From: "Tim & Wendy Chissus" 
Subject: Re: Chronic vr Intractable Pain
Date: 2000/04/23
Message-ID: #1/1
References: 
Organization: 1st.  account
NNTP-Posting-Date: Sun, 23 Apr 2000 12:03:53 PDT
Newsgroups: fido.chronic_pain

I would to know if there are any alternatives concerning chronic pain.  Lord
knows I've tried many and have failed one or another for one reason or
another.  I've come very close to the end of the ropes.  Now I'm looking to
others to see what they may have found that have worked or haven't worked,
because we all know we are so different from each other......
"Alan Jay Mazer"  wrote in message
news:oWLA4.10249$kv6.491991@newsread1.prod.itd.earthlink.net...
> I find the basic premise for doctors and the public for putting chronic
pain
> survivors in a "drug seeker" typecast is that the difference between
chronic
> and intractable pain is not addressed in the consideration.  In the most
> basic of terms a chronic pain sufferer has some prognosis of recovery or
> operable cause that could be corrected but for some reason can not be
> affected.  Intractable pain is that which is a consequence of an
inoperable
> or progressively degenerative condition.
>
> Survivor.....not sufferer, not patient, not anything unless the subject
> chooses to live on and considers life with pain better than pain without
> life.
>
> Typically I find that many chronic pain survivors are those who for some
> reason have chosen not to address possible alternative treatment.  This
> could be possible in many cases due to the reliability of those
alternatives
> to produce beneficial results.  I believe the post operative success to
> failure rate of back surgery for example is 90% in the failure
column...not
> a positive motivation to take the risk in operative treatment for a
chronic
> back pain condition.  Many other causes and conditions which result in
> chronic pain have similar failure ratios and thus many turn to medication
> rather than risky (at best) operative solutions.
>
> Those of us (including myself) who have failed back surgeries and post
> operative problems who trusted the advice for alternative treatment to
> medications are paying the price.  Ignorance of the life long trauma and
> terrible suffering that pain survivors must endure perpetuates the
arrogance
> of the public and peer medical industry.  I for one have suffered enough
at
> the hands of those who choose to call me lazy, drug seeker, hypochondriac,
> etc.  I have had enough of doctors who accept me into their roll only to
> bleed my insurance and bank account dry and leave me in limbo.  When will
> this country enact a Patients Bill of Rights that includes Intractable
Pain
> Laws?  When will the government change the Medicare plans to include
> prescription coverage while drug seekers who fake conditions to get
welfare
> benefits get 100% coverage on Medicaid?  What hold does the dishonest have
> over the honest that perpetuates an environment where those who are truly
in
> need have the least opportunity for compassion and assistance?
>
> I was a productive, successful professional for 30 years before failed
> reconstructive surgery ended my life as I knew it.  I have live in
terrible
> constant debilitating pain, horrible conditions and tolerate abhorrent
> treatment by the medical and employment industries.  I am a capable and
> knowledgeable human being, honest and forthright, compassionate and
generous
> person....why must I be treated like a blight on society?  Why must I beg
> and endure condescending treatment by the medical (so called)
professionals
> who play God with my medications?
>
> Such is my rant for the day....
>
> --
> Alan Jay Mazer
> CNA/CNE/MCSE/MCP/BSME
> Email: AlanMazer@email.com
>
>
>