Chronic Pain Medications, Narcotics, the CDC, Public Comments and More information I feel you need to read...

I have to say, that some of this is very true! I do know just from speaking with my pain specialist, that there are many programs all doctors can attend, that are free, and it gives them the knowledge to give patients with chronic pain issues, the proper diagnosis, and then the proper treatments, including medications if needed. 

But WE will NEVER see a CHANGE unless WE as a NATION, as a COMMUNITY, come together as ONE, and demand THINGS CHANGE! I've learned a great deal from my pain doctor about things such as Medicare Advantage Plans, Medicare itself, why many doctors have issues taking some of those policies, or even Medicare... it took my own pain doctor over 2 YEARS and then he had to go in front of a judge JUST TO GET PAIN FOR 2 SURGERIES! Doctors do NOT have time, and they cannot possibly run a practice if they have to wait YEARS to get paid for a procedure... My pain pump surgery alone will be somewhere around 30,000.00 or so... Just the pump in itself, is extremely expensive... 

so if I doctor does a few of those, and then has to wait YEARS to get paid??? They can't possibly stay in business like that. Plus I have heard some doctors admit, one reason they do not give out pain medications is because they feel they are not "trained" enough... our newer physicians ARE now being trained in chronic pain, Lupus, RA, autoimmune illnesses, and that is a good thing. ALL physicians should know about these diseases, and about chronic pain... So, I believe that the CDC has some to do with it, but then I feel "Congress" and the likes also have their fingers in it, along with our "insurance, Medicare" and so forth... and the fact that WE have to stop Hiding our heads in the sand, and STAND UP AND TELL OUR STORIES!!!! It is totally imperative that WE STAND TOGETHER and make our voices heard. 

We have some great organizations out there, the US Pain Foundation​, Power of Pain Foundation just to name two of them, but they also NEED US to HELP them get the word out... that is the ONLY way we as patients, caretakers, family and friends, will get the treatments we need, under the right circumstances, and not have our physicians "frightened" to prescribe the medications their patients need.... many of us cannot AFFORD a "specialist".... And even Finding a "good Pain Doctor" is NOT EASY! 

Can you imagine walking into a "Pain Management Doctor's Office" that ALSO IS A TEACHING UNIVERSITY, to find out THEY do NOT "prescribe" pain medications, but they send a 'RECOMMENDATION" TO THE patients PCP to give them the medications??? now how stupid is that!!! Talk about nuts! Then WHY call themselves a PAIN MANAGEMENT CLINIC???? This just happened last week to a friend of mine, and I know of a doctor here, that is a "pain doctor" but he got "reprimanded" so he can prescribe "some medications" but nothing that would be "narcotic" in nature... so you go in, thinking you will get the help you need... and then find out he can give out other medications, BUT he cannot prescribe any type of narcotic, even though he tells you that is what you need!

Don’t Blame CDC for Poor Pain Care — Pain News Network

 

 

 

Pain Awareness Month and Suicide Prevention Month - Do We think about just how badly chronic pain can be and for some, almost to the place of not being able to live with it....

