Posted by liliths on December 21, 2006, at 8:48:16
In reply to UPDATE, posted by liliths on December 7, 2006, at 12:11:12
here's the letter ... thank you!
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I am writing this letter in response to the recommendations made by PRN concerning my application for licensure as a Massage Therapist. One of the first things we are taught as students of Massage Therapy is not to do “cookie cutter” massages. We are taught to see every client as an individual and to tailor our treatment based on his or her needs.It is my opinion that PRN has failed to do that in my case.
The evaluating psychiatrist, XXXdoc1, states: “It is this examiner’s opinion that XXXme is able to practice her profession with reasonable skill and safety.”
He just doesn’t like my medication regimen. But the regimen is working, and his suggestions were all tried years ago. I have been working with my psychiatrist for 5 years. We did not arrive at this combination lightly. There is a tremendous amount of data supporting my treatment. I am including some documents to help address what may be of concern to the Board.
In the preface of his evaluation, XXXdoc1 also states: “I am not seeing her for treatment purposes”. To my knowledge, that should mean he is not in a position to decide my treatment. He is certainly allowed his personal opinions but that should have no bearing on my prescribing doctor’s ability to make his own decisions.
It seems to be a contradiction that after stating he was NOT seeing me for treatment purposes, and therefore had no knowledge of my background medications, he then assumes the right to make official prescription recommendations. In coming to the conclusion that I am safe and stable on this regimen, wanting to change it after making that determination is tantamount to stating, “Gee, her medication regimen is working, I think we should play around with it and see what happens”.
He states that on my current regimen, my depression is in remission. Why then question its efficacy?
XXXdoc2, in turn, recommended to the Board I change my medication and be subjected to random drug tests as conditions for receiving a license. He writes that my regimen is “not a recognized treatment for depression”. While it may not be a first choice, it is a viable and prescribed solution for treating Treatment Resistant Depression, particularly when used to augment existing anti-depressants. And as I am NOT a substance abuser, I find XXXdoc2’s recommendation for urinalysis excessive.
As I understand the law, XXXdoc2 may be overstepping his bounds in attempting to dictate what my medical care ought to be. I was told that doctors are not supposed to be allowed to determine what another physician prescribes, as long as the treatment is reasonable. And mine meets the criteria.
I am a XXXme(embarrassed of age:) year old woman who graduated with High Honors from a 750 hr Community College Program with a 3.95 GPA and was additionally the recipient of a Student Achievement Award. I passed the National Certification Boards, scoring “High” in all content areas. As a student, I also studied Craniosacral Therapy I with the Upledger Institute, as well as Myofascial Mobilization with Barnes, and I was the only student to do so. Is this the performance of someone whose medication regimen should be tampered with?
I recognize that my regimen may carry a lot of fear when not understood in context. The potential for abuse is no different than it is for many medications used. Just as there are people whose disorders cause them to go off their medications when they feel better from them, there are also those who think “if one is good, two will be better”, despite evidence to the contrary. I have never experienced any desire to up my dose, nor have I ever experienced any ‘withdrawal’ when I have tapered off, besides the return of my depression.
The most important part of any treatment remains in working closely with one’s prescribing physician. I see my psychiatrist every 3 months, as well as any time I have questions or concerns. He is extremely accessible to me, as is my therapist, who I have been working with for 10 years.
I am already a Certified Personal Trainer and Post Rehabilitation Specialist. I was encouraged to take a preliminary course to be eligible to join our local Sports Massage Team once I was licensed. I also had a potential opportunity to work with Hurricane Katrina survivors, as Louisiana has very good reciprocity laws. I have had to watch these opportunities come and go. I’ve also just learned that should the Board decide I am to be monitored, my license will be ‘red-flagged’ as conditional. And though the reasons may remain confidential, we all know the potential for discrimination. I may find myself unemployable.
I was told I would not be discriminated against for being treated for depression, but I have been. I am an honest person. It never occurred to me that I would be shamed and treated like a criminal for trying to manage the issue of chronic depression in my life. Never mind the expense, much less the heartache; I feel that PRN has made this an unnecessarily traumatic experience for me.
I thoroughly understand the Massage Review Board and the Dept. of Health’s need to be assured that it is issuing licenses to people who are safe. I am however, questioning their relying solely on PRN to tell them who IS safe, as it could be argued, based on my own experience, that PRN has not distinguished adequately between the different types of people the Board sends them to assess.
I am not the drug addict, the sex offender, or the person being brought up on criminal charges.
I am simply one of the millions of people (including many physicians), who are being treated for chemical imbalances like ADD, anxiety, and depression and ARE using the very medications PRN would deny me. I feel that my records should count for something. That I have long-standing medical and therapeutic relationships as well as good, stable support in my life should speak for me as well, and XXXdoc1 mentions all of these things in his evaluation.
Once again, the first statement of XXXdoc1 Conclusions/Recommendations states:
1. “It is this examiner’s opinion that XXXme is able to practice her profession with reasonable skill and safety.”Massage is a win-win for me. I am a gifted therapist and my self-care soars when I am practicing. I work at remaining grounded and centered in order to be able to best participate in the facilitation of the healing of others. It is good for me and I am good for the people I work on.
As practicing Massage Therapists, I would hope this Board would understand what I am saying and how I feel. And since they are NOT Massage Therapists, I also understand how easy it may be for PRN to lose sight of this larger issue. I must reiterate that there is a HUGE difference between the person you send to PRN to evaluate simply because they are on anti-depressants, and those who have had serious charges leveled against them.
Being a Massage Therapist matters to me. It has taken me a long time to find a medication regimen that works. Everything reflects that I have. The evaluating psychiatrist has confirmed it. I see no reason to tamper with something that isn’t broken.
I sincerely hope someone looks into the broader issues concerning PRN’s actions and that in the future there are better considerations for those who come after me. As it exists now, I fear PRN makes a very good case for ‘omission’ on one’s application. That IS unconscionable and would be a travesty of justice.
Thank you for your time.
==========================any and all feedback would be appreciated
namaste,
lilith
poster:liliths
thread:711363
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/work/20061208/msgs/715400.html