Anthony's Story
Anthony came to the Brooks Rehabilitation program on crutches, in a lot of pain, and on numerous pain medications. Following his rehabilitation at Brooks, Anthony is back at work and off of crutches. Hear his story.
Jeff's new beginning
In 1997, Jeff, 52, of St. Augustine, was diagnosed with fibromyalgia, a disease that causes chronic pain in the muscles, ligaments, tendons and joints. Jeff found the pain was taking over his life, making it difficult to focus on important things like his job, his marriage and even his two children.
“My pain level was usually a 7 out of 10; 10 being out-of-control pain,” said Jeff. “It would get to the point where I could feel it all over my body.”
Jeff’s physicians prescribed countless medications including morphine and a fentanyl patch to treat the pain. “I'd be so drugged up from the medication that I'd have to pull over in the morning on the way to work. It just got to the point where my body required more and more medication, but the pain was always there.”
Luckily, Jeff was referred to the Brooks Pain Rehabilitation Program. He was admitted for two weeks as an inpatient to wean him from pain medication, and then later commuted daily for the outpatient program.
Jeff’s therapy at Brooks consisted of rigorous physical activity, psychological counseling, retraining and reconditioning. He worked with a team of specialists, and was taught how to work with his body so that he could sleep, work and move with less pain.
Jeff says, “If your mind understands what’s happening to your body, then the pain doesn’t scare you as much, and you can manage it.”
Now, Jeff’s pain remains at a steady 1 or 2 out of 10—without the influence of any medication. He started his own business in October 2005, and enjoys spending time with his family and being a coach for his son’s baseball team.
Jeff says of his rediscovered life, “I’m excited to live life to its fullest. Being on medication is the wrong way to go about living your life—and if you have the strength, guidance, tools and support, like I did from Brooks, you can really experience a new beginning.”
Tim's Story
Editor Note: Tim completed the Brooks Pain Rehabilitation program in February 2008. Since then he has become active in a volunteer position and more involved in his family’s life. He continues to consistently practice the strategies that he learned in the program. Below, Tim shares his reflections of the program and his experience:
The most important aspect of the program for me was acceptance. I learned before I could move forward, I had to accept the condition that I was in and improve it. I believe acceptance is the first step to successful rehabilitation.
I found out about the Brooks program in a flyer that came in the mail. If I would have known about this program in 2005, my life would have been better a lot sooner. I was injured in 2004. I was diagnosed with having a herniated disc. I chose to have surgery because of the severe pain. The surgery was good for 4 days and on the fifth day, the pain returned. I had severe pain from my back down to my right foot. I did exactly what my doctor told me "let pain be your guide."
For 2-1/2 years I did nothing except visit doctors to help me with my pain. I had numerous injections, many pain medications, physical therapy (3 times), multiple surgeries, and a spinal cord stimulator. During this time, none of my doctors ever told me about the chronic pain program. I became very depressed, gained 52 pounds, could not sleep and I did not want to be bothered by anyone including my family.
I entered the pain rehabilitation program in January 2008. It was the best decision I could have made. I began the program barely able to walk and in severe pain. The program was just what I needed. It was great! I completed the program in 5 weeks and met all of my goals. I lost 12 pounds, experienced no more depression and decreased most of my pain medications. I felt like I had gotten back to about 75-80% of my normal activities. This was a huge improvement from where I started.
You might think that 5 weeks is a long time. But when you're working hard to feel better, the time goes by quickly. The staff is going to challenge you to do your best. I don't know of another program with professional staff who are experts in their fields. When you come to Brooks you are not just a patient, but you become part of the team.
The staff helped me so much. I believe in this program with all my heart because it made a significant difference in my life. If you are serious about feeling better, the Brooks Comprehensive Pain Rehabilitation Program is for you. I volunteer my time helping others in the program. Come and see. I would enjoy meeting you.