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In a short span of four years, Brenda Klass went
from a happy healthy mother of two beautiful children to a chemically
dependent individual whose body was crippled by pain. She was told
by physicians to "Learn to live with her pain", that she
would never be cured. She believed this for 13 years, remained home
and bed bound, 100% totally disabled.
It all began in 1974. Brenda and her two children were involved
in a relatively minor automobile accident. The children were playing
around in the back seat and had unsecured their seat belts. The
oncoming accident seemed to be happening in slow motion and as she
looked in the rear view mirror and saw her son being thrown from
the back seats towards the windshield. Brenda, as any mother would,
turned to her son to keep him from flying forward just as the impact
of the accident occurred. Neither child was hurt, luckily. However
Brenda decided to get them to the pediatrician to be examined thoroughly.
While at the pediatrician’s office, the doctor noticed that
Brenda was limping and suggested that she seek medical care. Putting
her children first concerned for their welfare, she did not realize
she was injured. She took the children home and Brenda overlooked
the doctor’s suggestion.
Approximately three days later, after the accident, Brenda began
vomiting blood, experiencing severe abdominal pain, and her back
pain was unrelenting, she was admitted to St. Joseph’s Hospital.
There, she underwent three weeks of evaluation and care under the
direction of an internist, Ob-Gyn and orthopedic surgeon. Her uterus
had been perforated as a result of her IUD being dislodged in the
impact. Following her release from the hospital, the pain in Brenda’s
back increased to the point of immobilization. She was unable to
work, was placed on a variety of medications and received physical
therapy three times a week. Doctors had established that she was
suffering from a herniated disc. It was a borderline disc and due
to her young age, considering the risks relative to surgical intervention,
the physicians were reluctant to perform the procedure. After several
months of treatment, when improvement was not being seen, in fact
she was progressively becoming more incapacitated; she underwent
risky surgery spinal surgery.
Through all of these challenges, her personal relationships suffered
severely. Her fiancée left her out of his frustrations in
not being able to help her. She was living in a two story home and
found she could not navigate the stairs. Friends and family were
now staying away and not calling or visiting. Her ex-husband had
to take custody of her children as a result of her deteriorating
condition. She found herself alone, depressed and miserable. Once
again, Brenda was hospitalized for 6 weeks, released to home care
to return to the hospital 3 weeks later again for another 6 weeks.
This occurred once more until a second surgery was performed. Physicians
stated her laminectomy had failed, a spinal fusion was now necessary.
Against the desires of her family, she decided to undergo her second
surgery in the hopes that this one would be the one to bring her
mobility back. Once released from the hospital, Brenda was placed
in a "chair-back" brace and moved from her home into a
one level apartment with round the clock care. She remained in a
seemingly endless state of depression which gradually drove nearly
everyone from her life. She was reclusive and felt isolated. She
was not improving. Physicians were recommending higher levels of
medication. She was in and out of the hospital several times during
the next two months. Physicians determined the cause of her pain
was damage to the dura during her fusion. They once again recommended
further surgery which she underwent. She spent two months in the
hospital recovering.
After two years, 50+ hospitalizations, three surgeries, 47 different
kinds of medication and complications from toxicity, not to mention
the endless medical bills, Brenda had reached her limit with her
ability to deal with these challenges. She was now in constant pain
with only partial use of one leg. She knew something had to happen
to change the course of her life.
Somehow she managed to find the courage to fight through the pain
in a concerted effort to regain control of her life. She returned
to work on a part time basis and had finally begun to re-enter society.
Brenda met a man and fell in love. She was in the process of planning
their wedding, when she found herself facing, yet another surgery
as a result of her weakening spinal column. The surgery was scheduled,
unfortunately, on her birthday. Until the surgery she was prescribed
a morphine derivative injection drug, increased doses of valium
and sleeping pills to help her deal with the pain. As if this wasn’t
enough of a challenge, her fiancé sent her a note that he
was leaving, as she was coming out of recovery from her fourth surgery.
This was a wonderful birthday present and two months before their
wedding day! Brenda sank into depression, as she was left with no
emotional support, in a perpetual state of fear, and alone. Dealing
with all of this as she once again began to address rehabilitation
from the surgery.
Eventually, as a result of her strong will, Brenda once again had
her life back in control, and in 1977 she was married, began a new
career and had even learned to walk again without any type of assistive
device. Unfortunately, in November of 1978, Brenda was driving her
husband’s car when failed lug nuts allowed the front wheels
to come off the vehicle as she was driving. After three prior failed
back surgeries, she was now facing her fourth. She was becoming
severely depressed and was now completely dependent on pain medications.
With each day she became increasing dysfunctional, violent and suicidal.
Another surgery was attempted, and then another by now she had 7
surgeries on her back.
While still in recovery, Brenda was driving through a canyon when
sniper fire hit her car. She swerved and spun out into an empty
lot. Thankfully Brenda was not injured physically. However, the
trauma sent her into shock. When the paramedics arrived at the scene
and saw her prescription for antidepressants on the front seat of
the car, they assumed that she had overdosed. The police arrested
her for driving under the influence, and transported her to a local
hospital. When she awoke she was informed she had been arrested
and released to the hospital for driving under the influence, even
though it had been verified the dosage in her blood were as prescribed
by her physician. After speaking to her physician the hospital released
her to his care after several days.
This incident caused Brenda’s doctor to recommend admission
into a detoxification and pain management program to which she relented.
Shortly after that she was once again hospitalized due to ongoing
decompensation. The physicians in order to manage her pain, had
been increasing her dosage of pain medications. She had become psychotic
and so violent that she was placed in restraints as a result of
the medication combinations and her unrelenting pain and disability.
