Treatment #1 Aug. 17th, 2010

Today is the big day! Mom is dropping us (Bill and I) off at the train station and we are heading to Manhattan to meet Dr. Robins for my first appointment. I am nauseous, anxious and excited to be starting the big journey! Catch ya when I return.






Later that day: (a recap)






1- Took an earlier train then expected and was able to take time to eat lunch with Bill and walk slower (which really in NYC does not happen, you keep up or get pushed!) and enjoy the sites some. We sat in Central Park and watched people and talked about the appointment approaching faster then the speed of sound, or so it seemed.


2- The city, as mentioned briefly above, is a scary place for someone in pain, sensitive to touch, off balance, and full of anxiety. People push you, bump you, step on you and go entirely too fast or even at times too slow. Cars are blaring, everyone’s yapping to a friend or a cell, music on every other corner, and vendors trying desperately to get your attention to stop at their table or buy their tickets to a show.


3- We saw Spongebob, Elmo, Cookie Monster, a young good looking Elvis all decked out and an 80 year old Madonna who thought she looked hip with pink hair!!!


4- Found Dr. Robin’s building quite easily and he is only 2 blocks from central park. Initial impression is good, it is a clean entry with I think a security guard at a desk and a computer where you can look up the party you need to get to in the 16 floor building with businesses as well as private residences.


5- Okay, so in a very slooooow elevator to the 8th floor! We walk in and oh, wow, I am claustrophobic already and I didn’t even visit his made for a doll bathroom. You bump into yourself just trying to walk in.


6- The mean, snappy receptionist I spoke to in order to set up the appointment was just that way in person to EVERYONE! She has a very dry, uncaring attitude that does not make me feel comfortable to even ask a question. She snaps, “You must be Denise, here fill this out now and give back to me”, I replied as witty and charming as I always try to be (hehehehehe) “Wow, ½ a page, that’s it, no novel for me to write before I see the Doc?” She said nope, this is all and you are way too early! I explained how we came by train from Long Island and I didn’t know how much paperwork would be involved so got there 25 minutes early. She just smirked at me and was like well you’ll have to wait. Duh……..I am use to how appointments work but ok lady……lol


7- Dr. Robins comes out to the waiting area (again such a small area with 3 seats on one wall and 2 on another in an L shape) and points to me and says, “You must be Denise, I just e-mailed Trudy to tell her you were here sitting in my office now”. At least he appeared excited and kind and I start to relax some after hearing a familiar name come out of his mouth.


8- I got called in early (ha ha to the bitchy secretary) because someone did not show up on time and he had two others already waiting besides myself. I follow him to this tiny room with a dentist type chair for me to and one wall all windows looking down on 57th st. (I think) and another wall full of all kinds of natural spices and minerals!! I have to sign two forms for acknowledging that I am being treated as a research subject for neuropathy of the foot (there is no choice in NYS for RSD yet in the paperwork), I am assigned as subject number 13, woohoo, that unlucky number has to be lucky for me.


9- He goes over his “theory” about RSD again and hands Bill literature on ozone and his practice. Dr. Robins asks if I have any questions, which I did but only a few and he comments that I didn’t ask too much at all, I explained that I did my research and when I talked to him before setting up the appointment I had most of them answered then. He takes out his old script pad, that he uses as stationary now because it does not have watermarks and they were not numbered (yup I go to too many office visits), and writes down his home address and discusses with Bill and I as he writes it down the directions to his home for tomorrow morning (between 7-8am and he lives 45 minutes one way from Mom’s place and it is first come first served unless someone has a job to get to)….yup I met him Tuesday and he wants me at his home the next day for treatment number 2, and on Friday for number 3. He is extremely thorough and gives us landmarks etc… which for someone like me who has anxiety over being lost this eases my nervousness tremendously.


10- Dr. Robins now preps my arm and grabs a small butterfly needle. He questions me because I am watching him and wants to be sure I am okay to watch the needle like that, I assure him that this is nothing, I have been through so much already in life that this tiny thing does not phase me. He says alright, closes his eyes and comments that since I am watching he won’t have to and acts like he can’t find my arm at all……..I said just give me the needle in that case and I will stab myself…!!!! We all laugh and boom, it is in, first try! Yay, a doctor with a sense of humor. It did not hurt at all and he turns to this laptop size machine and fills a syringe ½ way with a gas called O3 or ozone.


11- He infuses the tube slowly as it enters my arm, I think, I mean, it is a gas, I can’t see it so how do I know????? It only takes 6-8 minutes and all is done. He makes sure I have his personal cell number and tells me to call it for anything I think is a bad reaction or to ask questions. The number is available 24/7 365 days a year. He expresses his hatred for patients that don’t use it and say the next visit that they didn’t want to bother him, he says bother me, I am the only one who can tell you if it’s the ozone and who better to ask questions on it then him. I am liking this, we (chronic pain sufferers) wait hours, days, weeks for a dr to call back and they are always rushed and say in the end “make an appt. and come in” which annoys us because we could have done that a week ago!!!! He says I want you to come to my house Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays to start off and maybe double up somehow later on……(which I probably won’t do, I can’t travel too much right now and especially to the city alone, but will cross that bridge (or not, hehehe) when I get to it.


12- He expresses to me that he is being very aggressive with the ozone in hopes of it helping quicker and getting me back home in 2 months versus the original 3-4 months he estimated earlier, best news I heard all day!


13- I got up slow and Bill and I sat in the waiting area again until I felt like I could walk okay and didn’t show any immediate adverse effects. I am told to wait approx. 10 minutes as the ozone moves through body and bi-product gets exhaled with whatever toxic substances I may have. “Uh Oh! Ummmm, Bill? I feel a lot of pressure in my chest, burning and feels like I have to cough and use my asthma inhaler, I need to…….” Bill: “Denise, don’t panic it says right here, may experience chest or neck pressure, and the sensation to cough is normal, just breathe slow shallow breaths and don’t cough!!! Do you know how hard it is to not cough when you have to????? Okay so it’s normal but it is uncomfortable.


14- I start to feel better and it is time for us to run and catch our train back to Long Island. OMG, we had to literally run down 2 flights of stairs to jump on the train that took off within 15 seconds of us boarding. Way too close for my comfort, and the chest pressure is back!


15- I am truly exhausted but high on adrenaline (euphoric as Mom puts it). Bill plays a game on the ipod with me to kill time on the ride home (which I won, sorry hon) because we are delayed, the train ahead of us is experiencing technical difficulties and our train can’t switch tracks yet, thank God it is not our train!!!!






Finally, back at Moms and overwhelmed with all the questions from family. Plus I had posts to make, calls to return and messages to follow up with…….Don’t get me wrong, the support is amazing but I am over tired, hurting and anxious now about tomorrow’s appointment. I promised so many I would follow up with them. I realize quickly I can’t keep up and do this on an individual basis, I need to start a blog and soon!!!






I am headed for bed earlier then normal because I am so tired from all the traveling the last two days (360 miles to Mom’s on Monday and the train ride to Manhattan today with all the walking) and the early appointment tomorrow. Having to get up at 4:45am I pray I sleep. No such luck, I have severe nerve pain, restless body syndrome and experiencing an anxiety attack that is so bad I need an extra ½ of clonazapam. Slept just under 2 hours and in the car again on my next adventure to Dr. Robin’s house for treatment number 2!