Marine Vet Suffering From Chronic Pain Writes Congress
nationalpainreport.com/marine-vet-suffering-from-chronic-pain-writes-congress-8832641.html
By Ed Coghlan
With the coming of a new President, comes a familiar promise – to do more for the country’s military veterans with an eye toward reforming the VA Medical System.
No disrespect to President-elect Trump, but there doesn’t seem to be much in his plan that screams change.
As Newsweek wrote: “So what’s his plan? On Trump’s website, there’s a 10-point V.A. reform “vision.” But that plan basically amounts to firing bad managers, hiring better ones and then taking some other unspecified steps that fall under the heading of “modernization” while maybe putting more money toward providers.”
While President Obama’s performance in reforming the VA has largely gone wanting, veteran groups actually asked Trump to keep VA Chief Robert McDonald, the former Proctor and Gamble CEO who has run things since 2014.
In addition to the normal VA shortcomings, National Pain Report readers know that veterans have been hit hard by the CDC Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain.
We are publishing a story today – not to review VA shortcomings – but because we received the copy of an interesting and personal letter written by a former Marine to Congressional representatives and staffers and the media about what the guidelines have done to him.
Robert Rose
His name is Robert Rose and he lives in Gray, Tennessee and his letter, spawned by what he felt was an unfair news story. We asked him for permission to republish some of the letter which he tells his story in a way that may be familiar to some of his fellow vets.
“Personally these guidelines and the “opioid safety initiative” have had a devastating effect on my family and my quality of life. First, because my mother and sisters do not understand the true extent of the injuries to my body and the havoc they incite in my body and mind. Therefore it is impossible for them to comprehend why I would challenge the government or the Veterans Administration. Actually with their limited knowledge about my situation they consider me a “pill popper” and just another veteran addicted to drugs because of the VA’s ineptitude. What else are they supposed to think considering some of the shoddiest reporting since beginning of the technology age (in many aspects the old gumshoe reporter is preferred). The result of this nightmare, we are barely on speaking terms.
Robert Rose shopping
Closer to home, my wife and sons do understand the challenges I am faced with due to the chronic pain, blackouts and constant struggle to simply be a man. They do in fact support me for standing tall (metaphorically) in this struggle. Regrettably I am an old school Marine infantryman which makes me very hardheaded. I see a problem and I attack, attack, attack head on. My boys believe I need to be more politically correct such as omitting references to Jesus Christ my Lord and Savior. To me, this would be tantamount of denying my God (see below) and spending an eternity in the real Hell and not just the one the Veterans Administration has created for so many. This one ends, the other is for eternity.
Additionally, because the pain and sleep deprivation created by being denied pain medications due to the “opioid safety initiative,” there’s something within my mind or body which generates an anger deep inside. Sporadically this fury erupts on my wife (and sometimes my sons) sporadically. God has blessed with enough self-control to not employ physical violence but anyone who had been in an abusive relationship can tell, sometimes the anger and the words do more damage.
This woman has stood through thick and thin for thirty years. The Marines, rehabilitation after my medical discharge, severe bouts of depression because I was once again a “civilian,” a graveyard shift in a prison while I attended college during the day, and so much more. If anything this woman deserves a monument erected in her name because as many of you know, I can be and am an “obnoxious asshole.” As a consequence of this nightmare, and the suffering they see daily as I simply try to walk upright to the restroom, it is taking a severe toil on my beautiful wife. Worse considering I have been waiting five years for an appeal from the Veterans Administration so that I might finally be eligible for health insurance to care for her cancer (in remission), heart issues (her mitral valve was replaced with a St. Jude mechanical valve), all her medications, specialists needed on top of all her the anxieties of having been on death’s door three separate times (and still is according to her) because of these conditions. Prior to October, I was doing everything in my power to care and provide emotional support to her. Going to the store, cooking, whatever she needed I was there. Only now, it is a struggle for either one of us to care for the other. Now, I pray daily I will not snap or yell at her because of my own weaknesses.
One other casualty of this campaign of misinformation is Sparky, our Yorkie. This is my wife’s constant companion (I believe she loves him more than even me). Unfortunately Sparky is getting on in years and has been diagnosed with arthritis among other things that occur to his breed as they age. We ran out of his medication in early December 2016. We have been so debilitated by our respective conditions, we have been unable to schedule an appointment for him to alleviate his suffering. How many others are dealing with similar situations simply because someone is getting rich off our ordeal created by the CDC guidelines?
As you can see, these are real life issues brought about faulty (and fraudulent) research by the CDC, the DEA and other interested parties. People are suffering and only you, our esteemed representatives and caring professionals, can put an end to this madness.”
We’ve asked Mr. Rose to keep us apprised of any response he get.
In the meantime, let us know your thoughts.
