( opioid crisis ) excerpt from a local obit

[JRD77VET]

A local young man lost his life to opioid addiction and here's a snip of his obit

Thomas C. M, 25, of Pennsburg, Pa. died October 17, 2017 in his home. Born on Jan. 28, 1992, he was the son of Thomas P. & Joanne M.

......

He graduated from Widener University in 2016 with a B.S. in Computer Science. From his Co-op experience at Burns Engineering and CRM Science, he chose to specialize in software development, using the Salesforce platform. He was more recently employed by GeoBlue, and prior to that Elap Services, both of King of Prussia. He also served as Director of IT, including software development,

.....

Tommy had a brilliant mind and unlimited potential. He was taken away from us too soon. After back surgery at 17, and trying to find relief from pain and graduate from college at the same time, life took a different turn. We found out one year ago that the signs and symptoms of an opioid problem can be so masked and concealed. He was just beginning to connect with others at meetings and hoping to survive this turmoil and the awful struggle of addiction. If this could happen to Tommy it could happen to anyone. We love you and will miss you dearly, Tommy!


I don't have an answer but it's out of control. Synthetic opioids make the problems worse due to increased potency. :sadangel:

Sounds like the young man had a bright future he lost to addiction.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

I don't know him or his family but at 25 years old, that's way too young.

[StaticCling]

My friend Jared struggled with Painkillers and Alcohol and died about a year and a half ago at 38 years old. Terrible.

https://heartlandcremation.com/obituary/jared-kendall-harvey/

[Aerovette]

Sad.

Thankfully I am not addicted to anything and seem to not have an addiction gene.

Tried a few things in my youth and settled on just having a few beers now and then.

No one has OD'd on porn, right?

The company I work for makes detection equipment for drugs and explosives. Business is good. Fentanyl is so bad that hazmat teams are being called in when it is suspected.

[Black94lt1]

Very sad :sadangel: I admire the family for being open about it, the world is losing a lot of wonderful people to some really horrible diseases/addictions, while it can’t be easy to admit it to the world, hopefully someone will seek help as a result

[Jeff '79]

Everyone back in the 80's was so worried about pot and coke.
That was nothing compared to this scourge,
We all lived.
Sadly, we all know someone who has died way too young of opioids.
What is the answer???? :sadangel:

[69camfrk]

Everyone back in the 80's was so worried about pot and coke.
That was nothing compared to this scourge,
We all lived.
Sadly, we all know someone who has died way too young of opioids.
What is the answer???? :sadangel:

It is obviously a problem, and this is my opinion only. Most people get their start on opioids following an injury, or surgery. Then, they become hooked, then the doctors cut them off. After that, it is straight off to the street drugs. The problem therein lies, with street drugs, you have no way of knowing what you are going to get. Is it really pure heroin, has it been stomped on a dozen times, is it full of fentanyl or carfentynal??? That is when people start dying. Honestly, I am a proponent of drug legalization. The .gov has let this problem happen, and we are reaping the consequences. People may still die from alcohol poisoning, but you don't hear about someone dying of lead poisoning because some jack leg ran it through a car radiator. Same premise. Legalize it, tax it, but try and steer people in the right direction, use proceeds to make sure that people who want to get off the stuff have "free" access to rehab. I would bet money that the guy, and most people who die off the stuff are getting tainted goods. Do I think my idea is the perfect solution, well, no, but yes, there has to be a better way.

[mrvette]

Might have posted here about it, but about a year ago a MD. gave me a script for Oxyconton.....I did a search and never filled it, too expensive anyway....

[Cybercowboy]

Get rid of these synthetic opioids and legalize pot. I think some of the potent marijuana-based meds they have for pain control would have worked great on my back pain. Certainly every bit as well as the shitty hydrocodone and muscle relaxers they prescribed to me.

[69camfrk]

Get rid of these synthetic opioids and legalize pot. I think some of the potent marijuana-based meds they have for pain control would have worked great on my back pain. Certainly every bit as well as the shitty hydrocodone and muscle relaxers they prescribed to me.

Could be an answer...

[Jeff '79]

Get rid of these synthetic opioids and legalize pot. I think some of the potent marijuana-based meds they have for pain control would have worked great on my back pain. Certainly every bit as well as the shitty hydrocodone and muscle relaxers they prescribed to me.

:iagree:

There is no excuse for doctors to prescribe opioids for out of the hospital use.
A little napalm on the poppy fields would would be a good start too.

