I Have Cancer

It’s a frightening thing to say; to admit. And on Valentine’s Day 2019, I learned at my local ER that I have cancer. Chronic myeloid leukemia, to be precise. The same cancer that killed my husband’s grandmother; a version of the cancer that plagues my grandmother now; a cancer that allegedly isn’t hereditary; a cancerContinue

Does Buprenorphine Really ‘Save Lives’?

Legal disclaimer: Nothing in this post is meant to be construed as medical advice. I am not a physician or pharmacist. Discuss any medications, changes, or questions you might have with your medical provider. Do not suddenly stop any medication unless under the direct guidance of a medical provider. Today was a weird day. WhatContinue

A Rock and a Hard Place: Pain Patients Suffer from Heroin Laws Fallout

See also: An Open Letter to Dr. Kolodny, The Truth About the Opioid Crisis, and Strangulation on Medicine Good, law-abiding people are suffering severely in the fallout from recent state and federal laws. Designed to curb heroin addiction, these laws and prevailing societal views all begin with the false assumption that prescription pain pills likeContinue

Strangulation on Medicine: My Life as a Pain Patient

What is life like as a pain patient in America? I invite you to take a walk in my shoes.

On Opioids, One Year After DEA Reforms

It’s been nearly one year since my researched article on the heroin epidemic (link) in my city, and I’ve been keeping tabs on the results of the DEA’s new prescription opioid reforms. How have things have panned out for pain patients, and opioid and heroin addicts in the past year? Two years ago, National PainContinue