Page 5 - Sonoma County Gazette - May 2019

LETTERS cont’d from page 4
chronic pain patients have been. But I was able to convince her that I would be unable to function without pain management.
wrong about the effectiveness of camps.
“. . . encampments only perpetuate homelessness. .”
We are categorized as addicts and drug abusers by society. I would never tell anyone that I am in pain management. Their attitudes are mostly all the same. But I would not be able to continue to work or be active if not for the opiates.
That’s an absolutely brainless and unsupportable Zane statement. Some sort of housing ends homelessness, gives the homeless a roof, a spot to confidently hunker in a small, self- selected group, a community, a place to receive the social service that alleviates all the bashing the person has gotten out of life, to use a toilet and wash-up.
Bob Higham
My husband has a broken
back, Congestive Heart Failure, disintegrating discs and severe Asthma. He can barely move from room to room. He has been in chronic severe pain for 34 years!
I totally agree with Kathleen Finigan’s letter in the April edition: way too much money for such a small return. Why not buy travel trailers? They contain everything anyone might need for living comfortably and I am sure the county might have been able to strike a deal to get at least 5 or more for the price of one of those they had constructed.
With the new regulations his pain medication has been cut back. I am witness daily to his suffering. It is heartbreaking. His health is declining more rapidly due to the horrifying levels of pain he is in. And yes, he
An added benefit would be that the “village” could be relocated rather easily if desired and need be! No wonder the county is running out
has thoughts of suicide. He will only be free of this suffering when his life with me has ended. We have been married for 44 years and are deeply in love. I will support him if this becomes his choice, to escape from the pain. It will break me but free him finally.
of money: who is watchdogging the spending?
John Lewallen you are a good man. Thank you for being our advocate.
I’m certain that there will be many who criticize you for speaking the truth. But we are extremely grateful that you have spoken up in support of pain management. Chronic pain is a debilitating condition.
Charlene Stone,
West C ounty resident
The Facts of Real Pain
OpEd April Gazette
Blessings,
Judith Heinemann
Dear John Lewallen,
Thank you for being an advocate
The Pros and Cons of Pet Vaccinations
My 4.5 yo Aussie received all the vaccines that are normally given fas age appropriate. My current vet dies not believe in giving the distemper every three years because he says after the first round of shots they are immune for life. However I want
to do agility trials and the training center said she needs one every
three years. Is there any research to support either of these views?
Judith Heinman
I’m sure a diligent researcher can find evidence to support either of those views. I look at the question differently: Can anyone find compelling evidence that repeating the DAPP (distemper, adenovirus, parainfluenza, parvo) vaccination once every three years causes substantial harm? I think not. With only rare exceptions, literally millions
LETTERS cont’d from page 6
for pain patients. And for writing
an accurate account of our current situation. Millions are being denied pain management. No question mark necessary.
The entire “War on Opiates”
has swept up the masses in a brainwashing scheme. Doctors have either fallen in line with this thinking or out of fear of losing their licenses are cutting their patients off from an effective treatment that allows the patient to be able to function within society by holding down a job or to
at least be able to perform some of
the tasks of ADL, Activities of Daily living.
I am a pain patient but also a caregiver for people who are much worse than I. There are times when I am bed-ridden for long periods but I do my best to stay on my feet as others depend on me to get them to doctors, Chemo, or to do their grocery shopping etc..
I am grateful that my doctor has stood by me. She was on the verge of force-tapering me off my pain medication as millions of other
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