Oh, the pain

Madness has a dual perspective on living with a family member with chronic headaches, and having to deal with those who show up regularly in the ER with same in order to get narcotics.  I pretty sure every ER has them.  We are told that people's pain is people's pain, and who are we to say they do or do not experience what they say they are?   Give them what they want and they will go away and give us great customer service reviews.We are just supposed to treat it and move on.

We do.  But it gets more and more difficult when it is clear that the habit is like feeding squirrels.  Give them a prescription and kick them to the curb.  The docs aren't here all the time and so it may be weeks or months before they see the patient again. We nurses are having to deal with the drama and bullshit, the manipulative behavior, and the enablers with bad manners.  And feel like pushers to boot.

Stopping at  ER has become just another part of the routine for some; drop off the dry cleaning, get a pedicure, make a deposit at the bank, pick up dog food, lunch with a friend, then stop at the ER for a quick dose of dilaudid.  Oh wait, let me get that extra large iced coffee first, and my cell phone needs to be plugged in, what outlet can I use.

Our newest doc gives out few narcotics.  Mac is all about being reasonable, and things like whacking your shin on the bathtub 10 minutes ago with no bruise and no swelling doesn't necessarily get you Percocet.  Especially if there are multiple visits for pain-related complaints.  He doesn't feed the drama, and like Gil, likes a nice, Zen sort of ER.  LOVE him.  He is a great addition to the ER family.

Now if I can just get Parvati to drink that particular Kool-Aid my life would be so much simpler, sigh.