My friend is in screaming pain constantly. He needs a hip replacement. He was homeless for almost 10 years, and during that time he got to using heroin, just for an escape of the misery of homelessness. He worked some landscaping jobs while on heroin. I think he had serious damage happening in his joints, but couldn't feel it because heroin.
He was in such bad shape, a social worker got him into government housing. He would be dead by now if that hadn't happened. He has gotten so bad he has to use a walker to get around. Just going from his bed to his refrigerator, he is screaming and crying.
NOT ONE DOCTOR will give him anything for the pain!!! He was able to get off heroin on his own, but went back to it once the hip pain became too much to handle. I was able to talk him into going to the methadone clinic, to get off the heroin again. The only reason he is in the methadone program today is for pain relief. He cannot even tell the clinic that he uses it for pain control only because they will cut him off. But even with the methadone, he is STILL in screaming pain.
He also has Hep-C. His surgeon will not do the hip replacement unless his Hep-C is gone. His regular doc said he won't do the Hep-C treatment until his pain is controlled. So while these two idiot doctors put him in a catch-22 situation, he is enduring necrosis on his femur and nearly intolerable pain. He talks of suicide. I just hung up with him because his hip pain is so bad it is giving him chest pains and he wanted to lay down to see if that will help his chest pain.
He also smokes cigs. He hobbles around outside his building, collecting cigarette butts to reroll into a cig. His doc says he has to be off cigs for 6 weeks before they'll do the surgery as well. Another mark against the surgery ever getting done.
The (hip) pain has become much worse in the last few days and he doesn't know why. I told him with the chest pain he should call 911. "No, I'm going to lay down and see if that helps. They won't do anything anyways." He says if they take him to the hospital, he won't have a way to get back to his apartment. He can't use his walker to hobble miles back home. He's been banned from using the bus system. Starving and homeless, someone left their purse on the bus, he stole the 20 bucks in the purse, they had him on camera, no bus for the cripple anymore. It just keeps getting better and better, doesn't it?
So my main question is: Is a person who is an ex-heroin addict basically screwed when it comes to pain control? His one doc did relent slightly one time and gave him some Tylenol 3. TYLENOL 3!!! For bone-on-bone pain! W in the actual F?
He may be having a heart attack right now. Maybe death is the best thing that could happen to him right now. For a doctor to have him in front of them, and know the extreme pain he is in yet do nothing for him? Special place in hell and all that. Absolutely heartless.
Any of you knowledgeable peeps out there have any answers/suggestions/comments? He is in the Mount Vernon, WA area, in case that helps. Will appreciate any replies. Thank you in advance.
P.S. PLEASE, no "he made his bed so let him lay in it" comments, if possible. He is being tortured for his choices as we speak. Thank you.
Submitted September 11, 2015 at 09:53AM by That_Kiefer_Man http://ift.tt/1XRN6SF needadvice
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