David R.*
My mother, after 30 years of raising a family and teaching the mentally handicapped, retired from teaching and returned to the ice rink to resume competitive figure skating, an activity that she gave up when she was still a young girl in Montana. By the time she was 70, she had mastered all but the highest level (the judges would not let her jump due to the risk of injury) and was nationally ranked for her age group (50-80). She continued to skate and win until she was stricken with shingles at the age of 75. The resurgence of the herpes zoster virus was followed by Postherpetic Neuralgia (PHN).
Like most seniors, she relied heavily on the general practitioner that had successfully treated her for years for her various sports-related injuries. Unfortunately, the various treatments he tried for her PHN did not work for her.
My mother was now in pain and not able to get the exercise she needed and the competition that she desired. After some urging to take literature on LYRICA® (pregabalin) capsules CV to her doctor, she now is on LYRICA and back on the ice with my father, her husband of 52 years. Her professional coach is already scheduling her for competitions later this spring. She is the oldest accomplished competitive figure skater in the U.S. and wishes to continue to hold that position.
The pain is not all gone and there are bad moments, but there are no more lightning bolts shooting out of her side. As long as she can go to Colorado for the Nationals in June, my mother does not care if there is a small reminder that she suffers from a condition that affects an estimated 500,000 people per year. She has called me many times in the last few weeks, almost ecstatic, that she can once again function on the ice. My mother cannot tell me often enough about the wonderful feeling that she gets by being able to do what she loves without pain, even at 5:00 in the morning, when she wakes up to go to the rink.
*This is an adaptation of an actual letter received by Pfizer. Results may not be typical. Individual results may vary.
