Speak Out 8/8/16

Congress' solution is punishing vets

I am the wife of a Marine Corps veteran; my husband has been treated for a back injury with the VA in Poplar Bluff for the last 6 years. He has been on Morphine and Valium as well as numerous other medications in order to try and deal with his back pain. There had been no problem with his medication up until his doctor retired from the John J Pershing hospital this year. This is when we ran into the issues of bureaucracy within the Veterans Department. My husband has chronic back pain, he doesn't live a day without pain or discomfort in some way, he has been on Morphine for years and valium (which was prescribed "as needed") almost as long, after his doctor retired he was called in for a urine test in order to get a refill on his Morphine, he was flagged because benzodiazepine (valium) was in his system, this was easily explained because: one he had a prescription for it from the John J Pershing Hospital and two he had just made a cross country trip from Missouri to California on plane and drove from California back to Missouri with his dad who was moving to be closer to us. This trip caused him great pain and my husband took a break through medication (his valium) in order to get some relief and make it the rest of the trip. This is how the valium got into his system, he didn't take it every day just a couple to make it through a pretty grueling trip for someone who has chronic back issues.

When he made it to his appointment to explain to the nurse practitioner who was taking over the doctor's patients, she made threats to take away his pain medication because congress had passed a ruling that morphine and valium could no longer be taken together due to the increase of deaths and pain medication within the VA system; and if my husband tested positive for both these medications in his system again his morphine would be taken away. This prescription my husband had was from 3 years ago, he takes them only when his back spasms are so bad that he cannot live with the pain, he takes them so the pain subsides and he doesn't spend all that time in bed away from his wife and his 4-year-old daughter.

My husband lives in pain, he hasn't had an increase in pain medication because the side effects are not worth the relief. Today he got notification that he will be unable to get a refill on his Morphine until he sees the doctor and will now be required to take a urine test each time before they will approve his morphine medication. This now prevents my husband from taking any medication to help if he happens to have an increase of spasms and requires him to be in bed long periods of time until they let go, the last time was about three days he spend most of his days in bed or on the couch. They prescribe medication he has already been on that have been ineffective but they don't listen to him when he says that medication doesn't work for me.

My husband chooses every day to take the medication he is prescribed exactly how its prescribed and not more, he fights to keep a positive outlook and some days just fights to get through the day with the pain. He doesn't need to fight with the VA in order to live or have access to medication to help manage his pain he needs some compassion and understanding and encouragement that throughout all these years he hasn't abused his medication but used it for exactly its purpose to give him some sort of life that without it would be non-existent. I'm a wife pleading for the VA to get its act together and stop punishing the veterans for those doctors who are responsible for overmedicating their patients.

This medication isn't just about my husband, this medication is about our family, without his medication our family falls apart what part I have to depend on in order for us to raise our child together, our daughter loses what part of her daddy she knows, loves and adores and we enter a world of darkness where I fear that my husband will be unable to deal with the pain and what is left of my husband will disappear into the pain and I cannot imagine what that will look like but I fear that it may end our family.

I am writing this because I am afraid that this is happening to so many more veterans, more who don't have a voice or are too afraid to say anything because they are threatened with their medication being taken away or that they will experience withdrawal due to policy that doesn't have the life of the veteran in mind. Congress has put a blanket solution to the drug issue within the VA it doesn't make the doctors do responsible medicine it takes away the doctors responsibility to do more for the patient and the veteran to live a life of quality instead of a life of paper work and threats. I am concerned for the veterans in Poplar Bluff Missouri and any other Veteran that comes to the John J Pershing hospital due to the fact that there is no patient care its rulebooks and no compassion for those who are struggling with chronic pain and the medication that is given to them to enjoy a quality of life.

I do not include our names because I do not want him to suffer any repercussions if his name is released but I do believe strongly that something needs to be done because no one should be punished because it's easier to do than look at the person and their history and stand beside them to get the through this as a support not a stumbling block.

Sincerely

A desperate wife of a

Marine Vet in pain