Posted by harold (209.240.220.231) on August 27, 2001 at 13:48:11:
In Reply to: Setting a tone? posted by DaveH on August 26, 2001 at 23:32:18:
While dave is making a point,Itoo tried tobe enthusiastic about helping OUCH. I am also a Chronic intractable Pain patient. I know of thousands of people that would help in your cause if you would also help in their cause. but no, somrome wrote that they couldn't because CP patients are seen as drug seekers. that was an eliteist thing to say! like you're pain is so much more important than those of the chronic pain patient! I have heard the CH being called the "Suicide Headache" well let me tell you something , there is more suicides, per capita, fron CP patients that would make your head spin.
I am noy discounting your pain, it is tremendous, but please don't throw us into the catagory of "drug seekers" because that would be as bad as everyone telling you, "oh, it's just a headache! buck up! or don't you want to work?"
you can see that that is unfair. do you think that we got injured,or diseased on our own because we wanted it?And don't go saying this is a group for CH only. I too have CH. but there is power in numbers and if we work together in an effort to help the medical world and the political world to help treat pain on all levels we could enmass such a force that they could not help but listen.
That means cluster patients, Back injury paitents, RSD patients, Fibromyalgia Patients, Rhumetoid Arthritis Patients, Osteo Arthritis Patients, and whoever has chronic pain, to help join us enmass to move this Govt. by sheer mass movement toward releif.
I would be happy to go before congress and give them a taste of how a cluster feels and also how serious 24/7 back and neck pain eels and everybody either not beleiving us or afraid to treat us has caosed thousands of suicides.
It's a shame that if there isn't a bone sticking out of your leg, or some other outward sign, we are not taken seriously.
please don't be so single minded that you pass up so many folks that would be such a political source to your cause and you would be a large political force for their cause. I say tet'd stir the stew and make some ripples in he water.
In the deepest respect for those in pain,
Harold Heflin
Leonard,
Texas
Please write me if you want to talk.