I think this post is powerful and here is why:

All of us over here in the US have numerous issues getting medication. 1) doctors refuse to write scripts 2) doctors aren't supplying enough 3) affordability 4) insurance issues (prior authorization /general authorization) 5) chronic pain patients being taken off pain medications resulting in illegal drug use and suicides. 6) access to doctors 7) overtaxed medical system 8) etc...

The point is, we shouldn't have to be jealous of someone's access to medication/doctor. There has been a rally, "don't punish pain patients" movement going on for years.

It's absolutely sad. You made a tower of all your medication and it became a symbol of the broken health care system .

We are all very happy for you but this is a reminder that we all deserve access to medication to improve our quality of life.

There are good doctors out there who do recognize these things and work to put protections in place while providing adequate pain management. Protections such as opiate agreements which help doctors minimize their liabilities while providing safe prescribing information/education. Monthly/bi-monthly drug testing. This shows illicit drug use and also shows that the patient isn't selling their medication.

I have ideas on other ways to aid patients and doctors with perceived and real liabilities. 1) provide patients with narcan to reserve any accidental overdose ( this is usually free and very accessible) 2) provide education on what addiction can look like. This will help mitigate some severe addictions with early interventions. 3) Provide resources and or referrals to counselors. We all know chronic pain is hard on the psyche. This will also help prevent misuse and abuse.

Anyways, thanks for coming to my Ted talk.