Jerie,

We are living through a new era in medicine where doctors are afraid to give pain meds. I recall reading that this was going to happen a few years ago, but I did not believe it. It seemed a far-fetched scenario that doctors would deny patients pain relief, but here we are.

Tramodol did not work for me, but it is possible that the dose was too low. I cannot take NSAIDS, they barely helped and ruined my stomach. I know the nurse practioner did not believe me. She told me people take huge doses and are fine. Fine-until their livers fail. She did not want to help me with pain relief-she told me to call someone else.

I am taking neurotin 3x a day 1200mg in total.

When I was going for medical care my sister told me I looked like a drug addict! From the excrutiating pain I guess I did, I could barely bathe, dress, comb my hair or brush my teeth. I still tremble when I sit to do my make-up, but only a few months ago I could not put make-up on or pluck my eye brows. I constantly rubbed my face. How is a person in chronic pain supposed to look?

I was abused by a nurse in ER, who jammed a huge port in my arm as soon as I got there (overnight, never used). I begged her and multiple other staff to remove it, but no one would. This nurse ridiculed my symptoms, she said I had no rash so I could not be having an allergic reaction to the two strong antibiotics I was put on. My stomach was on fire as if a dragon was squirting it with a flame thrower. I wanted to rip my face off and kill myself. I was told not to say this to anyone or they would lock me up. It took hours before they gave me something for my stomach.

They absolutely refused to deal with the pain I was having in my foot, so agonizing I could not walk, yet the records list musc-skeletal as the reason I went to the ER. No X-rays, even though I told them I thought my heel was broken, but I was given a brain scan where an incidental brain aneurysm was found-then I was ambulanced off to another hospital where I was checked over by hordes of people. One neurologist told me to get medical marijauna, but did nothing for my pain while I was there.

During all this I was purging my bowels constantly. I had to keep getting up to use a port-a-potty, when I was dizzy from a lack of fluids and I could not walk. The pain was off the charts.

In retrospect I realize after they found the aneurysm they thought I might need brain surgery and they did not want to interfere with the process, but once they knew I was going to be discharged why no pain relief, why no foot X-ray. I was told I was being sent home in a Johnny without shoes, without a coat, in a cab, when I had no keys and no money and I could not walk. It was a low temp day, after a major snow storm. I cannot believe I did not pass out from the stress.

I believe that I was subjected to this miserable treatment because there is a notation in my records that I am medication seeker.

The neurologist's note: "patient says she would love to take MJ." Hmmm.