Thank you to everyone at the Midsouth Pain Treatment Center (both sides).  Before I went, I read several reviews and I was leery.  Shame on you reviewers for making me feel uncomfortable. Let me tell you, my story.  It took me awhile to get my appointment, but I have been living with chronic pain since 2002.  I had a car accident and that started my problems.  I had a ruptured disk, and was receiving pain medication all the time.  They suggested surgery, and I opted out.  The repercussion was losing access to pain medication.  I quickly realized that I was not going to die from pain, but I would have an uncomfortable life with constant pain.  I realized quickly that I had not taken all my medication and I had many Percocet’s left and I could take them whenever I really need one.  But do you know what?  Realistically the pills only help for about an hour, and does not really stop it, then it is back to the reality of the pain.  I would get to moving at that time and was able to function, but the pills were no cure.  Several years ago I decided to just live with it and make sure I took it easy in lifting and doing strenuous activities.  The pain is always there, but I know I can’t die from it.  Too many pills are another thing.  I think we all know that the pills don’t last long and after you take them regimentally, they don’t work as prescribed so you tend to take more and more.  I knew you could die if you continued to do that versus finding a way to cope with your pain.  I went for ten years only taking pills when the dentist or doctor would prescribe them.  Then I had gout in both my feet.  The pain was unbearable and I had to have surgery to have an implant put in my left big toe.  The pain was unbearable and I was taking 4 Percocet’s per day and after 20 minutes I was begging my wife to give me more.  The doctor finally quit prescribing them, it was awful, but guess what I didn’t die, and I was sure I felt as if I would, but the reality is that no one dies from pain.  Here in the last 4 years I was diagnosed with arthritis throughout my body.  My neck started hurting, I was unable to work.  I went to the Chiropractor and tried everything including acupuncture.  Then a friend of mine said try Cryogenics.  They put me in a tube wearing nothing but underwear, socks and gloves and froze me to unreal cold temperatures.  It made it worse.  The pain was so bad, and I called my doctor.  No doctor can give you pills as a cure anymore, and my doctor let me know that.  She scheduled therapy, seems you have to go through that before insurance will pay for an MRI.  Okay, therapy made it even worse.  My God please help me.  Then I received the MRI, and my doctor explained to me that my neck was full of arthritis and was inflaming the nerves in my neck.  She wrote me prescriptions to help until I could get to a pain clinic.  I went to Semmes up off Walnut Grove who took my insurance at the time.  They did a nerve block about 3 months later and I had immediate relief.  They were a God Send for me.  It lasted for 4 years then I went to pick up a 4-wheeler and tried to close the rear gate after loading and I was back to 4 years earlier.  It took me more than 2 months to get a new appointment, Semmes no longer took my insurance, and several other’s didn’t either, But this one did and even though it took a couple months to set this up, I knew I would not die from the pain and understood that I had to wait just like everyone else.  I received my nerve block this morning and am happy to report that I am cured again tonight.  Mind you though,  my back still hurts like hell and I have a new injury from 4 months ago, I have a torn Meniscus in my knee that is a pain level 8, but that is not being treated with any medication either, and my threshold for pain is horrible, I cry all the time, but I have to go along with what can be done like everyone else.  I am scheduled for a new doctor’s appointment at a knee surgeon for that and will eventually be okay.  I guess what I am trying to say with this is that I read all the gripes from people who wrote reviews about this place. I got the feeling that you all were truly looking for a medication way out of pain and writing these reviews to express your anger at not receiving a prescription or losing your prescriptions for not following the program.  If we are all being honest here.  I have friends and family who offered me one of their pills, and I said hell yeah, but they did nothing for my pain so getting a prescription was of no use to me.  Certain pain can be treated with pills, others can’t, and the medication lasts for minutes to hours where this nerve block lasts for months to years.  I don’t believe for a minute that your pills were keeping you out of continuous pain without taking more and more each time.  And the block only lasting a week seems truly crazy to me especially when your reasoning is that they took you off your medication.  Then I have to say something about all the complaints about someone named Christy.  Wow she is supposably an NP that is out to take you out of the program.  I never knew who any of these nurses or doctors were, I definitely didn’t take notes of their names for a complaint.  I’m sure I met her on the clinic side and I can safely assume she came in last to schedule my appointment for my block.  She seemed genuinely concerned about how much time this has taking me and for the time I have been here. That I thank her  for and the rest of the staff.  I just wanted a nerve block because I knew it worked for periods of time.  I can see how personalities may differ when your immediate concern is to get more pills to help you alleviate chronic pain instead of stopping it with a nerve block.  Maybe if you went in more concerned about taking treatment that will work instead of telling the doctors how only pills will save you, they may believe your concerns and allow you to take both pills when you need them, and be able to stop the true pain you are having with injections.  I have only great things to say about my experience here.  They even helped me with my phobia of needles.  3 nurses actually came in to talk to me because I was ready to leave when I found out I wouldn’t be put to sleep.  It scared me so bad that my blood pressure rose to advanced levels and I had made my mind up to leave without having the procedure done.  They really calmed me down and held my hand (not literally) through this and I am completely grateful to all of them.  And the doctor, I didn’t ask his name either.  He was very caring.  I hated the old 50’s music that was playing, but what the Hell, it’s his office, whatever makes him feel good, I’m good with.  Thanks to all of you at this facility.  You made this a very pleasant experience for me.  And they even helped my wife get me to the car afterwards when I was completely out of it.  Had no idea where I was or what happened.  And mind you, there was a down-pouring storm when they brought me out, and the nurses helped my wife get me in the car which was hindered with me having a cast on my leg because of my knee being completely immobilized.  I thank them, and I pray for all the people who are talking bad about them.  Rusty Allen, and I am a patient and a really happy patient.  I own a computer company, and I have no reason to get anything from help but them, they are not my clients, and this is the first time I have ever been a patient.  Christy, whomever you are, and if I am right about you being the one who scheduled my appointment, I pray that you find the compassion necessary to continue your great work and to not let people bother you with this nonsensical remedy to destroy your character.