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Last week, a patient asked me to pray with her, and I did. That, in itself, made the visit extraordinary. But the time spent getting to know this patient over the course of several visits is the real family medicine story I want to share with you.
I first met 52-year-old Thelma a few months ago as a new patient. She had a 25year history of chronic back and leg pain stemming from an auto accident. She had made the usual rounds to pain consultants, tried numerous medications, and undergone multiple procedures--but still had daily pain. I was starting to get that uneasy feeling that she would be difficult to manage....