The beginning path of her detoxification was such a struggle that
the doctors gave Brenda’s husband a dim prognosis of little
hope that his wife would recover mentally and or physically. Brenda,
was luckier than most and while at the hospital she met with a psychiatrist
who understood pain and medications. He let her know then that she
was not crazy but having a severe psychotic drug reaction. This
news gave Brenda a new fire for life as suddenly there was hope.
The doctor introduced her to a pain management program at that hospital
to help her learn to deal with the pain drug-free. She entered the
program.
This program, working with psychologists, doctors and physical therapists,
was to teach Brenda a new and effective way to deal with her pain
through management rather than drugs. This program was unsuccessful
at that point, as she was not willing to let go of control and trust
the physician who was the medical director of the program. She was
asked to leave the program. There was a part of Brenda that so wanted
to regain control of her life and this desire was growing stronger
than the sick part. She requested many of the staff to continue
on with her as an outpatient. The physical medicine physician, psychologist
and psychiatrist did remain with her and together the three of them
put together an outpatient program tailored to Brenda’s need,
and not the "cookie cutter" experience she’d had
as an inpatient. It was a very long and slow recovery with many
ups and downs. She had learned to trust these physicians, and they
did not allow her to manipulate them into giving her what she wanted
in treatment, but what would be best for her. She began to improve,
and became stronger each day until she once again had control of
her life. As a result of this experience, she chose to make a life
long commitment to help others who suffered as she did, from chronic
pain.
Brenda obtained a B.A. in Psychology and her Master’s in Marriage,
Family and Child Counseling by going back to school. Additionally,
she studied under the guidance of Dr. David Bressler, a pioneer
in pain management at the University of California at Los Angeles.
Convinced that chronic pain could be dealt with more effectively
through pain management rather than the traditional current treatment
of prescribed medications, Brenda continued her research and studies
in chronic pain, earning her Ph.D. in Psychology specializing in
pain management. But she did not stop there. She began attending
as many educational resources in the areas of pain she could find.
At this time the study of chronic pain management was limited on
the West Coast.
The challenges that had once plagued her were now her source for
inspiration. The specialists who aided her recovery were now part
of a new medical team. She created and founded a clinic specializing
in chronic pain management. This facility was called Care Center
Pain Management. Brenda’s complete medical team had incorporated
tenets of the 12-step recovery program along with multi-disciplinary
treatment. After several years the facility had grown, including
its name which was now Care Center Rehabilitation and Pain Management,
and a new larger facility was constructed. Brenda had remained in
contact with David Bressler through the years, and they now began
to work together at the new location. This has become a Center for
Excellence in Rehabilitation and Pain Management in Encino. The
Center is involved in research and utilizes the newest techniques
in their treatment. Although Brenda still experiences pain, it is
now manageable. She does not utilize medications because she uses
the coping skills taught at the Center. She had her ninth back surgery
in 1998 when she was out of the Center for three weeks. She incorporated
the skills taught at the Center post surgically and discontinued
the use of pain medications one day after surgery. She was back
to work in six weeks with no restrictions and her recovery is a
perfect example of what the Care Center offers to others who experience
chronic pain.
"Everyone has hope as long as they’re breathing. What
they need is guidance and controlled assistance in recovery of all
aspects of chronic pain. Individuals in pain need to understand
that the emotions associated with pain, as well as drug reactions
are all part of a chronic pain syndrome. At the Care Center we help
heal and manage the whole person in every aspect; physical, psychological
and emotional. To not treat the entire person only prolongs the
pain and disability. My recovery was guided by professionals who
were highly trained physicians and therapists in pain. This was
an invaluable part of my own healing process. Some of these same
professionals are currently part of the team at Care Center. To
deal with every aspect of this incredibly debilitating disorder,
one needs a very sophisticated and intense re-training program.
Once a victim – now a victor."
Even though pain is a part of Brenda’s everyday life, she won’t
allow it to incapacitate her. She continues to actively pursue the
training and development of treatment through Pain Management with
physicians from all over the country who value her insight and inspiration
through her hands-on experience. She is actively a part of the operations
at Care Center Rehabilitation and Pain Management, and spends time
working with patients and giving hope.
Recently Brenda was coming home from a pain meeting when she was
attacked and brutally beaten. He threatened to kill her, and the
same fight she used to regain her health was once again brought
out. She had worked too hard and had come too far to let someone
take her health and life away from her. She fought the attacker,
he had hit her several times over the head with his fists, a stun
gun, and a gun, and yet she would not give up. At that point he
ran off, leaving her bloody but not beaten. through this entire
ordeal all of her body mechanics; everything she was taught and
teaches at the Center came to her mind. She used them all. She had
stitches, headaches, bruises, some aches and pain but her back was
not harmed. She was off work for one week working with the police
in identification of the individual, and to allow for the sutures
to heal her head wounds.
Brenda, one year later, is seen still working with governmental
legislation and intervention to help the medical industry in exposing
the "mill-type clinics". She is active within various
organizations to promote legislature which will clean up treatment
facilities, so that patients don’t utilize what monies or benefits
they have for inappropriate treatment.
"It is a long process to create a reputable clinic completely
dedicated to the recovery of a person experiencing chronic pain,
and many facilities today are opening daily claiming they are pain
experts, when they are not. However, I am confident that with consistent
dedication to my staff, our patients, and my pursuit of understanding
and providing the finest available treatment, that the patients
at Care Center will receive what they need and will " Improve
the Quality of their life"
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