Jerry Wade

It was a turning point in the life of Jerry Wade. Suffering from severe exhaustion due to chronic, excruciating back pain, Jerry entered Fairview’s emergency room and began a journey that continues to provide a better quality life than those first dark days of pain.

Jerry suffered from chronic back problems for three years before seeking help in January 2007. At another hospital, he agreed to a laminectomy—a surgical procedure to relieve a severe herniation. “The good news was that for the first four weeks, the pain was gone,” says Jerry, who had been unable to walk prior to his surgery. “The bad news—on the fifth week, the pain came back, only this time, it was worse.”

After examining Jerry, physicians discovered extensive scar tissue and a re-herniation. “Approximately 70 percent of initial back surgeries are successful,” says Jerry. “I ended up in the 30 percent group. And only 3 percent of back surgeries re-herniate.” Another surgery was out of the question for at least six months, so he signed up for a physical at the Mayo Clinic hoping for answers. “They had none—no magic bullet,” says Jerry.

Because of his severe back pain, Jerry was unable to sleep. By April, he was experiencing such severe sleep deprivation that it was impossible to deal with the pain. That’s when he entered Fairview’s emergency room and his life took a turn for the better.

“The very first Fairview clinician I spoke with understood what I was experiencing,” says Jerry. “It was the first time that someone actually dealt with the entirety of my situation in a holistic fashion. They understood how this was affecting my mind, body and spirit and began addressing all three.”

Jerry began learning how to deal with pain in his daily life, first for five days in the hospital and then three months in partial day programs. During this time he met a medical resident—Jonathan Grossman, M.D. “He was the first clinician to encourage me and give me hope,” says Jerry. “I will be forever grateful to Dr. Grossman.”

In July, Jerry entered the next phase of his care—a referral and evaluation at Fairview’s Pain Clinic, where he would begin his work with Miles Belgrade, M.D., the clinic’s medical director. After a three-hour intake appointment, Dr. Belgrade gave Jerry the truth: barring a miracle, Jerry would never be pain-free. “It hit me like a ton of bricks,” says Jerry “But I appreciated Dr. Belgrade’s honesty in telling me the truth. Then he told me the Pain Clinic had a variety of techniques that could help.” Once again, Fairview offered hope.

Dr. Belgrade prescribed a pain medication and scheduled Jerry for acupuncture and what Jerry calls “the right physical therapy.” Jerry believes that previous physical therapy prescribed right after his surgery had done more damage than good. “The Pain Clinic started me on a three-month Conscious Living Program which involves calming the body’s pain cycle and working to strengthen the mind-body connection through relaxation techniques,” says Jerry. “At first, I didn’t do the relaxation exercises. Then a member of the care team gave me an ultimatum: either get with the mind-body work or get worse. I began to take it seriously.”

One of the Pain Clinic nurses, Margie Walsh, kept watch over Jerry. “It seemed she had a sixth sense about me,” he says. “If she had not seen me for a while or I didn’t look okay, she would call me at home. Each time she called, I had been having a difficult time and her encouragement really helped.”

Jerry continues his relaxation and physical therapy, enjoys Fairview’s hot therapy pool and works fewer hours. “In the last month, I have seen a significant improvement and a reduction in my pain. I listen to my body—it reminds me that I can’t do all the same things I used to do. I’ve learned to live one day at a time.

“Everyone I’ve met from the Emergency Department to the Pain Clinic staff—I sensed this was the right place to be,” Jerry says. “Fairview’s services are as good as they are because of its exceptional level of care. I have yet to meet a person who does not demonstrate the outstanding values of Fairview. I do not pass out praise easily; I have high expectations. The care I have received here is the real deal. It is the model of what should be and I want to see it continue.”