There is some 320 million people in the US… among those there are abt 40 million blacks/African Americans .. someone discriminates against one of them.. this is what you may see in the media
There are some 12 million that label themselves as part of the LGTB community and if you discriminate against one or more of them and this is what you may see in the media
There is an estimated 106 million of those suffering for chronic pain and other subjective chronic diseases.. and if discrimination against people in this group.. and this is what you may see in the media
This is the closest that this group gets to protesting… A SIT IN.. I know that you can’t read the PICKET SIGNS.. but.. that is OK… the picture itself clearly demonstrates the intensity of the commitment of those present in getting this discrimination to come to a end
Filed under: General Problems
I would like to make a suggestion. When Steve or another blog you follow posts a story, click the link and GO TO THE SOURCE. Many times i have gone to newspapers and the level of ignorance in the comments section below the story is astounding. If you cannot ‘get out there’ in person, post to these publications with knowledgeable information. I opened a page on discus and G+ especially to do this. (it doesn’t require giving your personal info publicly)
I think that this site here that Steve has built is invaluable for informing those disabled by diseases causing chronic pain about the current state of our health system and how it is acting (OR NOT) regarding our care. BUT for advocating? We are simply preaching to the choir here. We need to get ‘out there’ and educate. One point i like to stress upon is the fact that uncontrolled or under-controlled pain can exacerbate disease activity in the disabled. This is one HUGE POINT THAT MANY DONT REALIZE. IF they post to a comment section that nobody dies from a pain REFUTE that assertion. It is a known medical fact that pain causes an increase in blood pressure, heart rate, etc and can lead to strokes, heart attacks, seizures, even insomnia, anxiety, and depression which in turn exacerbates OTHER aspects of one’s health such as immune system functioning and many others so its all connected.
One can also explain why regular NSAID and/or steroid use is no replacement. They do just as much if not more damage as good. Personally I have had many broken bones including 2 collapsed vertebrae 4 metatarsals, gastritis, obesity, mood swings, all caused by ‘treating the problem AT THE SOURCE.
I mention this because it is a standard response as an alternative to pain meds EVEN among doctors in these comments sections. TREAT THE SOURCE OF THE PAIN, they just want drugs is the reply.
As hard as it is for a disabled person to comprehend, there ARE people out there that don’t recognize or understand how many diseases are INCURABLE or how many injuries are NOT FIXABLE BY SURGERY (many even caused by surgery)OR how we’ve exhausted other ‘alternative’ therapies OR cannot afford them because they are not covered by insurance.
This discrimination is at a high tide now BUT as Steve and others have shown there are SOME that are interested in our plight as evidenced by the recent news exposes in FL and NV chronicling the plight of those disabled being turned away at pharmacies, even with cancer (great job Steve).
If you go to a pharmacy and they turn you away then threaten to call the police, have a seat, you’ve done nothing wrong. If the pharmacy is an in-network pharmacy for your private insurance or Medicare Part D report the pharmacist/pharmacy to the insurance company (didn’t do much good in my case but it needs to be done to document your next move which is to go to the State office of insurance commissioner and report insurance fraud. Then greivance to CMS. When I put grievence in last Dec the CMS supervisor said it was the first she’d seen filed against a pharmacist! I was astonished, there should be thousands of these in the system. Steve has an excellent outline for this process but we cant wait for some else WE have to get the ball rolling, grassroots one patient at a time is what this is going to take.
You are paying for a service that the pharmacy agreed to provide (if it is in your Medicare Part D formulary booklet and you are not allergic to the med or it doesn’t caues drug/drug interaction you are ENTITLED to have it filled AT THE IN-NETWORK PHARMACY OF YOUR CHOICE. (Just read your Evidence of Coverage booklet or EOB, which serves as a legally binding document). If we flood the system with these they must take notice. IF PART D IT IS ALSO FEDERAL LAW.
While I was banned from one site for pointing our the obvious crimes of the DEA and telling patients not to be so naive about the rogue agencies actions, this is EXACTLY what we need to be doing.
