When the national press reported the death of Bette Lou Hamilton after consulting Dr. Kevorkian, the news articles included a statement by a doctor who stated that he did not believe constant pain was part of her condition. Passing on whether pain needs to be constant to have an effect,  if quoted correctly, it shows what Central Pain patients are up against. Ms. Hamilton had Central Pain from syringomyelia, had undergone ten surgeries to try to get rid of her pain, and apparently took her own life because she felt she had run out of resources by which to endure her Central Pain. Even this desperate act failed to inform others of her plight. If people who commit suicide over Central Pain don't  convince doctors that Central Pain is what it is, what will? Data from PET scans which show brain shutdown in Central Pain have probably done more to persuade the profession that something terrible is going on than the desperation of patients, so it is hoped that the era of doubting may soon be gone.  In fairness to the doctor, the quote was given out of any context.  He was almost surely not quoted correctly, since from what was reported, he had not met Ms. Hamilton. Still, even this author has heard physicians speak of past patients with Central Pain who committed suicide, only to write it off to their patients "weakness" rather than realize they have been in the midst of unspeakable pain and were unable to comprehend it. "None are so blind as those who will not see".

You can do something about this particular lack of information among the medical profession, if you will take the time to really think about your pain symptoms and send your best attempt at a verbal description to PainOnline. If we can expose physicians to these descriptions, placed in categories which make sense, we can prevent the skepticism and downright abuse that patients endure from doctors who fail to recognize that the bizarreness of the pain confirms the diagnosis or serious illness, rather than casting doubt on it.