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* Tina Sfondeles in the Sun-Times…
High on a combination of Norco and Fentanyl, prescribed by a pain clinic, my mother began to throw dishes onto the kitchen floor.
It was inexplicable. And the only way to stop the madness was to call 911.
My sister told the operator my mother was suicidal, which wasn’t true. But it led to a stay for our mother in the psychiatric ward of a nearby hospital.
There, I watched as a doctor who had prescribed my mother opioids for more than 20 years looked at her with a combination of shame and disgust. I’ll never forget that look.
The man who had persistently written prescriptions for Vicodin, Oxycodone and Norco somehow couldn’t understand how such powerful drugs could take over my mother’s life. Or he didn’t want to understand.
That was in 2012. Twenty-nine years earlier — in 1983, the year I was born — my mother, Elizabeth, had been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. The painful disease ate up the cartilage in her body. It forced her to get a replacement shoulder when she was in her 30s. It later led to a second shoulder surgery. To this day, my mother can’t lift her left arm above her shoulder. […]
When we made our fourth effort to detox her off opioids, her doctors refused to go along, saying she would be in too much pain. When she applied for a state medical cannabis card two years ago, she was rejected because her doctor had failed to provide a letter in support.
We called the doctor about that, several times, but he never called back.
Tina’s mom is now clean, so click here and read the rest about their difficult journey. Well worth your time.
posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Feb 28, 19 @ 9:49 am
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And yet we still have people resisting medical marijuana. All those resisters should read this story and then look at themselves in the mirror and ask themselves how they can not support medical marijuana. By not doing so they are enabling the system that led to this woman’s addiction and suffering.
Comment by Demoralized Thursday, Feb 28, 19 @ 10:00 am
Kudos to Tina for sharing that story with the world. My heart goes out to her for the pain that her mother has endured and the emotional pain both Tina and her family have dealt with.
Opioid abuse is an actual crisis that needs to be addressed by the full might of the USA.
Comment by JS Mill Thursday, Feb 28, 19 @ 10:04 am
In some countries the use of opioids is strictly limited to distribution to in-patients of a hospital. This includes people going home after hip replacement and open heart surgery.
The medical community decided in the 90’s that everyone should live pain free. We never realized how expense “pain-free” living would really be.
Comment by Downstate Thursday, Feb 28, 19 @ 10:08 am
We have a generation of doctors who were trained to treat pain and to reduce pain. They (and hospitals) may even be graded on their speed and success of pain reduction. Train doctors to treat the source, not the symptoms, and maybe, just maybe, we can have a better functioning health care system with less reliance on opioids.
Comment by Steve Rogers Thursday, Feb 28, 19 @ 10:09 am
“When she applied for a state medical cannabis card two years ago, she was rejected because her doctor had failed to provide a letter in support.”
Terrible. Opioids can destroy and kill. If we legalize marijuana and/or expand its medical use, people won’t have to put their fates in the hands of doctors such as these.
Comment by Grandson of Man Thursday, Feb 28, 19 @ 10:10 am
I wonder how many other lives have been destroyed by just the few, amoral, smack-pushing quacks described here. Then consider how many of them that it took to create this epidemic.
Respectable professionals, pillars of their communities, abusing their trust and recklessly peddling their killer-dope behind their medical licenses and the law. They’re far worse than heroin-pushers on the street.
Here’s hoping that opioid kingpins like the multi-billionaire Sackler Family one day receive the justice they’ve got coming to them like any other drug cartel.
Comment by wordslinger Thursday, Feb 28, 19 @ 10:31 am
Very generous of Tina, her mother and sister to share their story. It may help others get help or recognize help is needed. Wish them all healing and love.
Comment by lakeside Thursday, Feb 28, 19 @ 10:36 am
–We have a generation of doctors who were trained to treat pain and to reduce pain.–
You have a generation of medical professionals that took a lot of swag through direct-to-physician marketing promotions by the likes of Purdue Pharma. That led to a quadrupling of opioid prescriptions for no medical reason.
And, as is coming out now in lawsuit discovery, Purdue Pharma, in the case of oxy, knowingly lied about how potent and addictive it is.
Comment by wordslinger Thursday, Feb 28, 19 @ 10:53 am
Tina is a treasure.
Comment by The Captain Thursday, Feb 28, 19 @ 10:57 am
I’m having the same problems with getting a doctor to provide a physician’s letter detailing my brother’s diagnosis/medical conditions, so that I can get him onto Medicaid. It’s exasperating trying to get a doctor to do so. I’m not sure why there is reluctance there, but there ought to be a law stating that a physician my provide a written letter expressing his/her diagnosis of a patient on request from either the patient, his guardian, or health attorney-in-fact within a week of the request.
