Pain Upon Pain

In an era of continuous medical breakthroughs, it’s disheartening to see a significant segment of the population, specifically those enduring severe, chronic, intractable pain, living in fear of the very institutions designed to alleviate their suffering. These patients, living with relentless pain, amidst a myriad of health complications of serious illnesses which cause Intractable Pain Disease, often find themselves trapped in a healthcare paradox.

Person A: “You need to go to the hospital now!”

Person B: “That’s not happening. I can’t and won’t allow them to treat me… rather mistreat me like that again.”

Person A: “This is absolutely ridiculous! You’re peeing blood and your screams are bone-chilling. Are you passing kidney stones again?”

Person B: “Look, I’m sorry; I’m not going to go through that again! I believe I have better chances of survival at home, and without the mistreatment.”

Person A: “So, you’re just going to stay here, endure this pain, risk sepsis, and not even get examined?”

Person B: “And if it is? Who’s going to help me? I’ve done a home urine test. I don’t have a fever. There are no white blood cells or nitrites present; but there’s a lot of blood, severe burning sensation, nausea, and a significant amount of protein in my urine. We know I’ve had a total hysterectomy, so it’s not menstruation. So, who can say for sure?”

Person A: “A medical professional could.”

Person B: “I’m struggling to not puke on your shoes, as these things rip through me, let alone tolerate your nonsense.”

Person A: “My nonsense? I’m just trying to help you!”

Person B: “If there’s no improvement by tomorrow, I’ll consider scheduling an appointment with my gynecologist. But don’t expect to see me in a hospital, ever again. It’s pain upon pain, and from what I’ve observed, endured, and heard, I’m starting to believe it’s deliberate.”

Person A: “It’s unbearable to see you suffering like this! You really should seek immediate medical attention! What’s wrong with that?”

Person B: “You wouldn’t understand.”

Person A: “Well, I’ll try to understand, if you could at least try to explain!”

Person B: “Even if I explain it to you, I doubt you’ll understand, and I’m hurting badly, but okay: I’m scared.”

Person A: “You’re, you’re scared? You? Scared?”

Person B: “Yes, very much so.”

Person A: “What exactly are you scared of? They are there to help you and to treat you, they’re not going to harm you!”

Person B: “I knew you wouldn’t understand, and I’m honestly glad you don’t. Unfortunately, most people don’t get it until they get it. And ‘treat you’ is right… ‘treat you’ like garbage.”

Person A: “Are you sure it’s not something you’ve done or said? Did you give them a reason to treat you the way that they did?”

Person B: “Yes, I’m positive. Wait! I did commit two offenses, now that you ask. When they asked me what my pain level was, I told them the truth, that it was a nine, and that is now used against me. I committed the offenses of being in pain and telling the truth. My chart is forever marred. My back is killing me! It’s on top of the Adhesive Arachnoiditis and Ehler’s Danlo’s and Chiari and CRPS pain. It feels like someone has punched me in my kidneys. It feels like it’s ripping through me, like the last time. I can’t believe all this blood. My God, this is so painful.”

Person A: “Exactly my point. You need to get to the hospital. I’m calling an ambulance.”

Person B: “Go ahead, it won’t do any good; I’m not going. Besides, they would take me to one of the two worst hospitals in the area. Then, as always, bumpily transport me to yet another low-rated hospital, while strapped down to a painful wooden stretcher for over 9 hours while being cleared for acute trauma to the brain and neck. “Why”, you ask? The two facilities that the ambulance would take you to will gladly inform you, after charging you an exorbitant fee, that they are not equipped to treat you or manage your conditions. Consequently, you must be transported to a “more advanced” hospital.

If you have any doubts, I suggest you check their many reviews while we wait.

And by waiting, I don’t mean waiting for the ambulance or in the waiting room.

I mean waiting for these kidney stones to pass, right here at home.”

As they pass, the thoughts run wild:

“While we wait for the new generation of healthcare professionals, who have unfortunately been influenced by the PROPagenda/PROPaganda that has spread across the nation (and the world), all in the name of preventing addiction or overdose, to awaken to this harsh reality. I fully support efforts to prevent addiction and overdose, but I have a question for those implementing these policies. Since the production cuts of FDA-approved medications which treat severe pain for not only chronic pain patients but also palliative care patients, cancer patients, children with sickle cell anemia, and patients with painful, chronic, rare diseases, cuts upwards of 85%, to prevent people from becoming addicted or overdosing: how is that working out for you?”

