Who said I lack compassion? The patient I was referring to has a long, well-known and well-documented history of both legal and illegal drug abuse. Just because you have chronic pain doesn't mean no one else is a junkie.
Most patients who ask for pain meds have pain. I've been a nurse for almost 15 years and I've had only 2 patients who were abusing pain meds. Untreated acute pain can become chronic pain. I had a nurse like you 17 years ago when I had surgery and I am in constant pain every day from untreated acute pain, pain that became chronic pain. A little compassion for our patients wouldn't hurt. Just because a patient seeks relief doesn't make them a junkie!
