Punishment for Opiod Dealers
I have always had an incredible high threshold for physical pain. I was almost sent home 3 minutes before my daughter was born as the Nurse didn't believe that I was in labour because I was perfectly still. She checked me and found my daughter's head was already crowning. I was two hours into a root canal before the dentist realized that the freezing didn't work. I declined any topical freezing when I had a cervical biopsy because I had to go back to work right after. All these times, I felt the sensation but it wasn't pain. It was just like an itch.
There always seems to be a trade-off for everything. Although I have a high threshold for physical pain, I have a very low threshold for emotional pain.
I thought of this a couple of days ago when Trump had a news conference cracking down on opiod dealers. He said these were horrible people and deserved the death sentence.
I thought about the time I was addicted to opiods. Maybe I wasn't technically addicted but it felt like I was.
I was in pre-op getting ready for hallux valgus surgery. It sounds more complicated than having a bunion removed. My surgeon came to me and asked what I wanted for the pain after surgery and I said T3s. He said, in his experience, this pain was particularly extreme and T3s didn't manage it effectively. He said he would leave the prescription for me at the recovery desk and that it was important that I stay ahead of the pain and to take 2 tablets every 4 hours and that would aid my recovery. I should have told my surgeon about my high tolerance for physical pain. But, he was my surgeon and I trusted him.
When I filled the prescription, I discovered I had 80 pills of oxycontin. I chuckled to myself and wondered what the street value would be. Then, I did exactly what my surgeon told me to do. I took two tablets and stayed ahead of the pain. I actually didn't experience any pain, but, that was a sign that the oxy was working. I was staying ahead of it. But, I felt loopy all the time. I couldn't concentrate. I laid in bed and could never remember if I had eaten or not. I would read a book and have to read the same page over and over again and still not understand what I had read. I couldn't figure out my remote control. I had my cell phone next to me but when it rang, I couldn't figure out how to answer it. It was awful.
At my two week post-op appointment, my surgeon asked me if I wanted a refill on my prescription. No, I did not. The next 10 days were horrid. I couldn't sleep. I couldn't sit still. I still couldn't concentrate. I couldn't lie down. It was pretty awful. On the 11th night, I slept and I woke up feeling myself.
My surgeon wasn't doing anything wrong, he was likely doing best practice. He just happened to have a patient with a high pain threshold. Think of all the people in the world who are having surgery today or think of all the people who have chronic pain looking for some relief. My guess is that most people are like me. They get their opiods prescribed for a legitimate medical reason. Then, they wonder what the street value may be and find out. Then, when their doctor offers them a refill, they accept it. And, that is how it starts.
Now, of course, there are some scary people out there making synthetic opiods which are dangerous. But, the majority of the "dealers" are good doctors who are doing what they think are the right thing. They are trying to alleviate the pain and suffering of their patients. These are the "dealers" that Trump thinks deserve the death penalty.
There is an opiod crisis in our society that needs attention. It needs attention and deeper understanding. It needs a coordinated effort that includes education. It does not need a President talking about what he doesn't know and bringing up the death penalty.
But, now the ying to my yang. Right now, I am suffering from emotional pain. It would be the equivalent of a scratch to a normal person. But, I have such a low threshold for emotional pain. It is hard for people who don't have the same low threshold to understand. It is hard for me to explain. But, I wish I had saved an oxycontin. I would welcome feeling loopy rather than feeling this pain.
There always seems to be a trade-off for everything. Although I have a high threshold for physical pain, I have a very low threshold for emotional pain.
I thought of this a couple of days ago when Trump had a news conference cracking down on opiod dealers. He said these were horrible people and deserved the death sentence.
I thought about the time I was addicted to opiods. Maybe I wasn't technically addicted but it felt like I was.
I was in pre-op getting ready for hallux valgus surgery. It sounds more complicated than having a bunion removed. My surgeon came to me and asked what I wanted for the pain after surgery and I said T3s. He said, in his experience, this pain was particularly extreme and T3s didn't manage it effectively. He said he would leave the prescription for me at the recovery desk and that it was important that I stay ahead of the pain and to take 2 tablets every 4 hours and that would aid my recovery. I should have told my surgeon about my high tolerance for physical pain. But, he was my surgeon and I trusted him.
When I filled the prescription, I discovered I had 80 pills of oxycontin. I chuckled to myself and wondered what the street value would be. Then, I did exactly what my surgeon told me to do. I took two tablets and stayed ahead of the pain. I actually didn't experience any pain, but, that was a sign that the oxy was working. I was staying ahead of it. But, I felt loopy all the time. I couldn't concentrate. I laid in bed and could never remember if I had eaten or not. I would read a book and have to read the same page over and over again and still not understand what I had read. I couldn't figure out my remote control. I had my cell phone next to me but when it rang, I couldn't figure out how to answer it. It was awful.
At my two week post-op appointment, my surgeon asked me if I wanted a refill on my prescription. No, I did not. The next 10 days were horrid. I couldn't sleep. I couldn't sit still. I still couldn't concentrate. I couldn't lie down. It was pretty awful. On the 11th night, I slept and I woke up feeling myself.
My surgeon wasn't doing anything wrong, he was likely doing best practice. He just happened to have a patient with a high pain threshold. Think of all the people in the world who are having surgery today or think of all the people who have chronic pain looking for some relief. My guess is that most people are like me. They get their opiods prescribed for a legitimate medical reason. Then, they wonder what the street value may be and find out. Then, when their doctor offers them a refill, they accept it. And, that is how it starts.
Now, of course, there are some scary people out there making synthetic opiods which are dangerous. But, the majority of the "dealers" are good doctors who are doing what they think are the right thing. They are trying to alleviate the pain and suffering of their patients. These are the "dealers" that Trump thinks deserve the death penalty.
There is an opiod crisis in our society that needs attention. It needs attention and deeper understanding. It needs a coordinated effort that includes education. It does not need a President talking about what he doesn't know and bringing up the death penalty.
But, now the ying to my yang. Right now, I am suffering from emotional pain. It would be the equivalent of a scratch to a normal person. But, I have such a low threshold for emotional pain. It is hard for people who don't have the same low threshold to understand. It is hard for me to explain. But, I wish I had saved an oxycontin. I would welcome feeling loopy rather than feeling this pain.
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