Author and Actress, Karen Duffy, to be a Focal Point & Consulting Producer for Documentary BALANCING THE PAIN SCALE
A new documentary will combine the talents of author and actress Karen Duffy, two-time Emmy and seven-time Telly Award winning filmmaker Yellow Dog Productions and author, advocate and Interim CEO of U.S. Pain Foundation Nicole Hemmenway. In “Balancing the Pain Scale,” Duffy and Hemmenway, along with other chronic pain patients, will retrace their inspiring relationships with chronic pain as they reveal treatments and therapies ultimately finding balance.
Duffy says, “I think a great way of dealing with a chronic illness is finding a purpose and a way to keep yourself amused.” Duffy, Author of “Backbone: Living with Chronic Pain without Turning into One” and former MTV VJ, Revlon model and actress has managed to live life fully despite chronic sarcoidosis, an inflammatory disease primarily affecting her brain.
After hearing Duffy’s account on Puck Soup – a hockey-focused podcast – fellow hockey parent Marv Turner of Yellow Dog Productions approached Duffy about being involved with the film. “I immediately agreed to be a part of this film,” said Duffy. “I believe there is a way for pain patients to find a meaningful life and purpose while managing chronic illness. Opioids are just one option. This film is so important and will present insight that will help others with chronic pain have hope.”
Hemmenway, author of, “No, It Is NOT In My Head: THE JOURNEY of a Chronic Pain SURVIVOR from Wheelchair to Marathon,” was diagnosed with complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), a debilitating neurological disorder in her teens. She says, “Too often during my own journey with pain, I felt alone, misunderstood and unheard. I felt as if others were belittling and mocking my health when I desperately wanted validation. I believe that no one should have to face the DARKNESS alone.”
“Everyone will be inspired by the courage and perseverance these two women – and others portrayed in the film – have demonstrated throughout their lives while staying positive. I’m hopeful that their approach to better living will provide viewers tangible ways to look BEYOND the pill bottle,” says filmmaker Turner. Netflix distribution plans are underway along with targeted film festivals across the United States and Canada.
“Balancing the Pain Scale” features inspiring people living with chronic pain. It shares their individual journeys from opioids to alternatives and reveals how their choices and struggles impact their daily life in profound ways. From New York to California and in-between, “Balancing the Pain Scale” depicts the ups and downs of pain management and highlights complementary therapies to provide solace and hope for more than 100 million Americans living with chronic pain.
Financial contributions towards the making of the film are tax deductible. Learn more at www.balancingthepainscale.com.
About Yellow Dog Productions (www.yellowdogproductions.net)
Yellow Dog Productions is a two-time Emmy and seven-time Telly Award Winning production company based in Madison, Wisconsin with over 23 years of award winning video production throughout the world.
About U.S. Pain Foundation (www.uspainfoundation.org)
The mission of U.S. Pain Foundation is to educate, connect, inform and empower those living with pain while also advocating on behalf of the entire pain community.
Filed under: General Problems
Wasn’t the American Pain Foundation shutdown due to their relationship with pharmaceutical companies ?
This claim couldn’t be more wrong, or more hurtful. We fight every day to ensure that people with pain have access to the treatments they need. Below is our full position statement on opioids. https://uspainfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Balanced-access-to-pain-management.pdf
If you have questions or want to know more about the work we’ve done to protect patients, please email contact@uspainfoundation.org.
This does not surprise me. I have been expecting it. It is all about money and politics. It may or may not explain recent sudden change in leadership.
I’m sorry. I blasted the news source that had nothing to do with the situation. I was so angered, I thought I was on their page. I apologize profusely.
Sounds like you folks are pro-pain. All I know is this 68 yr. old man would not be here without opiates. For some people, it’s a valid medical plan. I have suffered pain since childhood until I was 60.
