(4 days ago) Heidi H. from Rogers, AR writes:
My brother in law commited suicide last year because his VA doc suddenly, and without talking to him began weaning him off a high dose of Morphine. He had so much pain that he could barely move around. He couldn’t get anyone at the VA to return his calls… he said he just can’t live with pain and the VA was torturing him. Then he put a bullet through his head. Has the VA decided that it’s preferable that disabled vets just end their own lifes instead of live with an opiate addiction?
I, myself, have been living with unresolved/unaddressed disabling level of chronic pain in my eyes for six years. It effects every waking minute of my life. Doctors would do nothing to determine cause of pain manage my pain. I keep ice packs on my eyes for much of the day. I can’t go anywhere. I can’t enjoy anything anymore… since the pain won’t let up. I gave up on doctors. I stopped trying a year ago. I hope whatever it is that causes my pain progresses rapidly, hopefully resulting in my death… I cannot just live like this much longer.
Why don’t they just start putting all of us with severe chronic pain into lethal gas chambers… not only to end our misery… but also to spare any more doctors from being bothered by our quest for a mythical medical doctor who really wants to help us.
(3 days ago) Someone from Pullman, WA writes:
I live in chronic pain, everyday of my life. I hate to admit it, but I have often wanted to end my life, due to my pain, and the exhaustion I have due to the struggle. I hate it, but I need pain medication to help ease my pain. The disease I have has no cure; I have nothing I can ” strive for” as far as long term Improvment of my progressive disease. The only way I have a sliver of quality of life , is because of my pain medication. I’m SO sick of being ” labled ” because I need my pain medication. I can’t help but suffer, the way doctor’s are treating patients with chronic pain is horrifying! Some people actually do need pain medications to live, stop the negitive harrassment and labeling that we are ” bad people, doctor shopping, and seeking pain meds ” just because we need relief. I wish some doctors and the DEA could live in my body for a month; then you would completely understand that there are sick people in the world who need pain management to survive what little quality of life they have left.
(2 days ago) Joseph D. from Tucson, AZ writes:
I was diagnosed with stage 1 anal cancer July 15, I am currently undergoing radiation treatment on my rectum. It’s completely removed the skin down there and I’m in so much pain I cannot live my life other then sleeping and on the couch. I have open sores down there, and have had no luck finding a Dr to manage my pain, because they the drs are so afraid of loosing their licenses and keep pushing me off to others. It is sad that I live in so much pain, I do not eat because I don’t want to have a bowel movement. The Dr even went as far as to stick her finger and a plastic device in there causing me to tear and even more pain. I feel I have no rights to being managed. I have enough stress and pain from dealing with this diagnosis, having to fight for pain medication is incomprehensible to me! WE DESERVE TO BE TREATED LIKE HUMANS AND NOT LIVING A LIFE AROUND OUR PAIN. I CANNOT EVEN LEAVE MY HOUSE DUE TO THE PAIN I’M UNDER.
All Things Chronic 
I cannot force myself to click the like button. I agree, it’s shameful how chronic pain patients are treated.
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But Joseph D. has cancer pain, which is now the only “legitimate” diagnosis for which opiates can be freely prescribed. He needs to sue his doctor. In fact, many people need to sue their doctors. The person who lost her brother needs to file a wrongful death suit. This is the only way to fight this battle of discrimination.
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It’s real easy to say “sue,” but it takes a lot of money to hire an attorney and file a lawsuit. Doctors have malpractice insurance, which guarantees legal representation, but patients have no recourse.
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Lawyers for personal injury, wrongful death, and I believe class action, work on contingency. They’re motivated to win or get a good settlement because it means more $ for them. The malpractice insurers usually want to settle, because that costs the company less. Between the two, the plaintiff usually gets a tidy sum, if their case is really valid. The best thing about lawsuits is that they create public awareness of the problem.
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Contingency doesn’t mean that the representation is free. There are expenses, including filing fees and expert fees, that the plaintiff is responsible for. And almost all attorneys want to settle, but if they are working for an insurance company, they have big bucks supporting them and are in a much more powerful bargaining position. Many attorneys will just drag out the lawsuit, waiting for the plaintiff to either run out of money, give up, or die.
Yes, lawsuits are great, but how many patients have access to legal representation? I’d say about 1%. Many in the fight against the opioid war are hoping for lawsuits to make a difference, but considering that the legal industry is on the decline, I think this hope is, perhaps, unwarranted.
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Reblogged this on The Nocturnal Laundress.
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