He is an oasis in a sea of white coats…” To

He is an oasis in a sea of white coats…”

To say that Dr. Marcus and his institute changed my life is an understatement- they “saved my life.” I am a chronic pain patient who suffers from Marfan’s Syndrome. The day I met Dr. Marcus, I was writhing in agony after having my left knee replaced (this was my twenty-first operation in my 40 years of life). At the time, I was experiencing so much pain that I felt life itself was no longer worth it. The doctors that surrounded me didn’t understand why I was in so much pain. I yearned for someone in a white coat to listen.

I will never forget the night he walked into my hospital room. Instead of looking at me as a “clinical oddity” or a “drug addict” looking for more pills, he listened to me. Since that night three years ago, he and his staff have helped me handle three subsequent operations. If there is anything he has done for me, it is to treat me like a human being. As a chronic pain patient, one needs to feel that they are not alone; they can overcome their disability and regain the essence of life. For me, this is what Dr. Marcus symbolizes. He is an oasis in a sea of white coats who are yet to understand how to treat people like me.

Since receiving treatment from Dr. Marcus, I have been able to regain life as a professor, researcher and writer. When I look back and ask myself how this was able to come about, I realize that it was because of Dr. Marcus’s belief in the human spirit to survive pain if given the right tools, treatments and resources. The Marcus Pain Institute has the ability to provide hope, when hope seems beyond the realm of reality. Although Dr. Marcus does not have the capacity to “walk on water” yet (although many of his patients would not be surprised if it happened one day), he has the wonderful gifts of compassion, honesty and integrity. These same qualities he has passed down to his staff. Although I still live with some pain, he has taught me how to manage it and live with it.

For this, I will always be grateful.

Christopher H.