clients. Oh, and it doesn’t hurt that I live a few blocks from the office.” When she’s not pinch-hitting for us, Jane is enjoying her retirement with Dave, her husband of 48 years. “We love to travel,” Jane says, “especially to places like South Carolina and the Lancaster, Pennsylvania, area.” Jane is particularly fond of the American Music Theater in Lancaster. “One of our favorite activities is to go see classic country performers like Bobby Bear, Charlie Pride, you name it. Whenever we see a Mickey Gilley show on the calendar, you can bet we’ll be there. We think he’s just the tops.” Mostly, though, she’s just excited to be living life on her own terms. “Dave and I both worked very hard to give ourselves freedom in retirement,” she states. “Now that the time is here, we’re determined to make the most of it. And stepping in when Lisa needs me is a very fulfilling part of it.” PMB attorneys and clients can rest easy knowing that no detail will be overlooked when their paralegals are out, because Jane is on the job! We appreciate Jane’s help and hope that she and Dave continue to enjoy a fun-filled retirement. narcotic medications — perhaps going too far and preventing patients with agonizing pain from obtaining short-term pain relief. In my view, the opioid epidemic will not disappear just because the pendulum swings back to the era in which pain relief was reserved for terminal illnesses. Acute pain can and should be treated immediately. But we cannot forget that pain is also the body’s way of communicating with us about an injury, so masking pain with the fog of narcotics is not always the best course of action. Perhaps insurance carriers should start considering authorizing treatment plans with an eye toward longer-term solutions. For example, back pain sufferers may benefit from a medically supervised weight loss program. Alternative medicine, such as acupuncture and chiropractic care, should also be offered to patients who would prefer to avoid surgery and its accompanying risks. At the same time, no amount of conservative care will fix certain injuries that require surgery without delay. The insurance industry, physicians, and patients should take a more holistic approach to medicine in order to encourage long-term health and avoid the use of narcotics for chronic pain. Ask your doctor to discuss alternatives to narcotic pain medication, which should be used sparingly. Become an advocate for yourself, get those recommendations in writing, and call us if you need help getting insurance coverage. Please also talk with a professional if you feel like you have become dependent upon medication. Call New Jersey’s addiction help line at 1-844-ReachNJ (1-844-732-2465) to connect yourself or a loved one with organizations that provide substance abuse and support services to those struggling with addiction. There is help available, but you have to want it. Ultimately, we are all responsible for our own health and happiness. JANE NICKEL Catching Up With Jane on Retirement
Jane worked in the legal field for 27 years, starting with attorney Frank Morelli, who is still “of counsel” to PMB. She slowly transitioned from working with Frank to working full-time with Lisa, until her retirement a couple of years ago. We knew that she would be sorely missed by everyone at PMB and our clients, so we are very grateful that she has stayed in touch during retirement. Jane has even been kind enough to return to work on occasion when team members are out on vacation and we need an extra hand. Her familiarity with our practice allows her to slot in seamlessly. “I admire Lisa tremendously, so I’m always happy to help out when I can,” Jane notes. “It’s a great place to work, and it means a lot to me to be able to help failed, leading to several additional surgeries. It was obvious that John was addicted to pain medications and should have been referred to a detoxification program. He was not. Instead, his pain medication was abruptly deauthorized, which drove John to feed his addiction with illegal drugs. While his case was pending, he was found dead of an overdose on Christmas morning. The case of another client who developed an addiction to prescription drugs thankfully ended on a more hopeful note. Bill suffered multiple injuries after he fell off of a roof at work. His case was settled with the understanding that he could return to active medical treatment through workers’ compensation upon request. He called the insurance carrier to request a return visit to the workers’ compensation physician since he was suffering from increased pain. His call was ignored. Unfortunately, he did not call my office. Instead, he scheduled an appointment with an unscrupulous doctor who began prescribing high doses of narcotics rather than investigating the source of his pain. Bill eventually lost his job. It was his wife who wrote to me pleading for help, tearfully explaining that she no longer recognized her husband. We fought with the workers’ compensation carrier to get Bill admitted to a rehabilitation hospital. After multiple motions, he was eventually assigned to a doctor who helped him overcome his addiction and reunite with his family. When his reopened case was finally resolved, I was thrilled to see him appear in Court with his wife and daughter, looking like a new man. He was back to work with a stable job and vowed never to return to drug use. Unfortunately, many people who have fallen into the trap of prescription drug abuse wear out the patience of families who love them, doctors who try to treat them, and lawyers who attempt to assist them. Once they enter the underworld of addiction, many can only find their way out with the help of a higher power. How, then, do seriously injured patients with chronic pain lead normal lives without developing an addiction? Many states, including New Jersey, have significantly cracked down on physicians who overprescribe CONTINUED FROM COVER ...
–Lisa Pezzano Mickey
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