My mother is a complicated case: stage 5 terminal kidney disease, anemia, extremely severe ankylosing spondylitis, a biliary tube, feeding tube and ostomy bag with frequent ER visits. She can barely walk 50ft without suffering exhaustion and lays in her medical bed 24/7 because her neck, shoulders and spine are in such severe pain. She literally cannot look up. All documented. We were referred to this office to continue her pain meds. She had a urine test in the first visit, and upon the second visit the PA said they found 1.8ml of norfentanyl but NO fentanyl, only metabolite - which is EXACTLY what shows up after routine medical fentanyl given in the ER and during routine procedures (she is in the ER on average biweekly). This result does NOT prove misuse (misuse shows both fentanyl and norfentanyl, also 10-2,000ml) and also has end stage kidney failure which causes massive delays in clearance. The PA kept saying she needs to see the fentanyl documented and that “if you can’t give me documentation on the fentanyl I cannot give you pain medication.” The NORFENTANYL was complete news to us and we were in shock. My mom was so embarrassed for something she didn’t even know about, as if she did something wrong. The PA was more accusatory to my poor tiny 100lb dying mother in a wheelchair than actually helpful. She also kept insisting it means my mom took fentanyl within 3 days before the test which is not the case in kidney disease patients (lack of kidney clearance means it can stay up to one month). My mom asked to have another urine sample done today, nearly pleading with the PA, who told her “You can do the urine sample but if it comes back clean it doesn’t mean I’ll prescribe you medication”. Quite frankly I was fuming because I’ve seen my mom suffer enough and she is as far as possible from a drug addict. She sits in bed unable to move all day only getting up to vomit. If my dying mother cannot get pain medication after proving her case with MRIs, hospital stays, etc. then who actually can from this place? She offered my mother an extremely painful steroid injection that my mother is terrified of. Reading these reviews, it looks like they offer it to everyone. I have messaged her primary doctor to sort this out and get a referral to another office. My mother should NOT be punished or cut off from pain medication based solely on this. It seems unethical. To top it off, their restroom is highly unsanitary. They have taken out all of the paper towels because according to the receptionists, “people kept flushing them down the toilet”, so instead of considering a sign or any other logical step, they placed paper towels outside of the restroom next to the receptionists desk. This is embarrassing for patients and so gross…at a doctors office?! I don’t want to touch the door entering or exiting. And why on earth was their first thought to take the paper towels away?! My mother is at risk for functional decline without pain control. This is cruel, dismissive, and not in line with responsible pain management or compassionate care. If your loved one is medically complex, go anywhere else. We felt punished instead of cared for, and my mom is the one suffering for it.
Kimberly Hunt · November 27th, 2025