Finding Life Again: One Patient’s Journey to Pain Relief at Conway Medical Center
For over 15 years, Rebecca (Becky) Morrow’s life was defined by chronic pain and the heavy burden of narcotics. Following lung cancer surgery, her reliance on pain medication escalated, leading to a cocktail of hydrocodone, morphine, and Dilaudid. “Every time you asked for anything else, it was, ‘here, more narcotics’,” she recalls. Moving to a new area only compounded her struggle, as she had difficulty finding a pain management specialist and encountered practices that didn’t align with her goal: to wean off narcotics.
The turning point came with a referral to Dr. Simone Maybin, Interventional Pain Specialist at Conway Medical Center Orthopaedics. “Someone suggested Dr. Maybin,” Morrow shares, “and she had this caring, bubbly, ‘Yes, I’ll help you’ attitude.” Unlike previous experiences, Dr. Maybin listened and understood Morrow’s desire to reduce her narcotic use. “I wanted off narcotics,” Morrow emphasized, “and she said we would work together to help me get off them. And she’s done a fantastic job.”
Dr. Maybin’s approach was comprehensive and collaborative, providing support and guidance throughout the medication reduction process. “She didn’t say, ‘okay, well, you don’t have to come, but every couple of months,'” Morrow explains. “She asked me, and I said, ‘it’s kind of nice. It’s nice to know I’m coming off of them, but it’s also nice to know that I have somebody who has my back’.”
The consistent care, including regular 30-day appointments and readily available support from Dr. Maybin’s nurses, Jennifer and Gina, played a crucial role in Morrow’s journey. Dr. Maybin addressed the underlying causes of her pain, performing a cervical ablation, lumbar ablation, and lumbar epidurals, as well as coordinating with CMC Sports Medicine physicians to treat her shoulder and knee pain.
The results have been transformative. “I’m back to work full time at 70 years old,” Morrow shares with a proud smile. “They’ve done wonders for me. There is no better doctor in this world than Dr. Maybin.”
Morrow’s initial state was a stark contrast to her current condition. “You can ask Dr. Maybin the first time I walked into her office. I was not working. I was down. I looked like an old cripple. And actually, I was,” she recounts. “When you’re sitting at home popping pills and you think that’s what you’re supposed to do, life gets pretty depressing.”
Dr. Maybin’s comprehensive approach, combining medication management with other treatments, has led to remarkable progress. “When I came to her, I was on four to six hydrocodone pills a day, 10/325,” Morrow recalls. “And my last prescription from her was for 12 pills. I’m down that far, and I will probably be narcotic-free in the next few months. And my pain is bearable. I mean, it’s almost gone.”
This patient’s story is a testament to the power of compassionate, patient-centered care. At CMC Orthopaedics, Dr. Maybin and her team are dedicated to helping individuals reclaim their lives and find lasting relief from chronic pain. If you or a loved one is struggling with pain management, we encourage you to explore the services and expertise available at Conway Medical Center.
