TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Hernando Today

Next Generation Will Be Drug-Dependent Caregivers

ADVERTISEMENT

The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 20, 2008

As a registered nurse that has had her eyes opened wide of late to how broken our medical profession is, I just wanted to share this little tidbit.

I have been waiting for a little more than three years for disability, for access to the money I paid in so that I can get health care for a herniated cervical vertebrae that causes me excruciating nerve pain some days and just chronic toothache-type pain others. I spent 20 years attempting to have this pain diagnosed and was never taken seriously as my pain was in my shoulder instead of where the injury is located - my neck.

I have been humiliated, called a drug seeker and a conflict of interest. While I had insurance, the doctors went for the highest reimbursement rather than actually trying to fix my problem and give me continued quality of life.

I lost my job and my insurance and have become dependant upon free clinics and the like for medical care. They will not treat pain - period. I have met women who were dying of breast cancer that were being given antidepressants (Can you believe it?). And that was all that they ever offered me for pain control, too. I was not depressed or at least no more than the situation actually merited. I just hurt physically, and so do many others being given antidepressants to treat pain. As an R.N. I know this is ludicrous.

I have worked in nursing homes that encourage the use of these drugs - "a docile population is an easier to control population."

When I began specializing in children with disabilities, I learned that these drugs do have a clinical purpose and they can promote a positive outcome, but they must be used correctly and rarely alone. Even then they are strictly monitored, both physically and physiologically. They are not a blanket fix in an of themselves for anyone, and it saddens me greatly that normal, naturally curious, rambunctious kids are being restrained with these drugs because we have a generation of too busy parents who do not want to be inconvenienced by their many roles in today's society. Sad that preparing a future generation is the first thing to go on their priority list and that these same parents cannot see themselves as a part of a rapidly growing epidemic in our country that cannot have a good ending.

When these parents in their 20s and 30s get old, we will have a drug dependant nation to care for them.

That should be interesting.

Naneva Craun-Wuest, R.N.

Holly Hill

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT