The problem is that severe-pain-relief-seeking behavior look to the casual observer much the same thing as drug-seeking behavior, and the legal/moral presumption is that it's the latter, especially when it's something (migraine, back pain, fibromyalgia) that doesn't look like the patient is sick. So patients like ita get screwed over.

I know that there have been several times that I wouldn't have gotten the pain medication I needed if I hadn't known how to casually insert "My father is a lawyer" into the discussion with the doctor.

Casual observer /= pain clinic. In a sane world.

Yeah, I feel like that should be the point of a pain clinic.

Right? It's been how many fucking years for ita?

ita, it's beyond my understanding how the pain management clinic won't try to help you with the pain you are clearly in.

Yeah. WTF are they there for, then?

Got a call from the vet: looks like he's brewing a UTI, which could have caused a cascade. Liver and kidney numbers are up. That could be in response to UTI/sugar crash, or just indicative he's old and diabetic (looked it up, earliest record I saw referencing db was 2003, but that was a boarding receipt, not diag. So at least 8 years.) And he's been around since '92 or so.

I hope they can cure the UTI quickly, sarameg, and get Mr. Kitty back on his feet.

Aw, I'm sorry, sara. Sounds like a good thing you took him in.

Kitty-ma for Mister Kitty, sara.

I wish ita's doctors made some sense.

I'm not sure what any of my doctors are for at this point.

I hope the vet gets right on what's up with Mr. Kitty, sara.