Mayo Clinic Pain Rehab Center (PRC) - What’s Your Experience?

Hello,
I have empathy ! It’s confusing !
You’ll see my posts on this subject from earlier in the summer. I am waiting for my application reply as I finally got it all in a week ago.
Everybody is very pleasant but there is quite a lot to the application process …it may be my meds , but I found it confusing . I think it’s easy for people to remember that you are trying to do this while struggling just to get through a day applying to a program , that by definition, means you’re at the end of a long long journey .
3 CPRC sites plus all the therapeutic centres, the Mayo clinic is a huge bureaucracy . I think I contacted too many people, as I got confused. One source told me the point of entry was the Dr phoning the referral number and another wanted me to apply initially with the application forms .I did this , but then got delayed quite a while waiting for my Dr to return from summer holiday to do the referral . Wish I'd gone that route first, because nothing happens until they get the referral apparently .
It’s true then, that the first step to get things moving is to get your Dr to phone the referral in . ( let me know if you don’t have the number )
. Turns out they don’t have to do too much , most of the work is done by you….the forms and medical records. I found getting the records together the most difficult …figuring out which ones from 12 years of chronic pain and more than 25 therapies both physical and psychological . Not only trying to keep it from looking like an encyclopedia was a challenge , but getting it all through a scanner or fax machine without jamming ,was too. .In the end , I gave up and mailed it!! 🙁
Anyway , I’d be happy to help in any way I can …anything for another human trying cope with this illness .

Sorry to interrupt the message… I have chronic pain and would like to speak with a coordinator or counselor, from california. Thank you
Cindy

@alh123, good morning. Awesome! Congratulations on getting to the point of waiting to hear back on your application. That's a big accomplishment and you put in the work to make it happen. 25 years is quite a while. Be proud that you're persevering and self-advocating.

I empathize with you as my days of applying for SS Disability and MetLife Disability were quite daunting. I felt the same as you stated, "you are trying to do this while struggling just to get through a day applying to a program , that by definition, means you’re at the end of a long long journey."

In the end, hard work usually pays off, it did for me, and I believe it will for you too. Applying to Mayo PRC will be worth its weight in gold. Once you get accepted (fingers crossed), and you are immersed in the program, you will learn many tools to help you navigate through emotional challenges, like the application process, and so much more. If only I had PRC under my belt during the crazy times of disability application.

Did the PRC tell you your estimated wait time on acceptance notification?

Hi Cindy @samz0429, Sorry to hear you have chronic pain. I just thought I'd mention Connect members are patients like yourself and there are no coordinators or counselors. Here is a list of specialists from US News & Health that might be helpful for locating one close to you.

-- California Pain Management Specialists: https://health.usnews.com/doctors/pain-management-specialists/california

Have you thought about seeking help at a teaching hospital or major health facility?

Hi, thank you for the speddy reply. Actually you are correct we live in california. I am in a lot of pain and reaching out. I would request a video or telephone meeting. I will look up a teaching hospital ( not clear as of a teaching is) and health facility.
Thank you

Hi John .. feel stupid how do I find connect members?

Just a wee correction…I haven’t had chronic pain for 25 years , it’s been 12 years and 25 different therapies . I sincerely hope I don’t reach the 25 year mark , I really don’t know how I could cope with that .
My stuff plus the referral call have all just gone in in the last 2 weeks , so I haven’t heard anything yet. My journey is pretty complicated , sadly , so it may take a while to put it all together.
I am still interested in connecting with anyone who has been through the program. @rwhinney has been very helpful …I am particularly worried about how to set up a new life at home to return to , so want to talk to as many people as I can . It seems the home part afterwards is critical to not falling back into the same habits .

@boltz7555 Hi Robyn, how have you been doing since we last connected? Have you made progress with the PRC?

@rwinney Hi Rachel - I left a few messages with PRC's direct line and never heard back. In the meantime, I kinda just wrote it off. I've been doing well and mentally in a good place (much better than a few months ago), also good momentum managing life and I don't want to take the break for PRC. I'm not on any pain medication that PRC would work on weaning me off so I find it hard to justify the cost and time away from life but if I find myself struggling again, I'd certainly reconsider. How are you doing?

Hello, Cindy @samz0429. I feel your frustrations of having chronic pain and want to help as best I can.

My earlier post, that you are replying to is regarding Mayo's Pain Rehabilitation Center. The closest PRC to California is Arizona. Are you interested in pain management in general or the Mayo PRC? Do you mind providing a bit more about yourself and your needs?