Thank your local Junkie, Doctor or dentist, and the FDA.

With life experience comes ones opinions. I have recently been privileged to acquire another strong opinion...one in which I strongly believe to be correct. One recent Thursday evening, I was awakened to a severe pain due to an abscessing tooth. What was really perfect was that my dentist wasn't in on Fridays. So there I was.... left to endure the worst pain I have ever experienced for a nice long weekend. Finally Sunday afternoon I had had enough and went to the emergency room of the local hospital for the first time in my 40 year life. I'm no wuss. I figured thats what they are there for....to do their job. After all, we do have the technology to give respite to one with severe pain. So they take my blood pressure and find it to be sky high...not because I am unhealthy, but because the pain elevates ones blood pressure. So there it was.... empirical evidence that I was in a state of suffering. I told the nurse on duty I haven't been to the Doctor in almost 20 years so its not like I come in regularly, making up divers stories of why i need a narcotic to ease my pain. So the Doc comes in and looks in my mouth and proceeds to prescribe me 10 lortab and a shot of heavy duty antibiotic. The lortab were the lowest dose prescribable. 5 mg of hydrocodone. Not really much, considering the height of pain I was in. So in order to give me some relief, I had to take a minimum of 3 lortab. So in other words, the pills given me didn't even give me enough relief to get a good nights rest that night after several sleepless nights lying in agony. So in other words Dr.......thanks for nothing. I understand fully the problems of prescription pain abuse in the here and now. But so what? I go in looking for help and pay the hefty bill and they wont give me what I need? Is it their job to make sure I don't get addicted to the pills or abuse them? In my opinion, no it isn't. Its nobodies business but mine. I go into your Doctors office and pay good money to do so. Then take my blood pressure, poke and prod, and then give me something to ease my suffering if thats what I'm there for. I seriously considered hitting the streets and scoring some heavy duty narcotics to give me some rest and ease my suffering. After all your not my clergy or my therapist. Just give me what I "need". What do I have to do....start my own poppy field and harvest my own narcotics so I can live through life's inevitable bouts of pain? Gimme a break. Quit trying to be my savior and do your job. The job I pay you well for....give me whatever it takes to ease my pain and then mind your other patients. Thats your job. So do it.