Pubdate: Sat, 18 Jun 2005
Source: Billings Gazette, The (MT)
Copyright: 2005 The Billings Gazette
Contact:  http://www.billingsgazette.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/515
Author: Brad F. Jeldheim, Gazette Staff
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?232 (Chronic Pain)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/motd.htm (Pain Relief Network)

PAIN SUFFERERS RALLY FOR BAUCUS' SUPPORT

More than 30 people crowded outside of Max Baucus' downtown office
Friday afternoon in hopes of giving the senator faces to place with
the names on the dozens of letters his office has received since April
from chronic-pain patients.

"These are people," said Greg Wilkinson, a pain sufferer. "They are
Montana citizens. They are being denied medical care."

Wilkinson has pain from a spine injury three years ago that affects
his body. He is one of about 75 patients who have been unable to get
medication since DEA agents raided Dr. Richard A. Nelson's West End
office and told him to stop treating the chronic-pain patients two
months ago.

The group met on the lawn outside of the Granite Tower, where Sen. Max
Baucus, D-Mont., and Sen. Conrad Burns, R-Mont., have office space.
The patients say the DEA is wrong to stop their treatments. They have
sent letters to both senators, other state officials and federal
officials, but have had not response.

Siobhan Reynolds, the president of the Pain Relief Network, traveled
to Billings from New York this week to meet with Nelson and his
patients. Reynolds said Baucus' office declined an invitation to meet
with the patients Thursday, so she made an appointment with his office
at 1:30 p.m. Friday and invited the patients.

Roberts said she wants the senators to realize the patients are their
constituents.

"We want to humanize the people," she said. "We want the senators to
realize these are people just like them. This could happen to anybody."

Baucus was not there. Communications Director Barrett Kaiser came out
and heard the patients' concerns. The crowd also gave Kaiser a
petition signed by 34 people asking Baucus to initiate a Senate
Judiciary Committee investigation of the actions taken by the DEA and
its interference with the medical needs of Montana residents.

"I promise to take each concern to Max," Kaiser said.

But it is hard to say what will be done, Kaiser said. Baucus believes
in the justice system and has a strict policy not to interfere with
criminal investigations or legal policies, he said.

The patients said they feel Friday's meeting was the first step to
being recognized by Baucus and the other state officials but that
there are still questions to be answered.

Ron Carter, who can't work because of pain in his back and neck from a
botched disc surgery, wondered whether the senators knew anything about
them.

"I want to see if the senators have any idea what's going on," Carter
said.