Now, I finally have a good quality of life and everyone wants to take it away from me. What is wrong with your compassion to your fellow man? Go align yourselves with Kolodny!! You have succeeded in making me very angry so I’ll stop b4 I say something I will regret. Living without pain, to the extent possible, should be a human right instead we get torture. Hmm, I thought torture was illegal?
U.S. Pain Foundation may be changing positions??? Excuse me, but you are all fully aware of the fact one-size-fits-all is NOT a good way to portray how our doctors should be treating us… this film needs to DRIVE THIS POINT HOME IN A VERY, VERY CLEAR AND CONCISE WAY. I’m sure most would agree, we need alternatives to opioids, but UNTIL those options exist for the individual, MAKE SURE THAT IS VERY CLEAR!! CPP’s are already typically using all kinds of treatments and therapies… BUT IN ADDITION TO AN OPIOID MEDICATION REGIMEN. Without it, HOW CAN YOU HONESTLY change your mission? I say, be very careful…
What a load of garbage. Some quack alternative-therapy group, or a pharmaceutical house with a vested interest in a non-opioid therapy is behind this. I’ll bet my license.
What are Duffy and Hemmenway getting out of this??/ … some how it must be money, now, or eventually. They also are getting DEATH on their souls every time a pain patients dies from a stroke or heart failure or suicides. Along with all other guilty parties.. such as OUR government of BETRAYAL. I am not suicidal, I love my life.. but.. on May 6th 2017 when my Dr. turned my pain pump with fentanyal down 40% the pain was so horrible that my BP went to 300/153 .. near fatal. Should have been fatal. I also thought to myself, ” I wonder how I get to the roof ( I was currently in a ER treatment bay as they tried to keep me alive) my next thought was ..” do I really want to end my life today. That was just from the pain of only say two hours and I was brought to that point. MEDICATION of Fentanyal WORKS for me. I serve in my church, thus serve others, clean my house.. I have a life. NOTHING else works and yes I have tried many many things. Name it, tried it.. DID NOT WORK! OPIOIDS works for me ! Gives me a life. Why take that away? I have never had a near OD… I do not mix ETOH and my medication… so why break me ?
The “US pain foundation” is nothing more than a sick joke! They have no right using a name like that if they make a mockery of us CPP. They are Disgusting and Pathetic! Once again, it was all for the money. They kept asking and taking money from the same people they are now betraying.
What a farce of a Pain Foundation! Goes to show that where the money and fame goes so does the morals. We’ll have to look at all who are apart of this org and beware of them as well.
This is backstabbing of the legitimate Chronic Pain Patient Community.
IM also Unsubscribing from this JOKE of a Pain Org! Down right Disgusting.
I for one will NOT be watching this “mockumentary”. It is a slap in the face to all us Chronic Pain Patients taking opioids. It seems to me this “mockumentary” is riding on the coat-tails of the witch hunt this War on Opioids has begun and wonder if we would have seen such insulting garbage had this witch hunt had begun in the first place. What’s been on my mind all day is why this was pisted in the first place? When so many of us need opioids to have a quality of life? My injury some 13/14 yrs ago has chipped away at my life. I did yoga. I did chiropractor. I did TENS unit. Hung upside down. It wasn’t until AFTER my surgery that I reluctantly agreed to try opioids because the pain wasn’t going away. Seeing this post makes me feel defensive in ways. And how about the folks that committed suicide after losing their meds?! Is this suggesting that had they tried some of these methods they’d still be here? I mean this really boils my blood. I thought this was a like minded supportive group. It just makes me feel that mine and other’s pain isn’t as bad as we think it is. Noone lives in our bodies but us and I dare anyone to walk in my shoes. See how much yoga and running you do. Hell, I guarantee you won’t last a day.
***Just do us and the blessed souls that have taken their lives a hige favor and dont post anything like this again. It’s a slap in the face. Let us find this out for ourselves. Not come to a like minded support(?) group
*posted
If I can edit I don’t know how. This has done my head in…
All I know is that I remember when Karen Duffy did a show on opioids with Montel Williams and they BOTH made a big deal that if you are in chronic pain you will NOT get addicted. That the opioids go to the source of pain and do not get one high.
