I have always been honest with medical professions involved in my care, because you never know if the lifestyle i once lived has anything to do with medical issues that may come up. With that being said I had lumbar spine surgery almost 2 weeks ago, the way I was treated was not ok. I get that there is a big opioid epidemic going on, but I also know that I wasn’t treated like I am a human being rather than a drug addict after surgery.
As I lay in a hospital bed crying pleading for someone to help me that the pain was just unbearable, after all I just had a lumbar spine fusion, it was as if no one believed the amount of pain I was in. I am a recovering drug addict, it’s in my file for all to see. I felt as if drug addicts are just looked at as searching for a way to get high. If I had not disclosed me being a recovering drug addict on the other hand they would have been on top of keeping my pain under control and treated me with a little compassion. It’s almost as if because you were once in active addiction you are no longer human, you can’t possibly feel physical pain, it’s just a high you are after. I know there are non addictive pain meds that are an option for people like myself, yet we are always treated like being an addict at one time we are now less than human. It brings tears to my eyes when I think about how differently I am treated simply because of being honest about my past.
Wouldn't you think if someone was trying to just get high that they would do all they could to keep them being an addict from their medical care professional?
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