Tragic Story

This is goes to the heart, and I'm so upset to read it:

http://www.vancouversun.com/health/Rich+Little+wife+dies+apparent+overdose/3287475/story.html

Untreated pain can have a tragic outcome. I'm sorry for migraineurs who suffer such unbearable pain.

Cheryl

Yes, I read that the other day. It was in the National Enquirer. So sad, yet so many of us here understand....

How very sad. Rich Little is "little" know here in the UK, but I have posted a link on my FB page anyway.
People need to realise how bad "headaches" can be....
And they dont!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Cheryl, Thanks for posting this. I'm sure that there's not one of us here who doesn't, at some level, understand. So sad.

Anna

I read about that the other day. It's so sad. It takes more strength than is generally known to deal with constant pain as we well know. It cuts to the heart when someone can't take it any more. I hope that this brings some attention to untreated pain.

I wonder what treatments she tried, or if she exhausted everyone of them.

That story has been sitting with me for a week now. Here is a woman with all the money to buy whatever treatments she needs, and it is obvious that her husband loved her, yet her situation was still unbearable. When I read that I thought, I know how she feels, and it has been sitting with me since.

Do I have a stronger resolve, or does she have so much more pain? I like to think the latter. It gets me through another week.

Angela

The money thing is what I was discussing with my husband Cheryl...
I have a friend who is an entertainer. His son had severe migraines and he could afford to take him everywhere.
Which he did. It must have cost big bucks.

Eventually they found he had a sinus problem and since surgery he is migraine free.
Wonderful. But the likes of us would have been very lucky to have had that stumbled upon....

How must it have been for this lady, despite the resources.....

What hope for us....

I have such incredibly bad feelings about Mayo Clinic. I think I always will have those feelings.

Cheryl

My mother went many times to Mayo, in Minnesota and Arizona. I went once with her. She said she always felt like she was in a cattle call.

And never any answers nor other avenues to investigate. The feeling was if Mayo didnt have the answer, there wasn't an answer. There was definitely an arrogance.

My mother had unlimited travel available to her (my Dad was a pilot), good insurance and was able to go around the country searching for answers. Yet, everything would come back "inconclusive".

My mother was also a nurse and a believer in the Hemlock Society. After she passed I found her "stash". She told my sister and I that if we were ever told that she died of a drug overdose that it wasn't accidental. The pain just got to be to much. I'm thankful she never reached that point.

No amount of money changes the fact that you may not be able to find a doctor willing to prescribe pain medications.

Sadly, those in pain are at the mercy of their docs. It's why so many of us suffer so often.

Cheryl, I think there is a difference between the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota and the Mayo Clinic in Arizona and Florida. According to the people I saw in Arizona, their facility, while it does run clinical trials, is much more based upon treating patients. They don't require a person to be a fascinating case to treat that person. They will accept a lot more of the average patients, and they seemed very conscientious in the care I received while in Arizona. They did talk about the differences between their clinic and the one in MN though, so apparently, it is known in the field that the MN clinic is much more interested in "interesting" cases, not as much in trying to help people in pain.

That's very sad to read. Perhaps Triptans and narcotic medications did not work for her. Triptans work for me, but it is still a struggle to deal with the side effects of the meds and waiting for the medicine to kick in... and deal with the side effects of the migraine as well.. I don't think money makes a difference -- if you can't find anything to combat the pain.

I read that she was in her 40s.. That's much too young to die.

Chronic pain and disabling disease can be a literal killer. I feel for Mr. Little - I understand the grief of the sudden loss of the love of one's life. I wish him well - and lots of strength to survive.

I am so very thankful that here in the USA the AMA has created Board Certification in Pain Management - and that there are doctors who go into this specialty instead of surgery or neurology or psychiatry etc. I am VERY grateful that my physician is Board Certified in neurology AND pain management.

I have sent private messages to individuals requesting his name and location (San Francisco). He is an excellent physician - I wish Mrs. Little had his name and number a year or so ago - perhaps the pain could have been managed.

This is very sad...