This is so well put! WE, many of us, with chronic daily pain, the kind that without any treatment would leave you in bed, on the sofa, and without ANY quality of LIFE!!!!! Yet, those FEW who choose to "abuse" medications, cause a ridiculous amount of questioning, hoop jumping, "looks at us like we are "addicts" " and even many that all of a sudden can no longer GET their meds... as she put it... to HAVE A LIFE  ... we do not use meds to "escape" from living... that in itself was one of the best ways I've heard to speak about the people that abuse medications. But those that do cause harm by their own abuse, and making life almost unbearable for those that do everything correctly.... just to as I say, and the article says to have "life"... NO PAIN medication EVER completely takes pain away.... it makes us "able to deal" with the pain better, when it is "less" than unbearable. I have an implanted pain pump that my Pain Doctor implanted in 2010... and we have "tweaked" the medication in it over the years, if need be. But, I still have a script for "back up" pain... maybe I am having more pain than usual from a weather change, or from doing something in my daily life that may exaserbate the pain at times. Yet, nothing takes it away... it helps me deal with what is pain remains... it allows me energy to DO my errands chores, go out for a day to have a bit of "off time" and so on.... if it were NOT for my pain medications, I would almost be to a place that it would be "intractable"... more often than not... and in fact, due to a lower back lumbar/sacral problem, there have been at least two times in the last 3 years that it was like I have NO PAIN medication at all.... In fact I even went through and had a talk with my pain doctor. All I wanted to do it sit in the floor and cry, the pain was so horrid.... I went that way for weeks... and we found the problem... and now due to this abscess I am still not able t0 have surgery... but at times even with what I have, it can be to the point you wonder if you are not just going to go insane from the pain.  So, each time I see or hear about how many "abuse" medications and all they want to do to make it almost impossible for us to get our medications, it just infuriates me... for ONE DAY I would like to "hand over" my pain to some of those that think it is all "bull" and let them walk in my shoes for 24 hours... I wonder how they would feel, when they awake to stiff, swollen, throbbing hands, knuckles, feet, ankles, hips, pain down my leg, severe headache from Lupus... and see how long they could "tackle" the pain without any help from medications... If you gave them a week, I bet 95% or more of them would be begging for relief..... And I have had several people over the years ask me how I "cope"?  How do I get up and around with the pain and chronic illnesses, the fatigue, the swelling in my joints the stiffness, the pain that does not matter if you sit, stand, lay down... it is just there,... and by "faith" and "hope" and taking ALL of my medications as I am instructed, and trying to stay as active as possible... helps me to cope... my writing, my blog, being here on FB, my activism, advocacy, and my Ambassador roles... the AF, WEGO, Lupus Foundation, IFAA.... all of those and more, that give me the will to know I must FIGHT not just for myself, but for others out there just like myself or even worse.... Rhia Steele​

http://nationalpainreport.com/pain-awareness-and-suicide-prevention-8827504.html

http://nationalpainreport.com/

 

 

After reading this article I felt compelled to share it. This is one of the MANY complicated emotions when you are dealing with Chronic Daily Unrelenting Pain....

Day 10: Pain Awareness Month - US Pain Foundation and a great video to find out much more about Pain Awareness Month, the US Pain Foundation and How you can help!

Pain Pain, and more Chronic Pain - "Legitimate" Pain Patients and "Good" Pain Physicians Suffering from the few who Abuse!

This is a HUGE GROWING Problem for SO MANY of us, with "legitimate" Pain problems. I realize "some" abuse it, but WE as true patients should NOT be punished for those who abuse.... and the ones the at abusing, will find it one way or the other for the most part.... I also feel sorry for the Pain Doctors, that truly are also legitimate... they continue to have more and more hoops to jump through, and put their PATIENTS through.... which is difficult on everyone!

This has always just irritated me to no end, when I read articles, such as this one! We have so MANY "legitimate" pain patients, that would not be able to have ANY QUALITY of LIFE, hence without their medications.

Yet, due to the "few" either "fake patients", or doctors who are not in it, for the REAL Patients, but are in it for their own GREED, have made many of us go through so much paperwork, go through so many questions, go through hoops and hoops in order to receive our medications.

I totally understand "addiction" by those who abuse meds... but, they will abuse, no matter how they get the meds... whether they by them off the streets, or through the black market... they will get them....

Being that is it NATIONAL PAIN AWARENESS MONTH!, I feel even stronger about standing up for everyone who totally is in pain, and like myself, I would never be able to do much of anything if it were not for my medications.... and believe me, I've been with my same Pain Specialist, now for t least 7 years or so, and I have nothing to hide - NEVER have I "ran out of meds early" or lost a prescription, and so forth... never!

Years and Years ago, when they came out with the "Stadol" inhaler, especially for migraines, I had picked one up from the pharmacy on my lunch hour. Well not thinking I left it in my car by accident and it was a very HOT day in Texas.... so the medication "siphoned" itself out of the bottle due to the heat... I was so upset, because I felt like even back then, I may have problems getting my meds. But, I contacted my pharmacist right away, and called my doctor, spoke with them both, I took in the bottle and container it came in, and allowed them to see what had happened. I got another bottle no problem... but in all of my years as a patient with chronic pain, I've seen even myself have issues with either a pharmacist, or one time a doctor be fine and give me my meds, and yet in a month or two, say they can't give that anymore, or change the dose etc... well it is because of being so totally "frightened" by thinking they could lose their medical license, some are just in fear over patients and pain medications.....

