Updated "About Me"

If anyone is interested, I've updated the "About Me" section


-----Updated Text-----
I apologize for not updating this part of my site for a while, but I've been fighting with the incompetent, ignorant, rude imbeciles who run CYS (Children & Youth Services) for over six months concerning my wife's and my need for prescription opioids. I've been told that they've never gone after people as hard as they've been going after us, that includes heroin addicts and crack whores. They routinely lie on court paperwork, leak confidential records, commit perjury, and they're constantly change their story & accusations. We've had to prove that we are ill enough to require opioids, but not too ill that we can't care for our daughter. Thankfully, our family doctor has not abandoned us. He knows how much these medications help us and he knows that our daughter is well taken care of. Thankfully, my state has never had a law allowing children to be taken from disabled parents and there are federal laws (i.e. Americans with Disabilities Act) that protect us, slightly. Unfortunately, we still have to prove that our medical conditions don't prevent us from caring for our daughter. Aside from our doctor, we have our almost useless lawyer who can't schedule a meeting, and a great subcontracted (not a CYS employee) parent educator who isn't afraid to tell the truth, even if it isn't popular and even if it contradicts her conclusions. We've also been complying with their ridiculous WEEKLY urine drug testing (costs taxpayers $100/test per person). I really wish that they'd switch to saliva testing, or better yet hair testing, which covers the last 3 months (more, if you're willing to pay for it) instead of the 2-3 days that UDT (urine drug testing) covers. I did the math once and found out that you could buy a VERY nice car with the money that they've spent harrassing us and violating our rights. Privacy is a thing of the past.

Sham Medical Devices & "All-Natural" Treatments

I recently responded to a question about NEUROVA, a copy of TENS unit that doesn't require a prescription (a HUGE red flag).

This led me to the decision to write a post about scams. Scammers are taking advantage of chronic pain patients, especially desperate pain patients, and the current climate regarding opioids.

The most common scam medical devices are "electric stimulators", which are a cross between those electric weight loss belts from the 90s that were supposed to give you abs without working out and TENS units, they bypass FDA clearance & approval by calling them "electronic massagers". These "TENS" units are not the same thing as the more expensive FDA approved TENS units that treat pain, especially neuropathy. Any legal TENS unit (the devices that can treat pain) require a prescription. Really, anything that is supposed to treat pain but isn't approved by the FDA or a similar international agency is suspect. Prescriptions are required for all legitimate longterm pain treatments with only a few exceptions (even FDA approved OTC treatments, like acetaminophen/paracetamol/Tylenol and Ibuprofen/Advil/Motrin aren't safe and effective longterm chronic pain treatments without doctor supervision (which is why the label tells you to seek medical care if you haven't improved after a few weeks). Acetaminophen/APAP is hepatotoxic and NSAIDs cause stomach irritation and bleeding.

Anyway, back on track...

When it comes to sham medical devices and "all-natural" treatments, the websites are great places to found clues, the wording frequently gives them away. Examples of Ted flags include:
* bad mouthing other treatments, especially opioids
* vague explanations of how it works
* not listing ingredients
* anything that's "proprietary" or "patented"- Remember patenting doesn't mean it works, it means they filled some paperwork. If they're advertising or bragging about the patent, they're scraping bottom for ways to con you out of your limited resources

If you want all natural, drug free treatments, research & purchase specific supplements, not "proprietary blends". You can save a fortune by purchasing these ingredients in bulk and putting them in capsules by yourself. Amazon sells everything you need, if you're interested.

Disclaimer: The links above are affiliate links, which means that if you click either link and subsequently make any Amazon purchased I, or rather my daughter's college fund, will receive up to 2% of the purchase price of eligible items.

Despicable- California GOP creates fake health care website to discourage constituents from obtaining insurance

Daily Kos :: California GOP creates fake health care website to discourage constituents from obtaining insurance
http://bit.ly/1eMeHg4

What more can I add?...
Got forbid they protect themselves and keep health care costs down. God forbid even a penny of healthy policy holders premiums goes to us unhealthy "leeches".

As a pain (& cancer) patient and a citizen, I find this the lowest of low. Disability is not a crime, or even a choice.

Steve