Oh, Strix, my condolences.

Betsy, Hil, SA and others, I don't know if you're on FB, but msbelle just posted this depressingly timely call for contributions:

What factors affect your health and well-being, besides access to doctors, hospitals and other medical care? An NPR reporter wants to talk to you about these issues, possibly for broadcast using your full name. Please email nprcrowdsource@npr.org about your experience and write “well-being” in the subject line.

(eta: I am copy'n'pasting instead of linking you to the NPR Facebook post because, unlike ita, I am merciful in my links. Suffice to say, it takes all of three posts before people start shouting about Big Pharma and toxic drugs and how you can cure diabetes with cinnamon oil.)

(You're welcome.)

when they test you they are also checking to see that your opiate levels aren't *higher* than they should be. I.e. "If we've decided you're in so much pain that you need this high dose, we need to make sure that you aren't getting pain relief somewhere else you filthy addict!"

I can understand that strictly from the POV of the dangers of overdosing, BUT that needs to go hand-in-hand with a way to safely treat that level of pain.

I get that drugs are diverted for illegal use (although some diversion is to *other* people living with pain who can't get treatment, so.). I get that people can overdose on meds that are legally prescribed. I get all of that. But what the healthcare system is currently doing is still not working.

t edit I know that's preaching to the choir.

Seriously people, this is taking me back to the days when keeping up with Natter was nay impossible. And yet I have to read all the posts.

Goodnight for now. Way past my bedtime. Soothing dreams.

And yet, the doctors cannot be consistently bothered to discuss the potential for dependency BEFORE a post-surgical patient has taken the pain meds precisely following the instructions on the label for long enough that a physical addition occurs. Young man at work face-planted off his skateboard months ago - broken jaw, surgery, massive pain.. and when he came back to work, he was constantly sick trying to come off the medication. At that point he had figured out his body was addicted, and he was doing everything he could to manage his pain responsibly. He certainly was not getting any reasonable level of knowledge and support from his doctors. I suggested Emetrol for the nausea, which helped him a bit.

At that point he had figured out his body was addicted, and he was doing everything he could to manage his pain responsibly.

I am that patient. I only took percocet for 6 weeks before my back surgery -- but it was the maximum amount prescribed. I never missed a dose.

Because the surgery was so successful, I had zero pain when I woke up in recovery, so I stopped the percocet cold turkey, because no one told me not to. I had no idea I caused myself withdrawal.

My primary care doctor, who knows not only my history but my family history, told me, "You have an addictive physiology. Look at your family." And gave me a scheduled to taper it off, and it sucked, but less than cold turkey.

The kicker, though, was that my brilliant surgeon, who is the reason I can walk today, reacted to me telling him about the withdrawal by saying, "None of my other patients have ever had a problem stopping meds. Are you sure you weren't just sick?"

How do doctors who prescribe this stuff NOT KNOW what it does?

Oh, Strix, I'm so sorry.

Congratulations to Katefate and Kathy!

I should have gone to the gym to lift weights tonight (my new years resolution) but instead I'm eating carbs and watching Agent Carter.

was it here flea was saying Casper had the thing of not knowing hope to pronounce a word she's read?

if so Jessica mentions that same thing with regard to misled and ita's response:

"Persephone, I went as far as to think the infinitive of the verb was "to misle". I didn't find out until university, at which point my sister realized she'd independently made the same mistake."

I have little to add on pain management nor on the hell that is the medical system, but I do want to say it's been nice reading posts from all of you.

If you think about it, it makes sense. ita was one of the people who brought us here and she still has that ability. There's something beautiful about her building community still.

Yes.