Filed under: General Problems
This is what I mean,,,sadly there has bin 1000’s of letter written to our elected officials,,1000’s,,,,,and they literally refuse to hear us,,,They continue there WILLFULL torture AND GENOCIDE,,PENNHURST MENTALITY on all us,,,,Wisco just past 3 more bills to go against us,,and i have asked for a copy of these ,’opiate reform bills,” written by our attorney general who daughter is a adult addict,,,another politician abusing his power for REVENGE!!!iN these bills i guarantee there is something changed soo our hhs can go after doctors,,,,but again,,,the truth will only be told when thee politician re-learn how to listen,,,,and humanity returns to our society,,,,I am asking my doc tomorrow,,,my 300 mile round trip,,,because a nurse lied and can’t count,,,but i am asking him tomorrow if i will be kicked out of painmanagement if i pursue a legal case w/wisco aclu,,for torture,genocide,practicing medicine w/out a liscence,discrimination,abuse of just power,lieing to thee public,using non-scientific data and i am sure we can find more,,,,,im done,,,its way past due for a lawsuit,,,mary
I seriously doubt that Trump has a soft spot for chronic pain patients. I am unaware of Obama’s direct actions for or against chronic pain patients, or if he tried to help but was blocked, he tried to move a lot of issues, but was cut off by Republicans over and over again. Steve, your unwavering help to this column and the chronic pain community, which I belong to, has been so much help, but when you start bringing in your political beliefs you must know that around half of your readers voted for Obama, and again for Clinton. Why bring this divide to your important and helpful website? It irritates me, and if I chose to or could waste my energy on, as little as there is, I would study Obama’s record to see what direct actions he took to help or hurt people with chronic pain. I would try to defend him, but I don’t have the energy. Let’s just see if there is even an iota of help from Trump’s presidency. But still, we don’t need to divide ourselves into two groups, we have too much in common. Politics are dirty, but worse, divisive. I like you, I don’t care about your political beliefs. I know how hard it is to be silent in these political times. But you can do it because I believe you are a caring man. And I won’t use your column to point out Trump’s failings. Agreed?
If Trump allows the DOJ/DEA to stay on the same downhill track.. I will be on his ass so fast… I have referred to our new VP… my former governor as a opiophobe and his AG (Zoeller) similar or worse names. Here in FL I have been highly critical of our AG Pam “Blondi” Bondy and our Gov Scott whose company – at the time – was found guilty of the largest Medicare/Medicaid fraud case and imposed the largest fine to that point in time.
I have been a “student” of politicians/bureaucrats for over THREE DECADES… Congress has an approval rating equal to car salesmen, telemarketers – at 8% with only Lobbyists being at the end of the list at 7%. I tried to deal in FACTS.. whoever happens to be at the head of the list of the reason for the facts… so be it.
They announced tonight that Obama is the first President to be at war for the entire 8 yrs of his Presidency.. so the war on drugs… is not even recognized as a “war”… maybe is more like Korea – a 100+ yr “police action” or has it slid into a genocide as chronic pain pts are increasingly committing suicides and/or being forced to buy off the street and getting “dirty Heroin” and ODing ?
The DEA reports to the AG and the AG reports to the President… is the DEA acting on their own… are they being directed by the AG – we have had two different AG’s over the last 8 yrs or is the whole war on drugs being orchestrated by the man at the top of the structure ? No matter.. the man at the top of structure can do one of three things.. encourage what is being done by the DEA… discourage/stop the DEA what they are doing… or turn a blind eye/deft ear to what is going on. I don’t know which.. I just know where the buck was suppose to stop
All Trumps plans are the same. Either, fire who ever Obama appointed and replace them with someone from his Billionaire Boys Club, or repeal everything president Obama ever did and replace it with “SOMETHING TERRIFIC”. The man’s head is so far up in his own ASS BUBBLE, that his brain is over infused on methane and his brain cells are on life support. By the way, I do mean to disrespect Donald J Trump because he is actually someone deserving of DISRESPECT.
I am surprised that anyone in the chronic pain community can support what has happened over the last 8 yrs. Our President is the final authority on which laws are enforced or ignored enforced.. The war on drugs/pts took a quantum leap forward in velocity in 2009-2010. The Americans with Disability Act may as well not have been a law on the books because I am not aware of THE FIRST case against discrimination/denial of care for chronic pain pts. And now we have the CDC coming out with guidelines and the Surgeon General re-enforcing these guidelines as being observed as law. The Federal Reserve kept the interest rate at near ZERO.. for the last 8 yrs… harming those seniors trying to live off of their interest on their savings and they have lied about the increase the cost of living… which denied all those on Social Security/Disability because they got little/nothing in annual increases – this year’s increase was 0.3% which was clawed back by the increase in Medicare part B premiums for most drawing a social security check. What wasn’t clawed back by Medicare part B premiums… was or will be consumed by increases in Part B deductible, Medicare supplement premium increases and/or Part D premium increases. As a final insult to the taxpayers… instead of giving his farewell address in DC.. he has to fly to Chicago.. in Air Force One at about 200,000/flying hour.. to give a 30 minute speech… another million taxpayers’ dollars gone.. to feed his ego..
Steve, please don’t use your platform to bring up your political choices. Your readers are most likely split evenly in political party choices. Politics divide our country, your helpful information does not need to be about divisiveness. Chronic pain people need your wisdom, about dealing with their chronic pain. Can you do this for democrats? I will not bash Trump here. I will just pray that my pain meds don’t get slashed by the CDC guidelines, so far, only lost a sleep helper. It’s your column, I just want to read it without feeling the need to agree with your politics or defend my own. Too much unneeded stress!