by Heather Grace of IPJ

alertLive w/ Chronic Pain? Contact 60 Minutes & tell them your story! If 500 people do, they’ll cover *our* side of the Opioid Crisis: THE TRUTH. (Why stop there? Contact other media outlets. Get a list going… & share it online as well as w/me on Twitter & IG @IntractablePain.)

How to get in touch w/ CBS’ 60 Minutes show:
1. 60 Minutes, 524 W. 57th St, New York NY 10019.
2. (212) 975-3247
3. 60m@cbsnews.com
4. http://www.cbsnews.com/60-minutes
5. Instagram/Twitter: @60Minutes & @CBSNews

FACTS ABOUT THIS PAIN CARE CRISIS:

* We know it’s illicit drugs that’re killing people (ie Fentanyl coming from China & Mexico combined w/Heroin).

* We know Pain Management is essential to 100M+ Americans. That life-sustaining meds Rx’d by competent doctors to chronically ill patients will be approp/responsibly used for decades w/o incident.

* We know like it or not, we’re seriously sick. Our lives depend on pain meds & we jump thru hoops in our everyday lives to get/keep them.

* We know that even EXCELLENT beloved physicians who treat us & specialty pain pharmacies are being picked off by the DEA & State Medical Boards. And that sadly fellow patients, real people who are loved, are opting out of pain by suicide in record numbers. This happens when their pain management suddenly ends. If not by their own hand, they die agonizing deaths due to pain complications, generally a heart attack or stroke… But only after hours/days of suffering. They die this way because the pain finally overcomes their bodies so completely, it simply gives out.

• We know Pain Management via opioids has been DEMONIZED by news media & made into ridiculous ongoing plots on countless shows—dramas & comedies alike.

• We know the US agency tasked w/ factually reporting stats on opioid deaths is not telling the truth (CDC). They report ANYONE w/pain meds in their sys when they die as *opioid* deaths, even if they die by non-overdose, ie passengers in plane/car crashes. They include illicit drugs on same list as opioid Rx meds. Heck, they even put reg non-pain Rx deaths on that list! What’s more, they report addicts who intentionally mix street/Rx substances to DELIBERATELY get high—polypharmacy abuse. (Incidentally, this is the main cause of overdose deaths.)

* We know the bastardization of facts is so pervasive, they’ve got the media & [sometimes fake] activists screaming abt the dangers of our MEDICATIONS—important tools in huge arsenal of life-saving pain care options we all use. It’s so twisted, they deliberately confuse the public in PSAs, using dependence & addiction interchangeably. Guess diabetics DEPENDENT on insulin should be reclassified as ADDICTS who “shoot up” insulin 4 a fix?! Didn’t think so!

* We know anyone who thinks we sit around in a daze *high off our asses* certainly hasn’t met ME/YOU. My life’s abt improved health, stress mgmt & pain mgmt combined—& it’s hard work. I don’t get any thrill from any part of this. Patients/caregivers/loved ones/treaters: you know what I mean!

* Though it’s been made into a huge *top of m mind* issue, deaths due to prescription opioids have NEVER EVER BEEN in the U.S. statistics as a “Top 10” Cause of Death. They only wish it was! The number of deaths via Rx pain meds really amount to approx 12k/year or fewer. The number keeps going down by all accounts, though there’s nobody reliably tracking it anymore (that I’m aware of). If I’m wrong, hit me up on Twitter or Instagram & give me those REAL/RELIABLE FACTS. I *love* the truth! If it’s from the CDC, I’m sorry, but as I said, you’re wrong… Not reliable, nor a fact. Sad isn’t it? Those stats are inflated on an annual basis so that giant agencies can justify their piece of the U.S. government’s trillion+ dollar budget. And if they’re lucky, make a big ol’ grab for a *much larger* slice! That’s the sad/ugly truth about the stats we’re supposed to be able to count on…

SO PLEASE, I BEG YOU… FOR YOU, FOR ME, FOR EVERYONE WHO’S DIED BECAUSE OF PAIN—DO THESE 2 THINGS:

1. Contact 60 MINUTES now & share *YOUR PAIN STORY* with them.

2. Then, share *YOUR PAIN STORY* literally everywhere online!

3. BONUS REQUEST: Got a list of media addresses/phone numbers/social media Share it w/me on Twitter & Instagram: @IntractablePain. If it’s via spreadsheet or document, I will provide my email address there.

ONE FINAL YET IMPORTANT NOTE: To anyone *hate-reading* this, I’m immune to your pettiness. Go ahead & say nasty things about me if you must. But first, please at least pay attention to what I’ve said here. This isn’t self-serving. I’m not trying to be some social media sensation. I’m not rich. In fact, I’ve lost almost everything I once had, which was A LOT by age 26 even. I lost it all due to severe chronic illness from 2 primary diseases: CRPS & Ehlers Danlos (as well as a host of other diagnoses) contributing to intractable chronic pain, as well as autoimmune & autonomic dysfunction. Now I’m in very real danger of losing my pain care. Truly terrifying, considering what I’m primarily doing is suffering while fighting desperately for my health/happiness. This is real pain, SEVERE & UNENDING. Yes, every single minute. (And that’s just part of what I’m dealing with!) I worked in Continuing Medical Education for nearly a decade & never thought this kind of pain was possible. So I get it if you’re a bit suspicious. Everything I’m saying here is fact-checked, reputably-sourced & true. I read medical journals as often as I read blogs. I have dual BA degrees in Communications/Journalism & Psychology as well as an MBA w/healthcare emphasis. I’m no slouch! So I may be ill, but I don’t exaggerate. Ever. Now you know.

—Heather Grace is a patient, as well as an advocate for pain management by all necessary/appropriate means, including prescription pain medication.

#CPP #ChronicIllness #ChronicPain #IntractablePain #PainManagement #opioid #PainMedication #PainMeds #spoonie #OpioidHysteria #opioids #WarOnPainPatients