Chronic pain vs. new drug laws....please at least read. It's time we were heard.

It is not necessary to know who I am...just that I am a person who suffers.

I have never responded or posted in any way on Facebook or any other social network (except a chronic pain site) and found this so compelling that I had to put my feelings onto virtual paper.

Chronic pain patients come in all shapes, sizes, colors, and socio-economic conditions.  We don't plan to be hurt or to hurt.  We want lives just like other people.  We want to be able to care for our prescious children or to do simple things like bake a cake for a child's birthday party, but often we can't.  The pain is too great.  It does not matter the reason for the pain.  It is there and it is unrelenting. 

Pain is something that is very personal to me.  I do not wear my handicaped sticker as a badge of honor.  I am ashamed to need the medications that I do.  I cry tears of PAIN and I undergo extremely painful procedures to find some kind of relief, if there is success.  Pain meds are not the first level of treatment.  They are often the last.  But, they do give me some relief.  Pain is NEVER gone....it lurks just below the the tollerable edge and if you "forget" to take your meds on the schedule your doctor has set for you, it will take over and control every aspect of your life. 

If you are in true pain, you cannot drive, you cannot think...except about getting relief, you cannot concentrate on anyone or anything...except reducing the pain.  Is is really right to expect people to live like this?  Should people have to suffer when suffering can be reduced even slightly by one very inexpensive medication? 

I do not think that we should just give out meds to anyone who wants them.  I do believe in X-Rays, MRI's, surgeries, and whatever procedures may help....but do not take away the only thing that allows me to have a life.  I'm not a "junkie"... I'm not a drug dealer... I'm a real person, with real pain and a real family who needs a mother.  We are a two parent home.   Both parents worked very long and very hard for over 20 years, but I was hurt.  It happened.  It was beyond my control.  Should I be punished because someone "thinks" they know better than I how badly I suffer?  That is a personal medical matter...between me and my Doctors.  It is not for someone else to decide.  Most of those wanting to make that decision only turn their heads when they see someone like me shuffling by them in a store or they curse me when I don't walk fast enough or laugh when I start sweating profusely from the pain.  They don't look into you eyes for that would make them see into the soul.....and that is something the do not want to see.

Well at least we did get a blurb on the news. It's a start.  And the official who brought the bill said he knew there would be people who would be hurt. But I read most of the law and it is ok!  I don't care about their rules...as I am a legit patient.  I do worry about the max of meds you can get though. How can they say that? Some need more than others! Do you petition the dea for more? would your doctor? I doubt it. That bothers me. But the step therapy...trying less potent drugs first...well yes! And I did.  I keep proof of that. And it's in my docs records. I've had procedures. My rfa helped alot. Other states do have worse laws than Ohio though. Like I've heard that seattle pushed methodone and alot of people died according to the seattle times. So ...

Well anyway...you aren't alone in not wanting to post there.  But if we are to change things even in another name we will only get change is we teach people what it's about. But again we all have our own feelings about that and choice. We shouldn't be in mental pain along with physical pain so it's important that we do what makes us as happy as possible to avoid any stress. 

Hoping you all are having a better pain day.

     LOL...your log off button is on the second dark blue line down clear on the lefthand side. I search for it too,.. every once in a while...and I have been here since 2009!

 SE

I'm soon to face another drug test. I heard that there is a special test called gas something...I found out about it on samsa a govt site. There are fda approved labs to do this special test that knocks the guess out of it...and the false positives.  I'm going to tell my doc I want that test if I ever fail. God knows I don't even sip wine let alone mistake my meds or take illegal anything.  I'm terrified even of meds I'm on as they are reported to cause false positives. I live in fear and pain.  I try to pray and ask God to take my fear away but I still worry. 

 I remember before treatment laying in bed...a major task just to bathe.  My husband bringing me food to the bed. Couldn't even sit on a chair to type...had to do it in bed and twist my neck and back around to see the screen and type.  And I only did that to search for help with my pain. The man on the tv show said he hurt so bad he wanted to cry til he got treatment. I remember laying on the floor and couldn't even breathe it hurt so bad...I took tiny little breaths of air til the attack left me. I prayed to die if I couldn't get help.  On the show they asked the politition if he had thought about what some of these laws could do to people making it hard to get treatment for pain. He said 'oh yes. anytime you bring a major changing law it's bound to have unwanted effects'.  Well that is not an OK answer to me.  Like...for the better good of all' sort of thing. Instead of using his head and making sure we got treatment while the druggies do not. Look...if you have an MRI with part of your spine missing...come ON!

I don't believe for a minute a doc would sleep at night turning me away for help....and yet they did over and over and.... It's not the law. It's the doctors.  The law isn't restricting. It says you must try lesser drugs before stronger ones. I agree. It says you can only get a certain amount of meds. I DO NOT agree. Some are tolerant and need more.  I was going to get a drug pump because I couldn't get treatment. Pumpster (yahoo) people told me no...that is not a reason for a pump. It's for people who are so tolerant oral pills don't work anymore. Thank God they told me and I held out and finally now do get some help.  I'm allergic to most antibiotics so repeat surgeries for battery changes etc. wouldn't work for me.

When I had my spinal surgery I was told I'd need pain management when I got to my home state. I didn't know what nerve or muscle pain was...or chronic pain. FINALLY I came to understand. So I found a good doc good in RFA's. Got rid of most of the nerve pain. Education is slim out there. Surgeons don't tell you about pain. And what you may need to get rid of it. Thank God for the internet and people like yourselves on forums. How about the poor people who don't have pc's? They lay and suffer and no one helps them. When I see newbies anyplace I make it my business to ask about symptoms and try to get them to the right treatment options. I had no one...finally found a site and one lady took me under her wing and taught me. Then I could get help.

Gee listen to ME going on and on.  I'm sorry.  Well consider this my intro lol  Nice to meet you all.   

    (edited for eaiser reading) SE   

Post Edited By Moderator (Screaming Eagle) : 4/30/2012 7:30:34 AM (GMT-6)

you say 'people make you feel'....

I used to do this also. Now I tell them the truth, they are wrong, then I turn and walk away. Either they will believe me or stay prejudiced and small selfish minded and judgemental. I have no control over their minds.  I give them the information they lack and walk away. Please never let them 'make  you feel'.  You are in the right. Say so and refuse to let their hatred/ignorance infiltrate your mind. They aren't worth it.