Here is the article... and i am sure you will see by what this says... it can mean Disaster for those who DO NOT abuse their meds...









 http://consultqd.clevelandclinic.org/2015/02/heroin-prescription-drug-addiction-a-full-blown-public-health-crisis/?utm_campaign=qd+tweets&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&utm_content=150216+heroin+prescription+drug+addiction+public+health+crisis&dynid=twitter-_-qd+tweets-_-social-_-social-_-150216+heroin+prescription+drug+addiction+public+health+crisis

3rd Day of the 30 day Challenge for the support and promotion of National Pain Awareness Month

I am taking the "30-Day Challenge for pain awareness".... which today is the 3rd day. Yesterday I wore "blue" along with a sign in my car from a photo I made like this one. Today, I am supposed to write down what I would be doing in life if, I was not sick, and have chronic pain issues. Well, first of all, I would probably be doing something in the medical field. I had wanted to be an RN ever since I was in my teens. But, now, if things for me health wise were different, I could see me being a researcher, and doing research on illnesses, such as these autoimmune illnesses, Lupus, RA, Sjogren's, Raynaud's, and so many more, hundreds, and would be trying to find out the "origin" of what causes them that hopefully would lead to a way to stop their progression OR possibly have a way that NO ONE ever had to even have them in the first place. I would be "more active"... going out more, taking my Mom out more... and doing things with friends... right now honestly, I don't have many "friends" as far as here near me... not those that I could go out to dinner, shopping, a movie, or even to the casino with for a day or overnight.... And the reason for that is these illnesses. I never know from one day to the next, if I will wake up feeling "okay" or wake up feeling like as my Dad would have said "pulled thru a knot hole backwards"... LOL... then there are days I wake up fine, but in a few hours I feel horrible, or can feel like hell when I first get up, and within a few hours, feel better... these horrid diseases, which 99% of them include some type of chronic pain, take over your life. Even though many say that can win the battle over them, and I do for the most part, they still have their way of putting you on your butt, even when you try your best to fight against them. I would also already have my 3rd book published, my home would be "more completed" as far as all of the DIY stuff I've started, and some I can't do simply because my health in one way or the other puts a damper on something. We, even myself, before the AI illnesses, took many things for granted... even though I suffered migraines since the age of 17 yrs old, I still could more or less "have a life"... go out, go to college at night, work, do lawn work which I love, and just go do things like shopping or eating out in Dallas, or going down to San Antonio to the River Walk for a weekend... now those things are either almost impossible, OR they are a bit more difficult for me to plan to be able to do... just the stuff here at my house, painting, laying the floors in my kitchen, bath finishing out the walls in my bath, and wiring the lights in, and things like that, some I can do, and others my body no longer allows me to handle. So, a "new normal" (which by the way is kind of one of my "mantra's".... would be to enjoy and do, all of the simple things I used to be able to do, and now I realize that my life has totally turned around and what was "normal" just a few years ago, is certainly not anymore.... 

If you would like to participate in the Challenge Or just find ways to promote "Pain Awareness Month" you can go to :

http://uspainfoundation.org/30daychallenge.html

And do your own challenge or find ways you can let others know about just how much chronic pain can change your quality of life....


#ITookThePledge  Twitter

It is OFFICIALLY September 1st, National Pain Awareness Month 2015 begins.....

