After everything thats been reported about the opioid epidemic in our nation, I didnt expect a painkiller to be offered so easily.

But after a brief visit to the emergency room, I wondered if my experience is part of the reason America is awash in opioids, in the words of Thomas Frieden, former director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

I was in the hospital after a prolonged stomach flu. For seven days, I either couldnt keep down or get into my system much of anything, and 9 pounds fell off me. Normally, Id jump up and down at that statement, but I was too miserable.

Before I got to the ER, Id been to my primary care doctor, twice. My doctor thought Id been knocked down to the point I needed a jump start, in the form of intravenous fluids.

So, as I tried to get comfortable on a really uncomfortable slab of mattress, I told the ER doctor my symptoms. I mentioned stomach pain throughout, and that my primary care doctor thought it was muscle soreness from so much retching. The ER doctor listened patiently, poked my innards, felt the pulse in my ankle and listened to my heart.

He agreed that IV fluids were the ticket and ordered a CT scan to rule out any ugly possibilities, like appendicitis or diverticulitis.

Then he asked something about my comfort level. I didnt really grasp what he was saying, so he rephrased it: Do you want anything for the pain?

I said no right off the bat, then asked what was available. As we talked, I told him I didnt want any kind of opioid, and I swear he almost looked embarrassed when I said that. He said there were lesser pain relievers that could be administered through the IV.

My mother, who was in the room with me, said its no wonder so many people have problems with prescription painkillers. Look at how easy it would have been for me to get some.

As I recounted the story, one co-worker made the valid point that doctors want to alleviate the pain and suffering they see. Thats their purpose. Plus, she said, the doctor probably could tell that I didnt look like an addict.

If this epidemic has taught us anything, isnt it that those who get addicted to pain medicine dont fit any kind of profile?

They dont look like strung-out junkies; they look like the rest of us: hard-working moms and dads, honor students and Eagle Scouts, bus drivers, day-care workers and executives. Then, an accident or injury comes along and theyre given highly addictive narcotics to cope with the pain. Some develop an ungodly form of addiction to the highs the medicine produces in the brain and cant turn off the need for it.

But if you still think that only those with tattoos and stringy hair become hooked to the point they lose sight of everything else that matters, I encourage you to attend any of the upcoming town-hall meetings sponsored by a coalition formed to tackle the problem in our region. The Community Collaborative for Youth and Families is holding sessions in each locality in Planning District 16 through October.

The group also will show the documentary, Chasing the Dragon: The Life of an Opiate Addict, which is an eye-opening look at the drug problem in our nation. It was filmed in Virginiaincluding at the Rappahannock Regional Jailso dont think for a second that this is a problem limited to the nations urban areas.

The meetings are from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at these locations:

Aug. 21: King George Middle School

Sept. 13: Caroline County Community Center

Sept. 26: Brooke Point High School, Stafford

Oct. 2: James Monroe High School

Oct. 16: Rubicon Caf, Salem Fields Community Church, Spotsylvania

The conversation about opioid drugs needs to include a lot of different people, including health-care providers on the front lines. Certainly, they want to make people feel better, but they cant put people into positions that might cause more pain in the long run.

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Is it too easy to get pain medicine? - Fredericksburg.com