Why Does Treating Chronic Pain Cost So Much? — Pain News Network

Why Does Treating Chronic Pain Cost So Much? — Pain News Network: By Carol Levy, PNN Columnist Five weeks ago, I had a deep brain stimulator implanted in a last-ditch effort to relieve my trigeminal neuralgia pain or at least make it more acceptable. Prior to the surgery, I was required by Medicare to be evaluated by a neuropsychologist. His personal conclusions

Can Pain Patients Sue the CDC? — Pain News Network

Can Pain Patients Sue the CDC? — Pain News Network: By Carol Levy, PNN Columnist Almost every report on the CDC opioid guideline that I have seen online gets this response from pain patients: “Class action lawsuit! Sue the CDC!”  Many doctors cite the CDC’s opioid guideline when they stop writing prescriptions for opioids or reduce the amo

A Pained Life: It’s Time for the Terrorism to Stop — Pain News Network

A Pained Life: It’s Time for the Terrorism to Stop — Pain News Network

We Are More Than Our Pain

We Are More Than Our Pain: By Carol Levy, PNN Columnist I was referred to a neurologist who specializes in headaches. Trigeminal neuralgia is very different from a headache, but any port in a storm. I called to make an appointment and was told all new patients must agree to meet with a psychologist. If you refuse, you do not

A Pained Life: Who Benefits From the Opioid Crisis?

A Pained Life: Who Benefits From the Opioid Crisis?: By Carol Levy, PNN Columnist For the first time in almost 40 years, I have to fight to get my codeine prescription filled. I understand intellectually what so many pain patients have said about the frustration, upset and upheaval they experience when a pharmacist refuses to fill their prescriptio

A Pained Life: Fearful Fortunes

A Pained Life: Fearful Fortunes: By Carol Levy, PNN Columnist I love fortune cookies, but have no faith in the fortunes themselves. I opened a cookie recently and out came this message: “Listen to what you know instead of what you fear.” I am going through a bad time recently. For 19 years I have had a spontaneous remission of th

A Pained Life: Accepting the Unacceptable

A Pained Life: Accepting the Unacceptable: By Carol Levy, PNN Columnist I was recently talking with a friend who has chronic pain and, like me, has had to deal with many bad side effects on top of the pain. Helene has a facial pain disorder. Unfortunately, as a consequence of her last surgery, she developed problems speaking and swallowing

Guideline Paranoia

Guideline Paranoia: By Carol Levy, PNN Columnist I recently posted an article to an online chronic pain support group about the CDC’s opioid prescribing guideline. “For treating acute pain, the guideline recommends a quantity no greater than what is needed for the expected duration of pain severe enough to require o

A Pained Life: My New Year’s Resolution

A Pained Life: My New Year’s Resolution: By Carol Levy, PNN Columnist I am visiting at my sister's house. This was 38 years ago, but I still remember it and feel the hurt and pain as though it was yesterday. My 12-year old nephew looks down at my penny loafers. Pointing to the penny in each shoe, he asks, “Are you wearing them to let ev