Not too long ago our government pronounced the need to get pain meds to those in chronic pain. Now it seems like it's, "Take them away if they don't have cancer because there's no way they can be in pain."
Come live in my house; you'll see up close and personal chronic pain that is now far from controlled.
I've had five back surgeries with a fusion, my neck fused, and both knees replaced. I have a lack of feeling in part of my left leg and foot. One surgeon was wonderful and helped but later said, "You'll always have to take pain meds."
My pain meds have been cut 75 percent and counting. I just received from my workman's comp's health adviser the suggestion that I may be dispersing my meds to others. I have never done that. The stigma of being looked at as a criminal by the "system" does nothing but add to the depression of losing my business, which I worked so hard for. My wife has to do things I can no longer do. I can't even get on the floor to play with my 2-year old grandson.
But, according to the "system," I have no pain, I'm just a criminal.
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I told U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar to watch for a rise in suicides among those who are just like me.
Room needs to be made for the judgment of individual cases rather than just saying, "We know you have no pain."
Jerry Toman
Esko
