Puzzled

 In March 2016, the CDC published guidelines for reducing the use of prescribed Opioids for reducing pain.  The goal was to reduce the abuse of Opioids and reduce addictions and overdose deaths.  I remember thinking that it was a shame to restrict the drug for those who need it in order to protect the few abusing it.

Did it work?  Yes, the use of prescribed Opioids dropped dramatically and deaths from prescribed Opioids are lower than in 2016.  Last year when I had surgery, I was prescribed five Oxycodone pills.  If I needed more, I had to return to the doctor who would hand me a written prescription that I would hand-carry to the pharmacy.  Instead, I lived on Tylenol.

Since deaths from prescribed Opioids are down, the crisis in drug overdose deaths is over.  Right?  Wrong!  The deaths from overdoses exploded from about 20,000 in 2016 to about 92,000 in 2020 and over 100,000 deaths from April 2020 to April 2021.  It seems people turned to Fentanyl which is synthesized in illegal labs, mostly in other countries, and smuggled into the United States.

Would hundreds of thousands of overdose deaths be saved if the CDC hadn’t recommended restricting the use of prescribed Opioids?  Would people still choose Fentanyl even if prescribed Opioids were readily available?

I’m no expert.  I’m just puzzled.,

Source of information https://nida.nih.gov/sites/default/files/National_Drug_Involved_Overdose_Deaths_1999-2020.pptx

Seasoned Man

stevelem117@gmail.com

Old Age

 When I retired, my brother, five years older than me, gave me a sign that said, “Old Age Ain’t For Sissies.”  As the years go by, I understand it more and more.

I read that the 50s are the new 30s and the 60s are the new 40s.  I’m guessing 83 is the new 84.  The 80s are just old.

Case in point--on Monday I had steroid injections in two trigger fingers and the thumb on my right hand (injections were painful, by the way).  The doctor told me that since I had steroid injections before, these were the last ones.  Surgery would be next.  I’ve already had joints surgically frozen on my hand and big toe.

The next day, I was at a surgery center to have squamous cell cancer removed.  It hurt like the blazes until the numbing injection took over.  The hole left by surgery is so large that a golf ball cut in half would fit perfectly in it.  But they got all of the cancer.

I have more issues that need work, but I’m holding off until next spring.  Maybe when I turn 85 years old next year, things will calm down.

Seasoned Man

stevelem117@gmail.com

Scientific Discussions

 Since Aloma has a BS in Biology and I have an engineering degree, we never shy away from complex, scientific discussions.

For instance, we were sitting outside on the deck last week, and Aloma said, “When the sun came up on September 22, It was exactly behind the trunk of the oak tree.  Just three months ago the sun came up way other there.”  She pointed to the left.  “And it’ll come up behind those pine trees in three months.”  She pointed to the right.

“Yeah,”  I responded.  “At the Autumnal Equinox, the sun comes up due East and that is behind that oak tree.”

Not to be outdone, I said,  “Okay, I’ve got another Fall Equinox observation.  You know the lever that controls the hot and cold water in the shower.  During the summer months, I move it to the right because the water coming into the house is warm and we don’t need as much hot water to take a shower.  On September 22, I had the lever straight up.  In a few weeks, we’ll need more hot water for a comfortable shower and the lever will have to be to the left of vertical.  That’s the opposite direction that the sun moves.”

Aloma looked at me and rolled her eyes.  “If you’re looking for a Nobel Prize for that observation, I wouldn’t hold my breath.”  She got up and went inside.  A minute later she poked her head back out and laughed and said, “Don’t worry.  I’ll give you a Nobel Prize for your shower observation.”  

Seasoned Man

stevelem117@gmail.com