13904

This stuff, as a topical, works great on my knee, where Ibubrophin 600's won't touch the pain.
It's actually amazing to me that a topical actually works. Just a little dab too.:yesnod:

[snide]

Had a minor surgery a few years ago. The surgeon gave me a script for oxycontin. I didn't want it, or want to fill it, but I did. Didn't take any, but I did flush them a couple of weeks ago.

[69camfrk]

Had a minor surgery a few years ago. The surgeon gave me a script for oxycontin. I didn't want it, or want to fill it, but I did. Didn't take any, but I did flush them a couple of weeks ago.

I hope that I never have enough pain they would even prescribe me that stuff. I've never had it, and I never want it. It got so bad in my native Virginia, (think hillbillies from the mountains) that the Roanoke Times titled an article "Hillbilly Heroin". I'm pretty sure I don't have the gene for addiction either, but I don't want to take the chance..

Not the same article, but the gist is the same.

'Hillbilly Heroin' Holds Appalachia in Its Grip of Death and Addiction - latimes (http://articles.latimes.com/2001/jun/17/news/mn-11349)

[Kerrmudgeon]

Had a minor surgery a few years ago. The surgeon gave me a script for oxycontin. I didn't want it, or want to fill it, but I did. Didn't take any, but I did flush them a couple of weeks ago.

You probably know you should never flush excess pills down the water supply right?.......:toetap: Take them to your pharmacy to dispose of. I think they burn them.

All those fish are getting hooked! :fish:

[mrvette]

Get rid of these synthetic opioids and legalize pot. I think some of the potent marijuana-based meds they have for pain control would have worked great on my back pain. Certainly every bit as well as the shitty hydrocodone and muscle relaxers they prescribed to me.

I tell you what, some weeks ago I spotted an ad on FB, for CBD oil, and some CBD related thing as a sleep aide.....so I got a couple bottles and took some every night....but weather was warm, and so how to describe that I felt OK, but always knew my joints were getting ready.....and sure enough I stopped taking it.....because I found no really strong cause/effect from it....

BUT the last couple daze have been brutal...especially today supposed to be ~30f tonight.....and today my spine is in total/abject AGONY....I can't even lift my arms or look over the kitchen counter to fix a stupid bathroom light fixture....:sadangel:

SO just now took a heavy dose of the CBD oil....will see.....taken a bunch of aspirin and ibuprofen too.....the pain in right directly between the shoulder blades....feels like I been shot/something.....

:issues::issues::sadangel::shots:

[Cybercowboy]

I tell you what, some weeks ago I spotted an ad on FB, for CBD oil, and some CBD related thing as a sleep aide.....so I got a couple bottles and took some every night....but weather was warm, and so how to describe that I felt OK, but always knew my joints were getting ready.....and sure enough I stopped taking it.....because I found no really strong cause/effect from it....

BUT the last couple daze have been brutal...especially today supposed to be ~30f tonight.....and today my spine is in total/abject AGONY....I can't even lift my arms or look over the kitchen counter to fix a stupid bathroom light fixture....:sadangel:

SO just now took a heavy dose of the CBD oil....will see.....taken a bunch of aspirin and ibuprofen too.....the pain in right directly between the shoulder blades....feels like I been shot/something.....

:issues::issues::sadangel::shots:

I hope it works for you Gene. I know a lot about back pain and how bad it sucks, believe me. I'm pretty jazzed today that I shot an 87 at the tough course I'm a member at (tough for me) as it's the best round I've golfed there since my latest round of back issues hit about 18 months ago.

[Stevedore]

I used a load of oxycodone/hydrocodone pills following surgeries many years ago. Especially following some lung surgery, I was truly unable to get out of bed in the A.M. until my wife brought me a pill & a glass of water. 20-30 minutes later, life was good.

I suppose that some people must be more prone to addiction than others. Each time I used that stuff, once my pain level subsided, I stopped the pills without issue. Doesn't work that way for everyone I guess. :island14:

I do, however, have some difficulty with keeping my Scotch consumption to a reasonable level! :cert:

[JRD77VET]

I've had Oxycodone prescribed after three different surgeries. ( knee reconstruction and two shoulder surgeries) They work quite well at pain relief and I can understand how folks could get hooked.

I followed the Surgeon's directions on dosage and tapering off. Never a problem and stopped taking them as soon as I could.

It's sad we've lost so many folks to this and perhaps more truthful obits might make a difference in some other folks lives. :sadangel:

[Olustee bus]

It is terrible. I have a cousin I am worried about. I am going to make contact with him tomorrow.


Here is a sad article.

www.news4jax.com/health/opioid-crisis-childhood-friends-die-on-same-day-half-a-mile-apart