Morning everyone here at my FB "family"... It often feels more like "family" at times when I come to my page here, along with my blog. There are several of us, that find comfort in one another, especially when the "storms if pain, illness, and life" begin to be overwhelming. For myself, this entire year so far, has not "turned out" at ALL like I had "planned"... Of course I should already know, after 55 years of living, that "Rhia's Law" is that if it will be COMPLICATED, COMPLEX, CONFUSING, FULL OF DRAMA AND STRESS, DIFFICULT.. just to name a "few" of my thoughts, it shall be happening to ME. Nothing ever comes easy for me... as much as I would love it to, and I've often wondered why, life has to be so darned complicated - as all of us with any type of chronic illness and/or chronic pain, "Living Life" is never "easy"... we battle with illness and pain, we battle with medications, doctors, pharmacies and most of all insurance. We battle just to get up every morning, and try to be our best, whether that means sitting on the sofa all day, being in bed all day, or up and about with errands, work, and the other daily things we accomplish in life. I had just been reading in a local small magazine that usually continues interesting information about our doctors, or different places here involving health... therapy, gyms, alternative medical practices, and the like. They also usually focus on the local people, that either have a beautiful home, like something that may be in the "Historical District" or a new group for different types of illnesses... one such here I was just reading about is Parkinson's. Now even though we are educated about many different ailments, we sometimes tend to think that diseases like, Parkinson's, Dementia, Alzheimer's, arthritis, just to mane a few, are "elderly folks diseases"... yet, right here in our community. One of the reasons why I decided that I wanted to participate in US Pain Foundations, "Beautify in Blue" campaigns here in my home town, is exactly what I have wanted to do for a long while now, with Lupus, RA, Sjogren's, and those living in chronic pain... to begin to educate people here, to bring more awareness, rather than rumors, or misinformation when it comes to any type of severe disease that is all too often "chronic" in nature, and it envelopes and takes away the "life" that you thought you would have. When I began years ago having very severe migraine headaches, there are not a great deal known about them. The doctors for the most part, would either not really know what to do, or give you pain meds... that later ma have been considered "habit forming" and such. But, I worked MANY years at several different jobs, and in one way or the other, the migraines interfered with my job and my life. I wanted to be a nurse, and had my sites on that profession for many years. Yet, when I finally had that opportunity, the headaches would have been an interference in my schooling. So, as badly as I wanted to pursue that career, I knew it was not in the cards for me. I did go to college mainly during the evenings, after work, and got my AD, and the most proud moment is when I was inducted into the "National Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society at the college I attended. I of course still have my lapel pin, and even had special lettering made and put it in my car back glass... I was so thrilled.

But, I still fought around the damned headaches... then new medications came out, none of which I could take, or they simply did NOT work... I always tell this one story, I had to go to the ER one night with a really bad migraine. It had been going on for days, and I just could not get it to "cease and desist" ... the ER doctor, I think rather than giving me what they usually did, decided to give me "Compazine". Well, this nurse came in with a pretty large syringe of medication that I believe was to go into the IV they had started... It did not take long, and I began to feel "odd"... it was just not working at all in fact, and I just felt like I was going "nuts"... so rather than the doctor trying something else, he told her to give me yet another round of it... I literally got up, pulled the IV out of my arm, wrapped it up to stop the bleeding and I left... I was having some kind of horrible reaction to that medication, it was NOT working, and I certainly did not need anymore.... So, those types of events in our lives, makes us want to stand up for not just ourselves but others just as we are... ILL and yet some physicians just DO NOT either listen, or they prefer the patient to be quiet, or there is just too much misinformation being spread around.... SO, TODAY and for the next 30 DAYS I hope you join all of us in promoting the correct information and awareness about Chronic Pain....

 

Facebook Page  https://www.facebook.com/U.S.PainFoundation

 

 

Take The 30 Day Challenge by the US Pain Foundataion

 

http://uspainfoundation.org/

 

 

 #ITookThePledge

 

National Pain Awareness Month in September and more from the US Pain Foundation Summit and Paul Gileno - Chronic Pain Takes so Much from Patients, Caretakers, Family & Friends Lives

Opening remarks are underway at the Advocacy y Summit with President & Founder Paul Gileno providing attendees... http://fb.me/4lxnrkEX0 

Chronic Pain can take over your life, the life of family, friends, caretakers, and even cause hardships with relationships. It is truly a "home wrecker" and we have way too many people, especially in places of government that just do not understand the ills of chronic pain.

I am trying to do my part in September to raise Awareness on just how this life altering "disease" can control every move of your life, and how we need to stand up and educate others, including those around us, physicians, the medical profession, government officials, and this nation and world for that matter about the effects of pain when it becomes chronic and out of control.