Comment by PublicServant Thursday, Feb 28, 19 @ 10:59 am
==I’ll never forget that look.==
That doctor should reserve that look for the mirror. He made an oath to “first, do no harm” and compounded that mistake by looking at opioid addiction as a failure of will. For this to happen in 2012 is, in my opinion, worthy of a call to IDPR.
Comment by Jocko Thursday, Feb 28, 19 @ 11:06 am
Precisely why recreational cannabis needs to be legalized ASAP. That way, citizens have freedom to treat their symptoms without needing doctor consent.
Comment by Illinois Resident Thursday, Feb 28, 19 @ 11:11 am
What a powerful, gut-wrenching story, both intensely personal and universal. Thank you to Elizabeth for her willingness to share her story and to Tina for some great writing. Idealistically I wish for a world where money goes for peer-reviewed, scientific research in best practices rather than marketing for best profit.
Comment by Earnest Thursday, Feb 28, 19 @ 11:25 am
My nephew took himself off opioids after 11 years and now relies solely on med mar, even though it is illegal in his state. Med Mar is legal in Illinois but look how hard it is to get.
Also, Tina’s story illustrated once again what a civic asset a newspaper can be. Too bad print is dying.
Comment by perry noya Thursday, Feb 28, 19 @ 11:39 am
Thanks to Tina and her mother for sharing this powerful story.
Comment by Jen Thursday, Feb 28, 19 @ 12:17 pm
I also was really impressed by Tina Sfondeles story. I dashed off a quick email of appreciation to her.
You can also learn a lot about opioids from some classic songs like:
“Heroin” by The Velvet Underground
“The Needle and the Damage Done” by Neil Young
“Sister Morphine” by The Rolling Stones
If you won’t listen to those guys, who will you listen to?
Comment by James Knell Thursday, Feb 28, 19 @ 12:59 pm
A powerful and personal story, kudos to Tina and her mom for being willing to share it and help remove the stigma of an epidemic that has taken so many from us.
Doctors are just practicing medicine but the ignorance and arrogance from that community regarding the medical cannabis program is frightening. It reminds me of a joke my grandmother tells about how layers will bankrupt you but doctors will bankrupt and kill you.
Comment by Kentucky Bluegrass x Featherbed Bent x Northern California Sinsemilla Thursday, Feb 28, 19 @ 1:29 pm
Tina, I feel for you and your mom
My mom doesnt leave the house but for the times she sees the doctor. The cartilage in her spine in her lower back is so far gone she cannot stand up straight. It causes too much pain.
Thanks to all these articles, and overdoses by addicts, my moms doctor had her cut back to half of what she was taking. I wont go into the outcome. It hasnt been good.
I just hope lawmakers realize there are people who need this medication to live a half way normal life. I say half way because the constipation is an awful side effect.
Still, its discouraging when because of stories like these my mom must suffer more because of others mistakes
Comment by low level Thursday, Feb 28, 19 @ 1:58 pm
When I was practicing law, I saw far too many clients whose addictions starting with pain medication.
It scared me. Scared me to the point that when I had major surgery a few years ago, and was given a prescription for Oxycontin, I wouldn’t take it. Fortunately, I was in more discomfort than pain, so Tylenol sufficed, but I don’t think I’d have taken it in any case.
That stuff is scary.
Comment by JoanP Thursday, Feb 28, 19 @ 3:04 pm
Many “modern” physicians I have spoken with say ideas like medical marijuana is like witchcraft. These are our “educated” people, and as a layman I disagree with them. The pharmaceutical companies are trying to develop drugs for every possible, even made up ache, pain, or emotion, and Physicians and media advertisements are the pushers.
There are many stories like this article playing out everyday, all over the Country. I have empathy for each and everyone of them who were prescribed a medication by a trusted Physician and ended up addicted and greater pain.
Comment by FormerParatrooper Thursday, Feb 28, 19 @ 3:26 pm
Here’s hoping that opioid kingpins like the multi-billionaire Sackler Family one day receive the justice they’ve got coming to them like any other drug cartel. - Wordslinger
Deadly Cartels indeed…I hope they get what they have coming.
None of this addresses the inability of poor and disabled persons to be able to afford medical marijuana.
If home grow is not recognized by law, then medical marijuana should be covered by Medicaid.
Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Feb 28, 19 @ 3:28 pm
Isn’t there some kind of oath that doctors has to follow? Something like “do no harm”? How does that oath apply when prescriptions are written out? *not being sarcastic, I’m just trying to understand the medical profession better*
Comment by Iamthepita Thursday, Feb 28, 19 @ 3:43 pm