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David Setser

David Alan Setser, of Knoxville and Morristown, Tennessee passed away on October 15, 2001 at the age of 39 at his home. David was a graduate of the University of Tennessee and a very talented freelance graphic designer. His hobbies included reading and collectables. David began having headaches in his early teen years, which were later diagnosed as TMJ. A surgeon convinced him to have his TMJ discs removed and was told, “a new cartilage tissue will form to cushion the joints.” Of course we found out very soon that this procedure was totally experimental. Post-surgery, he was still pretty functional but having a lot of pain and had more surgeries to remove bone fragments.

To alleviate the pain, morphine was injected into the joints. He tried chiropractic, massage therapy, biofeedback. You name it. If he thought there was any chance of pain control, he tried it. Eventually, narcotics offered his only relief and at that, the pain was just tolerable. He was never pain-free. He ate very few solid meals and when he did he suffered for days as a result. When getting together with friends, which was a rarity the last few years, he would have to leave if he talked or laughed too much because the pain would be like “knives stabbing me in the head.” Holidays were difficult because they were centered on food. He insisted that the traditions proceed as normal. However, he felt bad that he couldn’t eat after all the food was cooked and everyone else felt bad for eating in front of him. There was no winning.

A new TennCare doctor had abandoned David because he didn’t feel comfortable writing his narcotic prescriptions. After trying to get into a pain clinic for several weeks, David was assigned a new doctor but would not be able to see him until December. This meant he would be out of medication for over two months.

David developed pneumonia. On Friday he spoke with his mother and told her he was feeling better. On Sunday he did not return her phone calls. Monday he was found dead.

There was a note which, to make a long story short said, “I don’t have a life and now I don’t have a doctor.”

Tragedies such as this must stop. We must educate healthcare providers and insurance companies about the severity of the pain and the difficulties these patients have in getting care. If you have cancer in your body, you get treated. This is like cancer of the TM joints and eventually, emotional cancer, because it eats away at a person until there in nothing left to fight with.

Kim Setser, RN - David's Sister-in-law