As a pain patient myself, all too many times, I've been "pointed" at and felt as if I was some kid of criminal because I wanted to stop the pain... it cost me jobs early on in life (I began with chronic migraines at 17 years old)

In fact, even though I had other very severe chronic issues with my health, that finally led me at 43 years old to file for complete disability, the disability judge ruled in my favor for the number one paint of the migraines... I either had to quit a job, or after years on a job, would miss so much work with them, it led to me being dismissed from a job...

I worked from the time I was 16 years old, and yet I suffered year after year with those horrible headaches... 

Ironically, the regular migraines got better about 8 years ago, partially due to my internal pain pump, but then after I was diagnosed with RA and Lupus, I began to have severe "Lupus migraines", that nothing will touch other than strong doses of prednisone... 

Yet, my "chronic pain" as with many others goes far above and beyond migraines. When you deal with autoimmune illnesses, such as Lupus, RA, Sjogren's, and many others, pain is a part of your daily life. Oh, sure, with the right medications, the proper physicians, and all out there available now for pain relief, there are numerous ways to "control" pain. Yet, nothing will take it all away. Nothing will prevent it from sneaking up on you, when it is least expected, and become "intractable" or at the very least put you on the sofa, in the bed, or otherwise blindside you, when you are certainly not ready to deal with it.

When my Lupus and/or RA; along with several other health related issues decide to come calling, sometimes there is not anything that can be a cure... it may curb pain, but at that time, that is what it can do... make it tolerable... and that is very difficult to determine, because pain in itself is a complex illness and is different for everyone. What one person thinks is totally off the charts on the "pain scale" maybe at a 5 or 6 for someone else. 

Each of us have the same chemical makeup when it comes to pain, but depending on the cause, what you are taking, why the pain is coming, whether from some physical ailment, such as a worn out joint, or a migraine, or from several joint problems, muscle spasms, stomach and intestinal pain, "acute" pain from an accident or illness... all have different ways of causing pain, and all have a unique way of developing.... and being treated...

Medicare, Disabilities, Chronic Illnesses, Chronic Pain... and going through the "hoops" to get the help we need...

Morning gals and guys... or guys and gals, however you want to put it. I realize I've been almost "quiet" the past couple of days, which is not like me.

I've been doing several things, from continuing on my spring/summer "cleaning"... believe me when I get into one of these moods, if it is not "nailed down" it may just get thrown away, given away, or whatever... but it will not stay in this house for sure.

I do this about 2 - 3 times a year. I guess we all have a certain "time" that we decide it is time to "junk away"... I am not a "hoarder" by no means. But, I do believe in hanging on to some items, knowing there will come a time, I will decide I need a certain item.

So, like many, I have a "guide" I go by. If I have not needed it, thought about it, worn it, looked at it... for OVER a year or a bit more... then it's time to either get rid of it, or decide to use it in whatever way I intended.

I don't like to be one of those who hangs onto every plastic butter bowl, or every coffee can, or old towels, sheets, or even clothes. Usually on my clothes, I have a few tops I wear around the house daily. They are probably not really fit to run to town in, but okay enough for around the house. Then I have some I wear for everyday errands. Those I wear to run errands in, to the market, to Wally World... and when they get to the place, they are looking kind of "not all that great", I use those around the house, and by then it is more than time to "chunk" away the other old house tops. You can bet by then, they are stained, probably are beginning to have a few tiny holes in them and so on.

As far as my "dressy"... more go to the Casino, out to eat, or something else ... that I feel I need to dress up for... again, I go through them a couple of times a year. If I have not put it on, thought about it, even remotely considered doing anything in it, then usually it goes to Good Will, if it is still in good shape. I try my best NOT to have LOTS of stuff, that is totally NOT going to be worn here in my closets. Thus, a couple of times a year during the season changes is a great opportunity to take them and let someone else get some use out of them. I do the same with magazines, books, and the like. If I can "reuse", then I do... if I can give it to others to recycle, reuse, etc... I do... If none of those sound feasible, then usually it goes over to "Soul's Harbor"... which is a store, that everyone does the same. Whether clothes, furniture, dishes, you name it... and you don't really want to throw it out, then we take them there. You can get a receipt for a tax write off, but I don't even worry over that. I always tell them, if you can sell it, or whatever... great, if you cannot... the get rid of it however you do....

