qualified MB BS; GMC
Registration number 3165869*
Began houseman posts: first in general surgery: 6 months at Chelmsford
Hospital (Essex)then 6 months in Ipswich (Suffolk) : 3 months general
medicine, followed by 3 months endocrinology and haematology.
Locum SHO post in Neurology at Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge August
1987
SHO Accident and Emergency,
Chelmsford (5 months)
SHO Psychogeriatrics Goodmayes Hospital, London 4 months
SHO Acute Psychiatry 9 months St. Lawrence's Hospital, Bodmin
Some of the earlier details may be
available in the 1986-7 Medical Directory (my number was 5015345 under my
maiden name Sarah Alexandra Andreae-Jones; address at that time 266 Mile
End Road Stepney Green, London E1 4LJ )
* registration was changed to retired list in 1990 when retired through
ill-health.
I married and had 3 children and
hoped to return to work but my health continued to decline, my back
problem deteriorated to the point where I had to undergo emergency for
severe congenital stenosis and also prolapsed L5 and S1 in 1995.
I have continued to have
considerable health problems since then.
I became a patron of the UK charity,
the Arachnoiditis Trust in early 1998, and have worked as the principle
member of their medical working party since.I also joined the US based
online group, COFWA at around the same time and have had daily contact
with many arachnoiditis sufferers since then. I also work with the New
Zealand-based group ASAMS and some of my articles have been published in
their newsletter.
I have given talks to the Trust at 3 Arachnoiditis Trust AGMs, as well as
to a more local sub-group. I have also spoken at a conference of the
Environmental Assistance in London("Toxic Aspects of Arachnoiditis") and
the British Chiropractic Association in October 1999.("The role of the
chiropracter in recognising the arachnoiditis syndrome")
I have published articles on Arachnoiditis(various, long, short, handbook
for GPs,summary, article for alternative health magazine In Balance: last
one entitled "Spiders in Your Spine?"), Stenosis, Central Pain, Headaches
in Arachnoiditis.My 1999 survey on arachnoiditis published on the Internet
by Dr.Charles Burton, of the Institute of Low Back and Neck Care,
Minnesota, an expert neurosurgeon who has wide clinical experience of
treating patients with arachnoiditis.I have also run a small survey of
treatments being used for various conditions that cause chronic pain this
year and the results have been passed on to the groups who participated.
Articles I write tend to be
overviews of topics presented to aid sufferers of arachnoiditis and their
doctors in their understanding of this complex condition. As a rule, I
restrict my personal opinion to comments that are clearly indicated as
purely my own view.
I have also given radio interviews
in UK( for You and Yours Radio 4) and Australia.
I liaise at times with other doctors
who may be neurologists, GPs or pain specialists, both in UK and
abroad.Any of their opinions or information is always clearly denoted and
referenced if I use it with their permission in publications.
I regularly contact members of the
UK government concerning issues to do with arachnoiditis.(e.g memorandum
to the Health Select Committee re: Adverse Clinical Incidents June 1999;
meeting with Department of Health April 2000)
I receive mail from around the world
every day and do what little I can to pass on balanced information and
support. I do not, however, ever offer individual advice as this would be
highly unethical.I always strive to make this point entirely clear to
those I write to.
As regards my personal experience as
a patient: I have suffered chronic pain for 20 years, since my mid-teens.I
feel that this is of great help in furthering my understanding of the
suffering of others in chronic pain and this can hopefully impact
positively on any help I may offer.
Recent articles include "The Scourge of Unrelieved Chronic Pain" and a
series on various palliative treatments including narcotics and adjunctive
medication. |
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