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National Super Hero Day

donmdonm Posts: 10,241 ✭✭✭✭✭ Graduate

Today is a day meant to honor super heroes, both fictional and real. Superman, Batman, Captain America, Wonder Woman, Spider Man are some obvious choices. Real life heroes can be first responders or anyone in your community that you consider heroic due to his/her contribution.

It is also National Bllueberry Pie Day. Both tasty and, perhaps, healthy by promoting good memory. One could always drop off a pie to show your appreciation to those who have been or may become heroic. Or any of the many great foods we've discussed on this forum. A nice bowl of the "wolrd's greatest wings" could work.

Finally, it's National BraveHearts Day.Tthis is a day we can celebrate " BraveHearts for Kids"’ newest program to help families struggling with pediatric cancer, a phone app called Spotlight Hope. A first of its kind, the Spotlight Hope App is now available on Google Play and in the Apple Store. The app helps families plug into local resources during their time of pediatric cancer crisis. From financial help to rides to the doctor, the Spotlight Hope App provides information on how to connect to 1000’s of resources that exist in the United States to help families through a pediatric cancer ordeal.

If your life has been touched by pediatric cancer in any way; please download this free app and start connecting to a wonderful community dedicated to making the journey more bearable. Download Spotlight Hope and enjoy all the features.

You can observe National BraveHearts Day by helping spread the word about Spotlight Hope. Use #SpotlightHope, and #NationalBraveHeartsDay to post on social media. If you know a family dealing with Pediatric Cancer, help them by suggesting they download the Spotlight Hope App to their phone as soon as possible …No family should have to face cancer alone.

Or you can make a donation to this amazing organization so they can continue their work,

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Comments

  • FirePlugDawgFirePlugDawg Posts: 5,480 ✭✭✭✭✭ Graduate

    I'm skeptical about tax exempt orgs. Below is a link to bravehearts for kids 2017 federal tax return. Small organization. Key employee salaries might be a little high for the money collected.

    The org had had its TE status revoked due to non filing of a IRS Form 990 for 3 years, but apparently got reinstated (?) in 2014. (Had a Houston address; now a Chicago area address.) I could not find a 990. EIN is below if you want to search more.

    Probably many more, much more worthy orgs, including the American Cancer Society.

    Bravehearts For Kids

    EIN: 27-0660252 | Houston, TX, United States


  • donmdonm Posts: 10,241 ✭✭✭✭✭ Graduate

    thanks FPD. I'm not all that good with checking these things out, although I did wonder for a sec while I was typing about this group - due to being alerted to the possible error of me saying 70% of opioid addictions starting with stuff in folks' medicine cabinets. I hope they are a good group as it seems a worthy cause.

  • FirePlugDawgFirePlugDawg Posts: 5,480 ✭✭✭✭✭ Graduate

    The public would do well to look into the various "charities"that come their way. Looking at the IRS Form 990 provides a lot of info. How much the key people are paid and where the money goes. Can look the IRS tax return using the link above with minimal info. The 990 gives more info however.

    If you specify a charity in your will, take the time to research what you are doing.

  • DvilleDawgDvilleDawg Posts: 2,695 ✭✭✭✭✭ Graduate

    The amount of money the Red Cross pays some of their people is the reason they will only get my blood. It is sick that you can't trust charitable orgs.

    Now for the super heroes, my husband has always had the biggest crush on Linda Carter as Wonder Woman.

  • CatfishCatfish Posts: 1,703 ✭✭✭✭✭ Graduate

    I appreciate your double checking on the opioids. I have to have pain medicine just to get through the work day and before all you anti painkiller people start screaming, I spent 20 years in a USCG helicopter and 12 years as a volunteer and paid paramedic. I've had 2 back surgeries and an ACL repair. I'm still trying to be a productive member of society. I can't smoke weed like I would like to for the pain. My pain prescription was cut in half at the first of the year due to the "opioid crisis". As a medic I used narcan 2 times in 12 years. I'm aware that it is a bit different now. But the truth is that they can't or won't fight the heroin trafficking. As a coastie I helped fight the"drug war", we ain't gonna win it. So now as a smoke screen we have this crisis and 90% of the od's are heroin not pain meds.

    Apologies but this is the truth for more people than you know. Rant over.

  • YaleDawgYaleDawg Posts: 7,098 ✭✭✭✭✭ Graduate
    edited April 2019

    The majority of drug overdoses are from opioids and of those most are from prescription drugs. Abuse of prescription opioids also makes someone much more likely to use heroin or other illicit opioids. There is definitely an opioid epidemic in America caused by over prescription of certain drugs pushed by a few pharmaceutical companies. That's not to say there is no place for opioids in healthcare. They are very effective and can help people live better quality lives, but opioids should be handled seriously while we search for other options with less severe side effects.

    Edit: checked some more recent numbers and the OD deaths from prescription opioids has dropped to the mid 40% range, but over 80% of heroin users started with prescription opioids.

  • DvilleDawgDvilleDawg Posts: 2,695 ✭✭✭✭✭ Graduate

    My husband has been on pain meds for the last 5 years due to back issues. I would rather him smoke marijuana than take pain pills and muscle relaxers.

