A couple months ago our sister Michelle Bloem committed suicide due to uncontrolled pain. Before she was murdered for the sake of ‘preventing addiction’, Michelle wrote this:
To whom it may concern,
I have CRPS/RSD and am currently seeing a doctor that monitors my progress and medications. I was diagnosed in June of 2010. After trying every treatment modality including physical therapy, anti-seizure medications, biofeedback, etc. I was put on OxyContin. After having 8 brachial plexus nerve blocks and 5 lumbar nerve blocks, my neurologist/ pain management doctor kept upping the dosage of it because I was getting no relief and we could not figure out why. He ended up upping the dosage so much I was only experiencing side effects, no pain relief. I decided to leave my pain management doctor at UCLA and seek out another doctor that could find out why I wasn’t getting any pain relief. I finally found a doctor that did many tests on me including: Neuroinflamation blood tests, Genetic malabsorption blood work-up. My doctor was able to figure out that I cannot absorb oral opioids due to a genetic malabsorption defect. He put me on a trial of subcutaneous dilaudid. I had experienced instant pain relief and received my quality of life back. I have been on this medication for two years with no side effects. This medication has to be compounded, which my new insurance will not pay for. Dr. Tennant has saved my life and given me my life back. You must understand that we chronic pain patients cannot be punished for the people that use opioids illegally. None of us “want” to be on these medications, but have no choice. After trying everything, we just want quality of life. The restrictions that are already put in place are making it harder and harder for the legitimate chronic pain patients to get their medications that give them quality of life. Please consider that we are carefully monitored by our doctors and take our medications as prescribed only. We should not be punished for the street abusers that only want a “high”. I have never experienced a “high” from my pain medicine. There are studies in the process that have to do with different medications to help us, but it takes an extremely long time to get them FDA approved. In closing, I hope you will kindly consider our circumstances, that we have families, and only want to be able to participate in daily activities without suffering inhumanly.
Thank you,
Michelle Bloem
Michelle died directly because of the policies and practices of people like @AndrewKolodny, The CDC, Organizations like #PROP, and the policies of people like Chris Christie and the #POTUS @realDonaldTrump. Chronic pain patients are dying because of the policies our government imposes to curb the illegal use of opiates. Just because we suffer from chronic, debilitating pain does not make us criminals. We take medications, under the supervision of multiple doctors, to improve our quality of life. Chronic pain patients are being forced to take their lives as their only means of pain management. Please stop the genocide of chronic pain patients!!
Filed under: General Problems
This is heart breaking. When will they realize this is going on.. Im sorry for the family loss.
This is awful. I to suffer from chronic pain and they have cut my pain meds. The pain doctor told me this week in January 2019 they will be cutting them again. I can hardly move now. After the first of the year, I will be in bed all the time. At that point, I see no reason to be here either. There are people who can take meds as directed to maintain a life. At this point in time, the government has no idea what we go through and it seems that don’t care.
A trajedy. Who wants to help me prevent my suicide? I need a doctor.
I’m certain that Michelle now walks with God.
If she was my sister, I wonder if I would seek some sort of revenge, not an elevated thought though. But neither is the thought process that murdered her. I feel there’s a whole new type of “drug war” beginning to smolder among an oppressed group. There’s so much piling on by the ones in control that I wonder if things will change – before countless others are forced to join Michelle as well.
Speaking of God, I really believe the natural world, so created, is balanced with everything we need. Meaning chemistry from plants interacting in positive ways with chemistry of humans, including for pain management. I would consider this science as part of my religious practice. Such practice supposedly separated and protected by law. A marriage of science and religion. A potential path for a rational, healthy and productive solution for many health issues. I’m inclined to explore it first. I believe Native Americans are “allowed” use of peyote medicine as protected status. I intend to claim similar use of plant medicine for my needs too. Why,I recall our A.G. Jeff Sessions mentioning something about how God was righteously involved in a situation he was dealing with.
At any rate, I see the Supreme Court having to weigh in on this issue, as it really does amount to lethal discrimination (state sanctioned murder). I would be honored to be the catalyst for the decision. In memory of Michelle Bloem.
My sincere condolences to you. As a fellow chronic pain sufferer, I understand your sister’s choice. Sadly, our government agencies are failing us. I will continue to try to work for your sister’s cause, to return proper pain management to the MD/patient relationship, and to remove these unnecessary regulations and guidelines which were complicit in your sister’s death. Our hearts are heavy with your grief most sincerely, Debra Aellig, and Christian Aellig