Each time I read this forum, I begin to tear up and cry. This was a man who gave so much to the field of medicine a patients- he truly "CARED". Why would Purdue Pharma develop a medicine such as OxyContin? Because people need it who suffer from chronic, intractible pain. I am now a patient of Mayo Clinic but I had to sign a contract just to get pain medicine-oh believe me, I signed it right away fearing I would be denied medication. When I moved back to Minnesota, I had a great Physician a lot like Dr. Rose. He cared, he kept me on OxyContin to control the pain and kept me as a patient when I moved over two hundred miles away fearing Mayo Clinic would not do pain management. My father hates that I am on Oxy as I am obviously an emberresment to him. when I was in house at St. Mary's, he teamed up with a nurse there who would go to patients on Oxy and tell them it was ruining your life-never mind the disease or injury you have causing chronic pain. As I have said before, I lost a job because I was interviewed by a liberal newspaper in Chico, Ca., which wrote of my story and struggle with pain. When my boss read it, she fired me when I called into work one day sick. Jesus, what is wrong with people. No one, absolutely no one likes to be in pain, especially for an extended period of time, for me it has been more than 25 years bur as I said before, Dr. Rose saved my life and made it worth living. Dr. Rose was a kind, compassionate and caring human being and I mean it when I say I think he is still practicing medicine in Heaven and looking after he patients still alive and those who have passed. I loved Dr. Rose like a family member, almost like a father as mine is emberessed to talk about my use of Oxycontin legitimately. I recently saw my Uncle and "Step" aunt, the first thing she asked was "are you still on that OxyContin?" My Uncle stepped in and told her to basically shut up as it was my business. Jesus, what is wrong with some people? If I was not on OxyContin, people would see the pain "raw" and constantly ask if I was alright or what is wrong but when you say you are in pain, some look at you as if they could take it and you are just a wussy. I guarantee I can take A LOT OF PAIN but getting it under control is the way to a decent life. Doctors should be sued for malpractice for denying pain patients medication. Still kicking because pain is tolerable- I would not say under control but I would say just tolerable- thanks Mayo Clinic!-Thomas Grinnell- God Bless Dr. Harvey Rose

To the family of Doctor Harvey Rose- Please accept my great condolence for your loss and for one of modern medicines greatest losses. I was a young man, in my early twenties and suffering from a spinal and other joint disease when I read of your fathers work for pain management. i had been to every specialist I could imagine and lost a job due to unrelenting severe chronic pain. I went from a six foot tall former Army medic to suffering from severe chronic pain from a disease known as Ankylosing Spondylitis. The disease fused my spine in a forward curving position, taking over nine inches of height from me as well as my spines ability to flex and move. Now most of my spine is fused, still quite painful. I have had one hip replaced, the other is quite painful but thanks to your father I never went so far as to take my life. Doctor Rose, one of the kindest, most humble human beings I have ever met, took me as a patient even when I worked for Kaiser, did not have insurance that would compensate your father but he met with me and took me as a patient in the mid 1990's, he saved my life and gave me reason to live. I was able to continue working until I was thirty years old and had my first total hip replacement. Kaiser Docs knew this was a severely painful disease, they saw me on a daily basis, did not disagree with pain management but would not take over the care your father offered me. I have only met a few human beings who can stand in the same room with your father, making sure his patients don't give up on life, keeping pain at an acceptable and tolerable level so family and life can be wonderful as they should. I have been looked down at by so many for my pain medication use, but no one seems to say things like "wow, Tom, it must be terrible to lose so much of what life has to offer at such a young age". Your father always made comments like that, knowing he understood what pain and disease can rob a human being of. Your father allowed me to live and to work until arthritis cost me one hip replacement and now has completely fused my spine. When I started seeing your father, I was just shy of six feet tall, now i am barely five feet three inches. None of this was taken surgically, it was due simply to genetics and bad luck- but your father gave me reason to live, to give life a second chance and fight. I left Sacramento in 2000, moving back to Minnesota where my family is- not before your father asked and made absolutely sure I would have continued pain management. Doctor Harvey Rose was one of the kindest, most sincere doctor and human being I have ever met, he saved my life and gave me reason to fight and live. I try to live my life with thoughts of how your father lived life and how he saw life, he was and is one of the most sincere and kindest human beings I have ever met. Fortunately, there