I will be greatly disappointed if she is now taking on the view that you can live in pain without pain medications. If she can, good for her. But then why did she and Montel Williams talk so much about how morphine just got rid of the pain and did not get one high? If she can live without pain medication then either her pain is no longer as bad as it was or it is not like the pain I have and many others have.
I agree the last thing we need is another group of anti-opioid folks on the war path. I listened to Dr. Kline on a podcast last night that said that PROP doctors were not just against giving opioids but that they do not believe that pain can ever be bad enough to need pain medication.
What has happened to English speaking societies. It seems that the USA, UK, Australia, New Zealand and Canada are the only countries going against pain medicines, known to have been around for as long as humans have been on earth, by restricting dosages despite that every other modern day country STILL recognizes that different people require different amounts based on many factors and there are no ceilings for the amount that should be prescribed. It should be what is needed to keep people out of as much pain as possible. The USA has become a country that would rather kill the 95% of people that require the pain medications to help the 5% of people that are suffering with a gene that causes them to become addicts. Why can’t the USA help the addicts AND HELP THE CHRONIC AND INTRACTABLE PAIN PATIENTS? It appears that the majority of this country has become brainwashed by bad data that even the CDC has retracted.
All pain medication should go back to not being judged by DOJ and DEA as a physician prescribing more then average. Perhaps they should realize that these doctors are the few remaining doctors still treating pain patients or are the specialists. These doctors should just find out if the patient they are prescribing to has been given an opioid before. If the answer is no, then they should tell the patient if they get a rush of euphoria after taking the first few pills to call immediately and then the doctor will know they carry the gene for addiction. 99% of the rest of abusive pain medications is from street addicts and they should be helped but not at pain patient’s expense.!!!
“do not believe that pain can ever be bad enough to need pain medication.”
What?!?! I frigging guarantee I can think of ways to convince them otherwise…they may think they’d dismiss them as anecdotal, but they’d be too busy screaming to do so. Unfreakingbelievable! These…..ah, jerks are certifiable!
Kimberly; can you possibly tell me how to find that podcast, or a transcirption of it? I’m googling “Dr Kline” & various other terms but no joy yet
Thank you, your reply was not only a rant but informative as well. This is bs for those of us who prefer quality over quantity of life. Thank you Angi
I wouldn’t be surprised. At one point I actually unsubscribed from this group’s communications because theyve made several statements that personally offended me. Then I subscribed again because I thought I should keep an eye on them to see what side of the fence they’d settle on. I feel like for last couple years they’ve been leaning in the direction of the anti-opioid zealots although they’ve been careful not to take an official position on it. I certainly don’t trust them because by now they should have made their position clear but they haven’t and of course they collect some info on their membership–primarily through quick surveys. I wouldn’t want the enemy to have any of my info so proceed with caution if you engage with them.
Wasn’t the founder of this organization forced out recently?
Martha; looks like it was the CEO:
“Paul Gileno [the CEO] resigned Tuesday, May 29th at the request of the foundation’s board of directors, according to a statement released on Thursday by U.S. Pain. It is highly unusual for a non-profit’s board of directors to remove its CEO. . . . US Pain has recently faced criticism over its relationship with Insys Therapeutics, an Arizona drug maker under investigation for its marketing of Subsys, an oral fentanyl spray blamed for hundreds of overdose deaths. Former Insys executives and sales representatives have been charged with racketeering and bribing doctors to prescribe Subsys off-label. A four day supply of Subsys can cost nearly $24,000.”
(from https://www.painnewsnetwork.org/stories/2018/6/1/ceo-of-us-pain-foundation-ousted)
Holy cow; a 4 day supply for $24K?? That’s right up there with unobtainium.
wunnnderful; just what the anti-opioid zealots need…another group supporting them.