Don’t buy into DEA scripted bulls***. They know EXACTLY who this is affecting. If they say they dont visit pharmacies the are LYING, what do the pharmacists that come forward to report these encounters have to gain? NOTHING other than doing the right thing. Since the DEA have ignored DIRECT instructions from Congress; ex:regarding drug policy such as to stop interfering with LEGAL STATE MMJ distributors and a host of other independent actions in direct violation with FEDERAL LAW such as raiding patient medical files w/out a warrant (Oregon/ACLU vs DEA) accepting gift from cartels, massacres like the one in Honduras, the list goes on and on. They dont think they are above the law they think they ARE THE LAW. Why be intimidated? What do we have to lose? Speak up, Speak out. Educate and Advocate.
Congress just might be inclined to take up our cause due to such rebuffs from the DOJ/DEA cronies BUT we must strike while the iron is hot, next year is election year and many of them will be spending most of their time campaigning and trying to hold onto their jobs (one trouble DEA doesn’t have to worry about) as that is their main priority. Also remember who you are dealing with in media. Mainstream media is corporate owned. they are NOT unbiased. They are out to make money and sensationalism sells. If chronic pain isn’t on the agenda it isn’t going to be covered unless we put it front and center and they feel they may be missing out on a story their competitors may.
If you can write in to Steve’s blog you can write in to newspapers comments section too (it doesn’t even have to be your local paper) just go online and search out stories log on and let the people know the REAL state of affairs from the front lines and how this drug war is affecting honest disabled citizens of this country.
Coonhound
Kinda interesting. ..as i have been asking the same sorta questions 4 some time now….u would think that with social media hear…and with all the other issues at hand…..a lot of these people I’m sure have to have pain /physician problems also….so I ask!!!! Where is OUR BIG support rally.. these pain group’s are just as important as any of the others rallying that is going on in today’s lifestyle. …..remember that. …it’s 4 u!!! Also….
I agree – nobody is one bit upset about discrimination against chronic pain patients, and as it has been clearly demonstrated in the past few months, it is encouraged to bully, label, and yes – discriminate against chronic pain patients. Social media is full of pages and groups who do just that. It blows my mind that the masses think they are immune to ever needing help with pain from a horrific disease or injury. They are being brainwashed into believing it’s not that bad and those who are on pain meds must be looking for a high. The evidence is all there, like one of our politicians (who is there to serve us) makes statements like – ‘everybody over 40 has back pain or anxiety about going to work’. There are pages that are so anti-pain meds, that they go as far as to suggest that someone having a lot of dental surgery shouldn’t need any pain medicine. And the masses don’t understand that supporting that, may leave them in a very painful position – and not only that, but what about their aging parents, grandparents and so on – the older we are, the more likely something has happened to make us have chronic pain, though chronic pain is not afraid to attack the very young – but the masses have been taught it’s better to let a young child suffer with excruciating, 27/7, ongoing severe pain. There is something very wrong going on. Don’t we have a right to the pursuit of happiness and how do you even begin to pursue happiness if you are watching a loved one suffer horribly, or you are doing so yourself?
~FED UP!
I agree. WHY aren’t we???
It could be that a lot of chronic pain pts are disabled unable to get around physically. Plus we are worn down from fighting pain with no medications for relief. It is hard to fight constant, chronic pain 24/7 and have much fight left in us. Just a thought.
Add to that many are unable to travel not only because of pain but because they are no longer able to work and live on a very limited income.I would make every effort to attend if a protest was planned but i cant tell you from day to day if i can get out of bed let alone make a long trip. But I would try…
Right. I just wrote senate and president as this is insane. Done everything by the book, passed every drug test for the last 15 years and communicate with my dr to the point i have narcan on hand for a just incase yet i was cut off one (percocet) and lower on the other one (morphine) so bad that its no longer managing my pain and am seeking something to get rid of the pain! This is a classic example of them forcing good people to go bad because we have no choice. I never thought of illegal drugs until i felt all the pain like this!
So why aren’t we out protesting and doing what it takes to change things for us. ?