re doing, then they’re going to be just fine. But everyone should do their research and learn about what their doctor is telling them, so that they can make informed and educated decisions. Because if the patient doesn’t understand what the doctor is telling them, then what good is hearing the information in the first place? That, ultimately, was Brian’s big mistake, and one he would rectify.

With the initial diagnosis of IBS, Brian — and anyone in his position — should have done some research on what that means to them. Now, a year into the condition and thousands out of pocket, Brian started to dig deep and look for help. He learned more about what can lead to IBS, UC, and other conditions, and then found other people who had been through similar things. “I joined a Facebook Group that focuses on curing UC, Crohn’s, and celiac through diet.” That group alone taught him how to ask the right questions of his doctors, and what things he could do to help himself out. He essentially crowdsourced one aspect of his treatment.

Almost Perfect

Today, Brian is doing much better. He is living with UC and he’s adjusted his diet substantially to reflect the change in his digestive system. But he now has a positive outlook on where things are headed, and although he’s not at 100% yet, he’s closer than he’s been in a year.

Overall, it’s been a huge learning experience, both in IBS, UC, and how to properly handle things when getting a medical diagnosis. But now, he’s using his knowledge to help those with similar problems, both through groups online and being active in the community. He still has the road to full recovery ahead of him, but now, with that extra know-how behind him, he’s walking forward and strong.

So what are the right steps to take 
when discovering a problem with your body?

• Seek medical treatment from a qualified medical professional
• Research the diagnosis from the doctors and learn all you can about the condition and potential treatments
• Follow up with your doctor(s) using the new information at your disposal
• Find and join support groups in your area

Do you suffer from ulcerative colitis or other irritable bowel syndromes?

Minister Saves Boy’s Life By Darting into Traffic

By Kelli Donley

The Accident:
It was a Sunday morning in June 2006. Ron Barnard had just finished preaching in Rose bud, Arkansas. His sermon provided unwelcome foreshadowing for the day ahead. “I spoke how Jesus has conquered death for us,” he says.

I actually said, ‘Pardon me for being someone who still believes in eternity. This could be my day, June 11, 2006, and if it is, I’ll be ok with that!’

Minutes later when leaving the church, Barnard noticed a cousin’s four-year-old son racing across the parking lot. They called for Caleb to stop, but the child kept moving – unaware of the traffic headed his direction.

“I yelled at him to wait, and he did stop momentarily to let two cars pass from right
to left,” Barnard describes. “But he failed to see a full- size truck pulling a camper that was approaching in the near lane coming from left to right. We almost reached him, just as he ran directly in front of the truck. I don’t remember deciding to run into the road after him. By a miracle of grace I never stopped running.”

Barnard saved the child by pulling him to safety and taking the force of the impact.

I remember thinking we would both die, but I knew I couldn’t watch this little boy be hit! I scooped him up just before the moment of impact. It all happened in an absolute flash; still I managed to throw him out of the way a millisecond before being hit myself. It was so close that a tuft of Caleb’s hair was caught in the driver’s side mirror on the Ford F-150. yet, by Gods grace, other than a scuff on the side of his face, Caleb was fine.

Barnard wasn’t as lucky. The driver, traveling 40 miles per hour, send the minister 40 feet into the air on impact, before he landed in a ditch.“The driver, who I’ve been blessed to meet and become friends with, had no chance and was in no way at fault. It was in fact miraculous I landed in the ditch and not on the highway. If I had landed on the highway it is likely I would have suffered greater injury, and may have even been run over by the truck that hit me.”

The driver, Tony Merritt, came to the hospital the next week to visit Barnard. He confessed prior to the accident he was an atheist, but the accident had left him changed. He told Barnard he didn’t have a chance to hit the brakes until after the impact.

“Yet when the truck came to a stop, and he found the fortitude to open his eyes, he saw Caleb standing in the driveway across from the point of impact,” Barnard says. “Apparently he had done a combat roll and had landed on his feet across the highway. It was a miracle Caleb was alive.”

After seeing the child standing on his own two feet, the driver began looking for Barnard. The driver and barnard’s wife Karen found the minister in the ditch, where they began calling for help.

“I was laying on my stomach with my face shoved into the dirt, my left leg broken in a grotesque way, and blood coming from the concussion on the back of my head starting to run down over my face,” Barnard says. “I looked dead, and they were unable to find a pulse. However, within a couple of minutes I regained consciousness. The doctors would later say my regaining consciousness after that level of trauma was very abnormal.”

In shock, barnard began making jokes and trying to comfort those around him who were in duress.

“I had great peace and at one point made the comment, ‘I’m going be ok, but I think my leg is broken since I can almost see the bottom of my shoe without moving my face.’ The truth is I’ve never felt God’s presence as I did that day in the ditch.”

