by Admin
Drug war hits close
Jul 14, 2009
By Kurt Krueger
News-Review Editor
It was 8 a.m. on Oct. 31, 2008, after a long night in the emergency room, that America’s “War on Drugs” took on new meaning for a respected family physician in Eagle River.
Terrance Moe, M.D., was presented with a search warrant by federal agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) — an episode that has scarred his perception of politics and law enforcement.
“They raided my office, confiscated my computers, blocked the doors to my office with squad cars, and interrogated me for nine hours,” said Moe. “I was not charged with any crime and, after a daylong presence of law enforcement and DEA outside my office, across from the hospital, they suggested that we ‘keep this quiet.’ ”
He said agents threatened him with permanent revocation of his DEA certificate if he didn’t voluntarily relinquish it, which he chose not to do.
“Three months later, I had to retain a lawyer to intervene when the lead agent attempted to block the renewal of my DEA certificate. He had no authority to do so, and immediately released the renewal after a call from my lawyer,” said Moe.
While the results of the federal raid are entirely unknown — even to Moe — the incident has transformed him into an activist against the country’s prohibition on opiates and other drugs that physicians prescribe to manage chronic pain.
Joanna Desanto, public affairs officer for the DEA in Chicago, Ill., said only that federal authorities assisted state and local law enforcement with the search warrant.
http://www.vilascountynewsreview.com/full.php?id=16812
I have chronic pain and always will.You would think society could find some compassion for me.No ahhh’I am a druggie because I take prescribed narcotics in a pump that is placed inside me,along with the steele plate in my neck and the cage in my back.Or Arttheritis all in my body.I went for the experimental drug PRIALT,to get off narcotics.Great I would be accepted by my family and society,Never supposed to be given to a Psychosis patient.Be the time it was all pulled out of my pump my memory was destroyed.I cant concentrate.I can not even urinate when I need to.I cant do anything but type.I will do this to stop anyone else.I wanted all of society to see me as an equal not a druggie.(now I hear the whispers around me”She has altziemers from all the narcotics she has taken” Ain”t life fun
Hang in there , thats all bullshit , they are full of themselves. Where do you live that people do not give you respect for having a cage around your back and being in non-stop pain and having such outward physical symptoms?I mean one good thing is here in the semi south VA, at least along with being a junkie people feel bad for all the pain we are in and treat us decently. Of course….as soon as we go to one person pharmacist, physician, radiologist, or whoever for one reaosn or the other that may no know our full situation, we are automatically labeled junkies.There are more and more groups who are recognizing chronic pain patients. Even at the state and local , federal levels within our governments infrastructure.
no one understands what we go through on a daily basis until they go thru it themselves. for years my daughters and many other people were basically calling me a drug addict, they said it is mind over matter, maybe for some people, but it didnt work for me. well after many years of this my daughter was diagnosed with fibromyalgia and transversemelitis(i think i spelled that right). now she is on narcotics and other meds to get thru her day and take care of her 4 year old. before i was almost not allowed to spend time with my grandaughter alone, because of the meds i am on. now its a different story, that she is in pain. dont get me wrong, i feel for her everyday cuz i know what it is like to suffer everyday. it really gets old being labeled “the druggie”. as for these new non-narcotics, anti-seizure meds and so forth, my sister in law went to a clinic in mich to quote”help with her headaches.” they took her off all her narcotics, which was a low dose of oxycontin and a breakthrough, and put her on 11 different medications that were the anti-seizure and many others. all this was done at her Dr.s request. they almost killed her, her heart almost stoppped. they might work for the right people, but the side affects for me and her were terrible and not worth it. all i can say is i thank god everyday for my medications, my Dr., who is a lifesaver and my husband and family, who is finally now very supportive. i have learned to not care what other people think or say anymore..i just say i hope you never have to live in my shoes for one day….hang in there