"Hospital Emergency and Wards."

I used to be able to have my ketamine infusions at Mt.Beauty but a couple of years ago I was told that they no longer are able to do iv ketamine infusions.

So I started going to Albury Emergency about once every 3 months for ongoing CRPS in both legs and arms. I have had this disease for over 18 years and have had a neuro stimulator implanted and because a couple of wires had fractured I was having to be admitted every 3 months to have a ketamine infusion.

My partner and I arrive at emergency with a letter from my GP stating what has happened and what is required.

The second time I went there, in the ward, I was refused treatment by the then pain management team because the leader only treated holistically and I and my partner and my oldest child spoke ongoing to the medical team. The senior medico asked what I required and I said that I needed Ketamine in order to be relieved of most of the pain.

It took a month of me lying there on my back with my legs and arms in the air like a dead bug in absolute agony before the senior medico decided to contact my Pain Management Specialist whom had just come back from holidays, went to his home and managed for the specialist to come in at 7am the next morning and immediately have me started on ketamine infusion. 6 days later I was out and back home after nearly a month of agony. Emergency department staff do pretty well considering what's been happening in the hospital as a whole lately.

We generally wait up to 10 hrs in emergency waiting room before I am admitted and then it can depend on the PMT when they start my infusion and also how much. Last time wasn't worth it and after 5 days a nurse said it was time I went home. So I did and my partner was furious.

I have never been a drug addict and if I could not have to have ketamine I would choose not to. It is not a great experience but it does reduce my pain from 10-12 to 2-3 if I'm given the correct quantities for me. 

Perhaps more instruction in the understanding of CRPS would be more helpful and I would stop getting that drug addict look everytime I come in.

I am on a low income pension and now I have to have private health so I can be treated by my specialist in a private hospital. When does it ever end. The apparent beauracracy and all the claptrap between different teams in the hospital.