are some other Doctors willing to also take on the fight against chronic pain, but Doctor Harvey Leon Rose was the lion in the fight for patients with constant, horrible pain as their closest companions, he gave us reason to fight and to live, God and Heaven has a very special place for Doctor Rose. It was a pleasure to know him, he taught me how to fight the battle against pain, he saved my life and I mean that in the most kind and sincere way. I miss my appointments with Doctor Rose, as he always asked about how my life was, not just how my pain and disease was. Thank God for your father, for his courage and willingness to fight for his patients and what he believed was right. He initiated pain legislation in California with Senator Greene with other states using California's legal legislation as an example and forum for their own legislation- this has undoubtably saved countless lives and made them better and worth living. God bless Doctor Harvey Rose, I have no doubt he now flies with the other angels looking over family, friends and patients, continuing his work from Heaven. God bless Doctor Harvey Leon Rose for being the blessed man and Physician he was and is- may humanity remember him for his endless, tireless work for his patients and those in intractable, chronic pain. I will remember him as long as I live as the Doctor who helped me live a life dominated by pain but with his help, at a level tolerable to me. Thank God for Doctor Rose and those who fought with him and continue the work in the endless fight against intractable, chronic pain. God bless Doctor Rose and those who fought with him, his peers, professionals and his blessed family. May another angel put its arms around Dr. Rose and give him a hug for me and others who miss his smile, his kindness and endless commitment to those in pain. God bless the family and others who gave so much along with Doctor Rose in the fight against chronic pain- may Heaven hold a special place for you. Thomas Grinnell-Rochester, Minnesota, formerly of Sacramento, California.

Hello, my name is Jeff and I was a patient of Dr.Rose for many years, as well as my immediate and extended family. I moved out of state about 2005 and was in contact with his office a number of times after that, but then life got busy, and I didn't keep in touch with how Dr. Rose was doing. I apologize, I've just found out that he passed away. I wish I could have been there for him, just to let him know that he had another one of his patients who appreciated him so much. As I read the news of his passing, I was incredulous to it, and wept as I read and remembered what a caring Doctor he truly was. I've seen so many doctor's over the year's for my chronic pain, but he was easily the most caring, and compassionate of all of them. He prescribed me medication so that I could work, and funtion in life, without the pain overcoming me. I didn't feel "drugged", I was just able to deal with the pain. A couple years before I started seeing him, I wouldn't take an asperin, or even tylonol. The pain got to the point where I really needed help. We started with Ibuprophen, and after time we went to Vicodin, which is all I needed. Sometimes I would feel like I shouldn't be taking those medications, especially when I would here a comment from a family member or even the pharmacy, but I was always reassured by Dr. Rose that it was ok. I've never abused the medicine, and it's allowed me to have a much higher quality of life. Dr. Rose started the process of allowing me to have a higher quality of life, be able to work, enjoy my wife and kids, and not feel like a "drug addict". I can't tell you how much I appreciate him. When I think of what a true doctor should exemplify, I think of Dr. Rose. I really mean this: In the dictionary, next to the word "Doctor", his picture should appear, with a link to this, and other sites. Please indulge me for a quick couple of examples of his compassion: One time he called and left a message on my answering machine, Sunday night at around 10:00pm and let me know the results of a biopsy, telling me everything was ok, and the results were negative. That was in the early 90's. Another time in about 2002, I had another biopsy done that I was really worried about, because I have a wife and kid's, and he called me probably the same hour he got the result's in, because he knew I was worried about it. Other "doctor's" make you wait until they can see you again, for another visit (more money), usually 7 to 10 day's later, and then they'll give you the news. It was great to hear his voice that day, and just to know that this man really cared. He said," hi Jeff, Dr. Rose here, just want to let you know everything,s ok with the biopsy". Between the good news, and this compassion shown me, I actually started to tear up. I wish I could have been there for him, in his time of need, to support him in some way, and let him know how much I appreciated him. I wish I could have been there for his memorial service, to clap for such a wonderful man. To his kid's: you were blessed with a one-of-a-kind, giving, compassionate father. To his other loved one's: you were blessed to know one of the world's great men. A loving man who made life easier for countless people. And let's not forget his incredible sense of humor! May God comfort and bless you all. Jeff