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For what its worth, I went through a situation with someone who suffered from chronic pain. The doctors, pain specialists, neurosurgeons, working together almost destroyed this person, reducing him to a blithering, near-comatose state, and still couldn't help the pain.

I sat down and analyzed the stuff they were prescribing and to my unschooled eyes, based on my un-schooled research, it looked like the assortment of medications were working at cross-purposes. Somehow, despite the pain and the severely medicated state, the person understood that they were killing him, and took control of his own condition. They tried to frighten him into staying under their care, but he quit the whole thing cold turkey, and started treating himself. Nutrition, workouts at the gym despite the severe pain, and over the next couple of years the pain subsided and despite some bad days, you wouldn't know he was ever in the shape he was in.

They almost killed him. I hate doctors.

But based on that I have an understanding of what chronic pain can do to you, and how unbelievably incompetent doctors can be. They are great if you have a broken bone, or a gunshot wound, something clearcut, but if its complicated they don't know what to do, so they wing it, blame the patient, medicate you, fob you off to other doctors when their one-minute diagnosis doesn't solve it.

It was painful to watch someone almost be destroyed this way, but seeing them take control and fight their way back to health in an almost miraculous fashion has been awe-provoking. One of a few times in my life when I swear I saw the hand of God at work.

I don't know Rush's case, it amazes me that he could be as sharp as he was if he was as medicated as he supposedly was.

I can relate to your friend. After a bad car accident the doctors tried to get me in their "Medical Factory". I wouldn't go. I'd seen what they'd done to my mother after her back surgery. It took me two years to get rid of the pain that I could, and learn to live with the pain that I couldn't.

However, in Rush's case, I suspect some impatience may have added to the tragedy. I don't think Rush may have had the time and patience to do a year of physical therapy. One of the advantages of surgery is that when it works, it works fairly quick. Rush may have pushed for surgery to get the pain over with and, in doing so, only set himself up for more. Poor guy.