Writer questions medical treatment (or lack thereof)

Most opioid overdoses happen at home so warned the billboard on U.S. 50 recently.

The implication being that perhaps many individuals have access to enough powerful medications as to endanger themselves by excessive use (recreational mostly)?

There is to me a sad irony in this. My mother (who passed away in late November) suffered through nearly five months of relentless agonizing pain for which there seemed to be no remedy possible, though we sought relief time and time again.

Certainly at the age of 87 she had a number of physical ailments and challenges, but the source of this pain proved difficult to determine and more so to alleviate. All of state-of-the-art, high tech, best guess, well-intentioned attempts by highly trained medical professionals were to no avail.

Two emergency rooms visits on consecutive mornings when she was literally writhing in pain were exercises in futility, and the pain only became more inhumanely intolerable.

Were there treatment options possible, not not utilized for reasons not explained to us?

How is it that so many have limitless access to potent prescription (or otherwise) opioid painkillers, who are not in pain, and one little 98 pound grandmother endure months of insufferable torment? A reasonable question, I think.

Donald L. Schleter Jr., Seymour