Dr Myles Gart wrote a piece entitled “Pain is not the fifth vital sign” Medical Economics on May 20th, 2017.

http://medicaleconomics.modernmedicine.com/medical-economics...

This is my reply to Dr Gart's editorial, edited to fit the format here the best I can.

“… First and foremost, we must bury the claim of pain being the fifth vital sign and replace it with a 21st Century pain assessment tool that incorporates objective evidence and measures of pain. …”

Dr Gart, at this moment are you hungry? In your lifetime have you ever been hungry? Hunger is a type of pain. Did you treat that pain by consuming a substance?

Please correct me if I am wrong. To my knowledge there is no objective test, no simple Pain Meter, that will show me that you are hungry. Yes we could look at enzymes and such. Will that truly tell me just how hungry you are objectively?

If there is no objective test for a pain as simple as hunger, that each of us experience most every day, what hope does a person in Chronic Pain have?

In Ohio the Governor is now practicing medicine by decreeing that there can be no more than seven days of opiate pain medication. Perhaps he should discuss that with the person that was hit by a train and survived with most every bone broken.

My wife Karen died of suicide to stop the pain she experienced for over over 20 years, due to the failure of the Medical Establishment as a whole. THIS IS THE REALITY OF Chronic Pain.

"Karen's Journal of CSF Leak Headaches and Chronic Pain: How Intracranial Hypotension and Levaquin (Levofloxacin) Killed Me"

is now required reading at Duke School of Medicine to educate future Neurologists about the realities of Chronic Pain.

A local reporter wrote in a Cover Story:

"Karen's first-hand account of her illness gave an honest, heart-wrenching depiction of what it is like to live with debilitating pain day-to-day." – http://www.kpaddock.org

May I humbly suggest you read it.

See for FDA links on the antibiotic issue [at http://www.kpaddock.com/fq ].

In book form it has been edited by a medical doctor that has the same condition has Karen had. When bought through the Spinal CSF Leak Foundation 100% of the royalties go to them, to support them, just in case anyone thinks I'm posting this to promote the book for profit myself. The book can be read for free at http://mystory.kpaddock.com for free.

I do not know what motivated you to write your article. I do know from it that far more time needs to be spent with people in Chronic Pain, to understand the realities of their life.

When a person in Chronic Pain that has been taking opiate pain medication under a competent doctors supervision for ten years, is able to function, take care of their family, hold a job, is without warning told then can not have it any more, “tough luck”. What are they to do? They resort to street drugs and become the very victims this currently policy is trying to prevent.

People in Chronic Pain have typically already tried multiple rounds of physical therapy, bio-feedback, meditation, exercise and the list goes on, with no relief from the pain. What are they to do?

Not having Chronic Pain myself, I will never claim to understand it. I did watch my wife suffer with it for 20+ years. What exactly is the agenda here? None of us such as Advocates like myself nor the sufferers have figured this out yet. Can anyone please explain? To us it appears as an attack on the most vulnerable.

This is one of the many comments I received about your article: “…Chronic problems frustrate doctors and they blame the patient rather than look at themselves. …” or support research to find real solutions to Chronic Pain. No one chooses to live with Chronic Pain each and every moment of their lives.