Hypothethical situation concerning post op pain and physical therapy.

[mmonk]

This is a true situation currently.

A person has knee replacement surgery (their second). After surgery and a return home, this person has their pain medicine stolen twice. Person did not file a police report because thief was a relative. Person has to go through months of physical therapy which produces pain. Person is put through pain programs where permission is required for any pain relief for anything (treated as addict by medical community). Person has explained situation to care providers. Solutions for this person?

[clydefrand]

1. A thief is a thief,

even if (or, especially if) it is a relative. Call the cops.

[mmonk]

3. Doubt this person will do that.

I was wondering what solutions besides that may be available. It's been over a month now.

[GeorgeGist]

2. If she wants her pain meds ...

she will have to finger the relative. Or look to the black market.

[mmonk]

4. No other solutions?

[voteearlyvoteoften]

5. Say you lost it

Might work once

[mmonk]

6. I don't believe I said anything about losing anything.

[MineralMan]

7. Anyone who would steal pain meds from a person who needs them

should not be treated as a relative, but as a cruel thief who takes advantage of others' pain. Not reporting this person is nothing but enabling the behavior of a heartless criminal.

Think about it. What kind of person would steal something like that from someone who is a family member?

[mmonk]

8. Since I know both people, I think I will venture a reply.

The thief is a sibling of the victim. The victim realizes the thief has a serious problem and has started looking around for help or intervention for the thief out of love. My opinion I will keep to myself with associated curse words. I hate the victim is tagged by the medical profession as the one with the problem as well as all related discomfort.

[MineralMan]

11. No question. The victim should not be blamed.

But, the healthcare industry does not really know the personal dynamics of such a situation. They do know that they are under heavy scrutiny with regard to opiate-based pain relievers and their synthetic analogs. They're pretty much stuck with the regulations under which they operate.

In every case where a family member is stealing painkillers, there are two victims. I feel the worst for the person who has legitimate reasons for being prescribed those medications. I have little sympathy for the one who steals a family member's needed pain medication. In fact, I have none. If that person will not willingly seek treatment for an addiction, then either the person whose pain meds are being stolen will suffer or turn the thief into the authorities. I can't blame the healthcare community for situations they don't really know about and can't do anything about. It is not a healthcare-caused problem. It is theft. If there is no police report of the theft, the heathcare people have no evidence of it, and must act according to the regulations that govern them.

It's a terrible dilemma. And the person who suffers is the one who actually needs those medications. It's decision time, really.

[NV Whino]

9. The victim cannot protect the thief

Turn in the thief and get him or her help. Period.

If that is not possible, for whatever reason, at this point, pain pills can be held and administered by a third party. Assuming victim can get more pills.

[mmonk]

10. Thanks.

[Vincardog]

12. The truth is the answer. IT is easier to remember too. If the patient can't or won't nark on the

thief the patient is harming the thief and keeping them from the treatment the thief needs.

The patient will suffer needlessly for this "protection", to what end?

[mmonk]

13. Seems easy enough, doesn't it?

The victim decided to try to get their sibling help without getting the sibling in trouble or splitting the family. I can't do anything about it.

[Vincardog]

14. Have the victim put themselves is a situation where they do not posess or control the "Drug"

The victim will have to ask for relief and have a nurse provide it.

Interestingly enough I am in that situation myself. 1 month ago I had my knee replaced.
I had my doctor send my to an assisted living facility till I could get around enough to go home. The victim should do the same. No harm no foul and no chance of another rip off.

[mmonk]

15. I will pass that along.

The current situation is the physicians have sent her to pain management clinics (a type of 3rd party that issues medications) and they treat her like shit. Again, nothing I can do.

[Vincardog]

16. Have the patient find the assisted living facility that they would be happy in. If the insurance

will pay the Dr. should have no problem sending the patient there for the duration.

[mmonk]

17. Thanks so much.

[mmonk]

18. You've been most helpful, especially in getting my mind turning.

The victim is my wife.

[Vincardog]

19. Your welcome and good luck

[Warpy]

20. S/he is not doing the addict any favors by covering up a crime

S/he needs to file police reports covering both thefts. Yes, other people in the family will be annoyed, but to hell with that. Being an enabler is far worse than turning someone in to face the consequences of addiction since addiction is mostly a disease of denial. It's hard to deny the cops at the door.

Also remember the addict didn't care about your friend's severe pain.

S/he needs to talk with the physical therapist. There is a gadget called a TENS unit that uses electricity to block the transmission of pain along the nerves that is extremely effective. That plus NSAID drugs would be a lot safer than living on narcs, especially with the frequency they seem to be stolen.

[SheilaT]

21. Here's the thing. If the person who had the surgery

isn't willing to turn in the thief, then she (don't know the gender, doesn't matter, but the knee replacement person will arbitrarily be she and the thief equally arbitrarily be he) can suffer in silence, which I personally think is quite stupid, or can turn in the thief. She's doing herself and the thief absolutely no favors by covering up this crime, because letting it go unpunished will simply encourage the thief to steal again. Plus, it's my opinion that recovery will probably be significantly slower because of the lack of pain relief that she NEEDS.

Unfortunately, reporting the theft may not result in additional pain meds for the one who really needs them.

[Heddi]

22. I'm an RN. At my clinic, if you say your pain meds are stolen and want refills

we will not give you refills unless you show us a police report. Theft is theft, and theft of pain-killers is a big problem. Big problem for the person doing the stealing, big problem for the community, and a huge problem for the person who is in pain and without meds.

That they were stolen twice would honestly lead any provider to wonder 1) why isn't this person filing police reports and 2) are they really being stolen, and not sold, or used inappropriately?

File police reports. Keep them locked up in a safe that they thief can't get to them. Keep them on your person at all time.

It is a sad thing that your friend/family/you have to do this, but prescription drug abuse is a big problem, and people lie about what happens to their drugs so much, and with such frequency, that providers HAVE to be cautious or else THEY could lose their license to prescribe. Espeically if they keep writing and re-writing and re-writing Rx's for drugs with a high potential for abuse before they're supposed to be written (30 day supply Rx'es written every 10 days, for example). If your friend/family/you OD on those drugs (meaning, they weren't stolen, they were used improperly by the patient), that provider is up shit's creek.