Barnard jokes that, “If you’re ever going get hit by a truck, you should try to do it right after church, and preferably directly in front of the church. Also, if you could arrange to be the guest speaker that morning and speak about how Jesus has dominion over death that would also be great!” Congregants surrounded the scene and began to pray for God’s mercy. The driver was stunned. For the first time, he reported feeling the presence of God.

I suffered a concussion, a severely broken left femur, a contused left lung, significant trauma to my neck and spine, a fractured right wrist, a sprained right ankle, strained pulled and torn muscles in my back and leg, and damage to my sciatic nerve,

says barnard. “Though the injuries were significant, the grace of God was obvious. There was one major answer to all the prayers that were immediately prayed. The most immediate danger was the lung contusion that was causing internal bleeding. but before the helicopter could get me, to the hospital I had already stopped bleeding.”

Recovery:

“Initially it was all about dealing with the shattered femur,” he says of his now years-long healing from the accident. “A 14-inch titanium rod was inserted through the broken bone. A year of therapy later, I was out of a wheel chair. The pain was intense and treated primarily with strong medications that came with their own list of challenges, making a good night of sleep a rare and precious commodity. Coming off of the medications was as much a part of the journey as dealing with the pain itself.

“However, by late 2008 I was experiencing significant pain in my neck and back causing headaches that seemed to wrap around from the base of the skull over the top of my head to my eyes. I saw several doctors in my area, including an orthopedic surgeon and a neurologist. one actually told me, “you got hit by a truck, don’t be naive, you’re going to hurt like this the rest of your life.”

In 2009, Barnard reached out to Arizona Pain Specialist founder Dr. Tory McJunkin. Barnard and his wife were friends of the McJunkins – who had supported the minister’s mission in southern Africa.

“He encouraged me to believe I could find relief and suggested that I fly out from our home in Virginia to Scottsdale. Honestly, from the moment I walked into the clinic I felt encouraged,” says barnard. After an initial exam and a series of MRIs, it was determined the facet joints in barnard’s neck were deteriorating causing chronic pain. He underwent steroid injections, radiofrequency ablation treatment and chiropractic therapy.

“By January 2010, I was no longer having headaches,” say Barnard. “Thank God, and thank God for using the team at APS. Getting rid of the headaches was a breakthrough I don’t have words to describe. The pain in my neck and back also improved exponentially and although I wasn’t pain free, I was able to be completely off prescription medications! I was able to resume
a full teaching and preaching schedule, as well as travel to South Africa and Zambia for mission work.”

While Barnard’s healing is on-going, Dr. McJunkin and the team at APS were able to
provide the hero with much needed pain relief. Barnard, a man of not just courage but also humility, is more comfortable speaking of the driver’s journey to Christ through the accident, and those whose spirits were strengthened by his continued recovery.

“Paul wrote in I Corinthians 10:13: ‘no test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he’ll never let you be pushed past your limit; he’ll always be there to help you come through it.’ The truth is God has in no way abandoned you or me. He is faithful and faithfully for us. The help I’ve received at APS is no small thing to my family or me. It’s an answer to prayer and a testimony to the faith- fulness of God!”

The Mission:
Barnard and his wife Karen founded a Christian mission called the Southern Africa Mission network, or SAM. next month, Arizona Pain Monthly will feature the organization and let readers know how they can get involved.

For more information now,visit: www.thesamnetwork.com

Yvonne, Turner-Gonzalez, 43 from Chandler, says Dr. Tory McJunkin’s care improved her quality of life.

Q: What brought you to APS?
I suffer from migraines, and upper/ lower back pain. My arms and legs would go numb because of radiating pain. I have been diagnosed with fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis, and bulging/cracked discs.

Q: how are you feeling now?
I’ve seen great improvement – I have not had any migraines for more than a year. My arms and my legs don’t go numb, and I haven’t had to take the 5 medications previously prescribed for migraines, nor several other medications for body and joint pain. My level of pain has gone from a 10 to a 3-4 on my worst days.

Q: how has your quality of life been improved due to this care?
A: Tremendously! I’m able do many activities that I could not do before, like walking my son to school, exercising, house chores and my favorite activity – art. I can paint, carve, crochet and draw. being pain free has allowed me to go to art shows where my work is being shown. My recent accomplishments can be directly related to the procedures received at APS with Dr. McJunkin.

Are you a happy APS patient? Interested in being profiled in an upcoming article? Email editor Steve Sliker: Steves@ArizonaPain.com

Yes, Patti Koblewski’s finish at the Honolulu Marathon is remarkable. As a patient of Arizona Pain, she recovered from spine surgery to finish, of all things, a race of endurance. This is nothing short of miraculous. yet this isn’t just another story of an APS patient who’s gone on to incredible athletic accomplishment.

Patti Koblewski is notable not just for her stamina, but her spirit. four years ago, cleaning house – as she’d done countless times before – Patti noticed her back stiffen after a simple afternoon of vacuuming. Two days later, there was tingling and, she had numbness in her toe. After countless visits to her general practitioner with steadily increasing pain, Patti knew she needed specified care.

“I was referred to Arizona Pain,” she says. “An MRI showed a 14mm extrusion from my L4-L5 disc; essentially I had a small rock pressing on my spinal cord.”

After a microdiscectomy at a nearby hospital, Patti returned to APS for treatment for long-term care.

“I have permanent nerve damage down my right side, from my low back to the toe; some permanent numbness and tingling which can be annoying,” she says. “I have degenerative disc disease with 3 levels affected; all bulging; L3-L4 is partially collapsed, L4-L5 is collapsed and L5-S1 is on its way. I also have occipital neuropathy, which creates constant pounding in the back of my head and constant headaches.”

Patti manages her chronic pain with visits to a handful of practitioners at APS.

I have medial branch blocks and RfAs each year for my neck and back to help manage my pain; I also see chiropractor Dr. Chance Moore monthly for regular decompression; I have a TENS unit and manual cervical traction unit I can
use as needed at home too. These help manage my pain, which allows me to do basic exercise — and has allowed me to enjoy life again.

The former competitive and collegiate swimmer was grounded by pain. As someone who regularly found comfort and joy in exercise, being held back by persistent pain was life altering. Thankfully, with on-going care and attention to her condition, Patti was able to return to activity. “I keep finding new things I can do!” she says, laughing.

A Herculean activity Patti never previously considered was completing a marathon. It took just the mention from a friend for Patti to sign up. She knew with continued care and persistence she could be among the throngs throwing her hands up in victory, crossing the finish line after 26.2 miles in Honolulu.

“When a friend asked last year, we laughed. When am I ever going to get a chance to do something like this again?,” she says. “I visited my doctors and got permission to begin training, with their support. I had monthly visits to make sure I wasn’t creating any additional problems for my back.”
Finish, she did – in the process raising $3,200 for the AIDS Project of Los Angeles.

Patti crossed the marathon finish line in December, with APS supporting her race and cheering for her success. In admiration of her persistence, APS staff asked if Patti would consider becoming a patient ambassador. Would she be willing to encourage patients in similar situations? Yes, and then some.

“I have a graduate degree in clinical psychology,” she says. I volunteer with APS behavioral health therapist, Larry Lynch, to facilitate the pain support group. I help keep everyone connected via social media, coordinate and plan our social activities, and perhaps most importantly, I have online access during our meetings so we can do immediate research if necessary. I’m also able to bring a unique perspective to the group as both a person in pain and someone who is able to help counsel others.” APS staff and Patti are working out the details for those interested to participate in an exercise support group too.

“My motivation for the walking club was primarily to get people in pain moving when they think there is nothing they can do, like I did before my marathon, and to increase awareness in the community about pain management. It’s a responsibility to help others with their pain and let them know that they are not alone; there are options available for them!”

Patti’s enthusiasm is contagious. She is sincerely excited to encourage others.

I’m passionate about reaching those in pain, and doing what I can to help them find ways to successfully manage their pain. I want people to know that they are not doomed to a life of pain, depression and pills. you have options and there is support available.” Arizona Pain is a tremendously supportive team of doctors who provide comprehensive care to their patients, ultimately enabling them to improve their quality of life through successful pain management.

Those interested in the support group, or the walking club, can reach Patti at: pkoblewski@cox.net

Jeff Grabosky runs Pain Free.

For Jeff Grabosky, the answer is a feat of historic proportions – he is running across the United States. Over two hundred people have accomplished this goal, however, Jeff is running alone, with no running partners and no car following him carrying his supplies. Only seventeen people before him have completed this run unsupported across the United States.

To prepare to run across the United States, Grabosky had been gradually increasing the length of his runs, peaking at 210 miles in a week, which is 30 miles a day. With a training schedule like that, it comes as no surprise that Grabosky found himself in pain. “I began to experience severe leg pain,” Grabosky explains. “It got to where I had to stop training, which was concerning because I was planning to leave in two weeks. I needed to do something, and so I went to Arizona Pain, where I received active release therapy massage. I instantly felt so much better, and was able to get right back into training. I went from being very nervous to very confident again.”
Jeff Runs Pain Free!

Grabosky has been running for years, but it wasn’t until he suffered great loss that he really began to make it a part of his life. “I had a pretty tough stretch where, in the span of about a week, I lost my mom to cancer and my wife left me,” Grabosky says. “Running is what gave me a sense of purpose again, and so I just started doing more and more of it. I began running marathons and through that was able to raise some money for cancer research, run a few 100 mile races and coach others.”