My real question is: How is that working out for the patients that you have left in the lurch?

Also, is it true that the number of people suffering from addiction and overdoses has indeed seen a drastic increase, contrary to the “hoped-for” decline? This increase has occurred even after cuts in the production of certain medicines commonly blamed as the cause for addiction, yes?

Consider the combat veteran grandparent who had been on a stable dose of 10 milligrams of hydrocodone QID for over 20 years. They were able to take care of their grandchildren, bake Christmas cookies, write out their Christmas cards, cook for Thanksgiving, garden, walk, attend church, and enjoy all their generations of grandchildren. Remember this grandmother who had no cardiac complications! And to prevent her from becoming “addicted,” her treatment was quickly halted. Not only was it halted, but it was halted in a way that went against even the CDC’s own guidelines of not tapering at a rate faster than 10% per month. She wasn’t tapered at all. She was forced to discontinue that medication abruptly. Three days later, she went into cardiac arrest and was not able to be resuscitated.

Consider the child born with sickle cell anemia who was able to fully engage in life and be an active part of their lives and the lives of those around them. Yet, their medicines were taken away from them, drastically and quickly, and without regard for the consequences. They were forced to discontinue the very medicine that took the edge off of the pain just enough that they could focus on playing with their friends and enjoying meals with their family. Now, they are bedridden, constantly crying, and in a fetal position. To add insult to injury, these medicines were replaced with NSAIDs, which are now causing bleeding and erosion of the stomach lining and duodenum, and the pain remains uncontrolled and unstable.

She died two months later, at the age of 57.

What was her crime?

What did she do to deserve that death sentence?

Turns out she never had so much as a traffic violation.

There’s that word.

Traffic.

Is this the crux of the matter? Our doctors are now supposed to be police and our police are now supposed to be practicing medicine, right?

Certainly – let’s delve deeper into this:

Our empathetic and dedicated doctors are faced with a challenging task, and one they didn’t sign up for: discerning those who might misuse their prescribed medications. This is a complex issue, considering that the vast majority, likely over 99% of patients, would never contemplate misusing their medicines. These patients understand the invaluable role these medications play in their treatment protocols, often serving as a life-preserving component.

However, there’s a more sinister undertone at play.

Have the masses been deceived to the point where they can’t discern the truth? Or have they been so inundated with falsehoods that they continue to accept the lies as truth?

BLAME GAME

It’s no secret that we have a drug overdose epidemic, particularly lately is an Illicitly Manufactured Fentanyl and Heroin/Methamphetamine – epidemic in this world. Are the true origins and reasons for this epidemic known, or is there a blame game being played? Is there a misinformation epidemic, as well? Are members of opposite “sides” sleeping in the same bed together?

Let’s discuss Fentanyl for a moment. It’s considered Public Enemy #1, correct?

If we’re referring to *illicitly* manufactured Fentanyl, often laced with “who knows what”, and oftentimes carfentanyl, then yes, it alongside other killers like methamphetamines are (partially) Public Enemy #1. Or should it be termed Public Enemy #1.5, considering the other enemies are those distributing it on our streets, inundating our nations with it, and killing our loved ones? If I were to tell you it’s a war on people, not a war on drugs, you’d likely not believe me.  If I told you addiction isn’t caused by drugs, you’d not believe me, again. We’ll save that subject for the experts and for another time.

Situations become particularly frightening and complex when patients can’t articulate their pain, waking up only to vomit and lose consciousness again due to the excruciating pain, especially after a motor-vehicle accident – and they’re assumed to have overdosed, and often medically treated for overdose, without confirmation or evidence of such. Assumptions can be fatal.

In a medical context, Fentanyl and other medicines like it can be lifesavers. It’s used in many situations and circumstances, such as: cancer, severe car accidents, surgeries, and is particularly beneficial for patients requiring intubation, to name a few. Yet, when illicitly manufactured and distributed, it becomes a menace, flooding our streets and causing untold harm, ILLICIT fentanyl is indeed killing more than any of us really know, factually.

This brings us back to the crux of the matter, highlighting the complexity and multi-faceted nature of this issue. It’s not just about medical protocols or patient behavior, but also about larger systemic issues that need to be addressed, and by the appropriate people.

While we acknowledge the invaluable role of medications like Fentanyl in medical treatments and medical facilities, we must also realize and confront the darker aspects of its misuse and illicit distribution. There are agencies for that. And if medicine needs to be practiced, that is supposed to be done by qualified health care professionals…yet there’s a hazy gray line that seems to be between the two.