Okay, so I've been in the middle of all of that stuff, along with getting rid of 2 old computers, an old desk, some speakers, and just some "general" stuff that rather than let me hauled off in the trash... we have a couple of people that come around and pick up some items, especially if there is any metal in them... they sell it to one of our "steel" businesses here. That way those thing get recycled, the guys can get a few bucks out of them, and that means less waste in our landfills for sure.

I know my family gets tickled at me. I can find some real "odd" uses for some stuff, but when I finish, they are totally amazed. A few years back, we had a pretty good sized tree limb come down. IT was pretty straight, and fairly thick. It was also long enough, in my head, I could see it cut into about 18 inch long pieces, and make flower arrangements with them. So, we cut them in a couple of different lengths. I went around my house and found some of my silk flowers, then went to our "Dollar Tree" and picked up a few more, and 'voila', I had three beautiful flower arrangements, at that time for Christmas!!!

I had one for my table, one of the office and one for the living room! Between some left over ribbon, and lace, a few silk flowers, some floral wire... and a bit of imagination, they appeared to be something you may buy at one of these "DIY" sales, where people sell their items they make. Then I got the idea, I would change them for the different holidays. So I had some flowers and things for Valentine's Day, Memorial Day, Easter... Thanksgiving, and one year even St. Patrick's Day! I found some "green silk flowers" and I had some white ones, and with a bit of green and white ribbon, that made a cute centerpiece on a table or on the desk, or sitting in the living room.

OF course, here I go again, taking the "back way" around what I wanted to write about in the beginning of this.

I read an article this morning about an extremely "lucrative" (for the crooks) scam that took place all over this nation, in regard to "false claims" from Medicare. This is such a horrid thing, ANY PHYSICIAN is NOT a true doctor, if they are ripping off their patients. That is called greed, and any one in the medical profession and others are no professional if they take advantage of something as "fragile" as Medicare is. It just burns me to NO END, that the very people that NEED to be seen by physicians, that cannot AFFORD for our Medicare system to go "belly up" are the ones that suffer from this unspeakable crime. Even though they took down the largest fraud ring ever in this, I am sure there are others out there doing it also... and it appears that Medicare has tightened up and is paying more attention to these kind of schemes. Florida of course is a huge one, but there were several states including Texas involved in this.

Due to migraines, chronic pain, fatigue an  ALL THAT GOES along with disabilities also, NEED there disability (Medicare) also to help keep their health hopefully in check. I know of course some of you are not thrilled about the idea of those on disability... but I PAIN into my Social Security and Medicare for over 25 years before I had to file for my disability. So, I don't feel that I've taken advantage of anyone or anything. I just could not work anymore due to all of my health issues, and I've had to accept the fact, they are NOT MY FAULT! The Lupus, Sjogren's, RA, and so on... "just happened"... I've done nothing as far as I know to cause them....


IT took me a long time to understand, I am not to blame... I didn't go and do something within my life, as far as I know to "cause" me to become ill. You would be surprised though how many of us want to blame ourselves for it,

No chronic illness and/or chronic pain issue is FUN! They are all serious, and they change your entire life and your quality of life in many instances is truly sunken into the depths of the unknown... losing friends, spouses, family... to those horrid diseases, that we have little or no control over.

All we can do is take one step in front of the other, one moment at a time... and continue to hold on to what we can do, have, and hope for in the future.....

I've not disappeared at all... just been extremely busy... for one, fighting of two flares, making changes around my home, as you see above, and trying to fit some of the pieces of me, that seemed to have gotten lost in all of the drama... of daily life....


http://www.medpagetoday.com/PublicHealthPolicy/Medicare/52207

Paul Gileno speaks out for ALL of us with Disabilities!!!! Now it is OUR Turn to tell Rand Paul how we feel about his comments!

 

 

U.S. Pain Foundation President Speaks Out Against Senator Rand Paul's Disability Comments

 

http://myemail.constantcontact.com/Founder---President-Paul-Gileno-Defends-those-with-Disabilities.html?soid=1103157487426&aid=A6wnyF06XsU

Now it is OUR Turn! Open Your mind and mouth, and/or email hands and type how you feel about these remarks. 



We must stand up not just for ourselves but ALL that suffer disabilities.

#USPain

www.Facebook.com/RandPaul