Prisoner Of Pain

CBS News ^ | Jan. 26, 2006 | Deirdre Naphin

[_Jim]

The state was fair, offering no jail time and probation. More than fair.

Wow.

That didn't come out on the 60 Minutes interview that I saw this evening either. (Why am I not surprised?)

[Hildy]

This is unbelievable...absolutely unbelievable.

[Hildy]

I so agree with you, that's why hospice is so great.

[robertpaulsen]

Sounds as though your wife went through much more pain than Mr. Paey's "burning in the legs". Yet Mr. Paey felt it necessary to forge prescriptions to get an even greater amount than that prescribed.

You didn't have to do that, did you?

[STD]

In your zeal to sound off on a topic you know very little about you didn't seem to think my comment was worth responding to the first time! I said

"I'm a paraplegic because of one of these lesions. I went to six "pain clinic experts" from 1999-2002 before anyone thought of this possibility."

Just like the other victims of undertreated pain, people don't listen! I can show you the data of thousands of other people with the same results. The dufus above had three primary issues

1) drug tolerance--eventually no amount of morphine,or it's various cogeners has any affect on pain.

2) Neuropathic pain is only miminally responsive to morphine. That's why the name of neuropathic pain syndromes has been changed from RSD to CRPS Type 1 & 2-- it only improves neuropathic pain by about 10%

3) Stupid Behavior-- People in serious pain do stupid things. Usually 50% of CRPS Type 1 & 2 pain patients take their own lives if their pain is not addressed in the first 6 months. Yesterday, a 45 yo former Steeler took his own life because of undertreated neuropathic pain.

4) You still don't know jack, blubbering along unconciously commenting on something that's a major dilemma for it's victims!

[STD]

This poor guys adventure has just begun. His intrathecal pump won't work before too long. Mine didn't, after 18 months a tumor grew around the catheter tip that liquified my spinal cord that it was pressing on. I won't ever allow another tumor generator and I have opioid tolerance. I'm sorry to hear about your wife.

[muir_redwoods]

"You didn't have to do that, did you?"

No, we didn't have to do that because the oncologist we had was wise enough to know that any risk of addiction was virtually insignificant compared to the immediate reality of pain. She, the oncologist, told us that 20 or even 10 years earlier, she would not have been able to make a drug like oxy available to use as needed at the patients' discretion. My wife was fully empowered to decide how much she needed and all the Onco asked was that she be kept informed of the dosage so she could adjust chemo accordingly.

Medically enabled addiction is insignificant in comparison to a reality like cancer or serious, endless, chronic pain.

[R. Scott]

Andringa says there was no evidence that Paey was selling his drugs, "but it is a reasonable inference from the facts that he was selling them, because no person can consume all these pills."

Of course a prosecutor is a medical expert.

Andringa disagrees. "This case is not about pain patients, it's just not. This case is about prescription fraud. We were very reasonable in this case. But once somebody says, 'I'm not going to accept a plea offer however reasonable it is …' "

He wouldn’t accept a plea bargain! The nerve of the man! Didn’t he know that in the War on Drugs an arrest is defacto evidence of guilt?

On the bright side –

Paey gets all the medication he needs now, in larger doses than he was taking before, from the state through a pump connected directly to his spine. He is appealing his conviction.

So, even though there is no way he could have used the quantities of pain medication he purchased, he is now receiving even more.

[R. Scott]

The DEA is making treatment of people with pain impossible …

I have been using Tylenol 3 (Tylenol with a very small amount of codeine) for arthritis pain for several years. I had been getting 30 pills every fall to last the winter. Hardly enough to supply the habit of a junkie. I do use 800 mg Ibuprofen daily. The Tylenol 3 is only for those winter nights when the pain is interfering with sleep.
I was recently assigned a new Primary Care Manager. Apparently he is fearful of prescribing narcotic analgesics. He would not issue the prescription.

[R. Scott]

Her breast cancer had spread to her bones (The pain has been compared to a whole body toothache) and then her liver and finally her brain. Until the cancer reached her brain, she was lucid and competent and even able to work and drive a car.

My deepest condolences. I can relate. My late wife did not have Oxycontin but did have Morphine – both liquid and patches, as well as Hydrocodone. She too had no problems with lucidity until it spread to her brain.

[spunkets]

"The 'spunkets syndrome': ignore the sewerage and cheer on the people!"

Got a problem there fool?

[spunkets]

Sorry, never mind.

[spunkets]

Sorry, never mind.

[jmc813]

There are multiple ping lists for the vocal handful of people here who never use drugs themselves, but have made legalizing them the focal-point of their political philosophy.

Other than Wolfie, can you name other freepers with WOD ping lists? I'd like to get on them.

[JTN]

That didn't come out on the 60 Minutes interview that I saw this evening either. (Why am I not surprised?)

It was in the segment.

[JTN]

I read your story. It was very moving. My sympathies.

[Buffettfan]

Surely bleeding heeart liberals can feel this mans' pain?

[R. Scott]

Thank you.

[presidio9]

Check any drug-related thread. You'll find several. I pointed one out to you when you pinged me on this subject recently.