  • CatfishCatfish Posts: 1,703 ✭✭✭✭✭ Graduate
    edited April 2019

    @YaleDawg are you a medical doctor, do you have any experience in health care? If so I respect your opinion. If your just getting your info from CNN and time magazine like most of the sheeple then you really don't have a clue. The federal government cannot stop the drug flow into this country. The "opioid crisis" is a smoke screen. The DEA and CBP have admitted as much. People are turning to heroin for pain control because us folks in pain management are unable to be prescribed the dosage that our dr's want to give us. Soon my only option will be a third back surgery, This will essentially cripple me I won't be able to hunt or fish or enjoy our horses. Walk a 100 yds in my shoes and you probably wouldn't even get out of bed.

  • ghostofuga1ghostofuga1 Posts: 9,032 mod

    Let's not confuse the issue. Heroin is an opioid and both it and the synthetic manufactured pain pills can be classified in the opioid category when it pertains to opioid overdoses.

  • YaleDawgYaleDawg Posts: 7,098 ✭✭✭✭✭ Graduate

    I work in the pain field. My research involves understanding pain at a cellular and molecular level to develop better treatments for it. I know what opioids do to your body to stop pain and cause addiction. I've also had to take opioids for a severe injury before, and I would have been miserable without them. I'm sorry about your pain. It must be incredibly frustrating.

  • YaleDawgYaleDawg Posts: 7,098 ✭✭✭✭✭ Graduate
  • ghostofuga1ghostofuga1 Posts: 9,032 mod

    My Super Hero reading comprehension is going to be graded low today....🤐

  • CatfishCatfish Posts: 1,703 ✭✭✭✭✭ Graduate

    So your part of the crowd saying I don't need what my outstanding pain management dr. thinks I need. As in part of our problem, if we don't get cut back and live in pain, ya'll lose your grant. Enjoy the money, I'll try to continue to earn mine the honest way.

  • YaleDawgYaleDawg Posts: 7,098 ✭✭✭✭✭ Graduate
    edited April 2019

    That's not at all what I said. No reasonable person is advocating for complete removal of opioids without a suitable replacement. People in pain should be treated in a way that gives them the best quality of life. At the moment that includes prescription opioids, but health care providers and patients need to be aware of how addictive and potentially damaging they can be.

    @Catfish

  • FirePlugDawgFirePlugDawg Posts: 5,480 ✭✭✭✭✭ Graduate

    I had 2 major surgical procedures and a semi-major procedure. Each time I was given a prescription for an opioid at discharge. I never had them filled. If I were asked at the time, "do you want a major league Rx for pain", I would have said, "only in case".

    I think part of the solution (to the extent that it is patient/provider induced) is to have a method to provide pain relief on demand at/post discharge. Secondly, would be for providers to set expectations that pain "atomic bomb" level relief might not be necessary - an off the shelf pain reliever might be enough.

    Also patient related is that millions of patients are discharged with opioid pain meds, and as broad as the problem it is, the problem is only a small fraction of the potential numbers that could be "hooked". Need to ponder that. Why is that?

    On the supply side there was/is a problem of opioid drugs coming from overseas (China). FBI's J. Edgar Hoover couldn't stop heroin from Sicily in the 1950s. Think there may be an issue there that can be part of the problem - priority, human resources, technology, counter-intel, etc.? I do.

    Reports on a US drug company out of control with supplying certain pharmacies that operate as retail/wholesale spigots of street drugs. Incredible!

    Finally, there are no standards for treatment of drug addiction. None. There is a typical drug treatment insurance coverage - usually 28 days. And yep, those drug treatment programs last, oh I'd say, about 28 days. What happens during that time is "magic", or may as well be.

    I have to think that somehow the problem is not being carefully considered from all angles. I'm sorry for those who have the addiction. We'll always have some but should not have the wild numbers we appear to have.

  • CatfishCatfish Posts: 1,703 ✭✭✭✭✭ Graduate

    Look buddy I've seen some of your other posts. Nobody can tell you anything. My doctor and I are both quite aware of the addictive nature of opioids. I have been in pain management for about 4 years, my doctor has been in practice for 15 years. As a paramedic I have a more than average understanding of drug addiction. Crack, heroin, and alcohol are by far more prevalent than pain medications in the field. Car fentanyl from China is just another opioid that the DEA can't stop. I've worked with the DEA. Any field agent who is truthful will tell you they can't stop it. I was on a fentanyl patch for about 18 months . It's not as evil as you would like everyone to think. I was on a 100 mcg patch prior to my last back surgery. In post op the nurse had to give me double the normal dose of fentanyl IV to control the pain. I went off fentanyl and onto morphine IV in the hospital. I went to oxycodone 10 mg at release. I went off it after the 14 inch incision in my back healed. 2 years after that 2 more discs collapsed. I've been in pain management since then. I get injections when I need them. I'm done debating this. You and @ghostofuga1 come walk 100 yds in my shoes. You probably won't even get out of bed.

  • ghostofuga1ghostofuga1 Posts: 9,032 mod

    @Catfish I have no argument in this thread. I just pointed out that heroin was also an opioid along with prescription medication which was pointed out that was not the indifference being discussed.


    I would not walk 10 feet in your shoes, nor anybody else's. I prefer my own.

  • YaleDawgYaleDawg Posts: 7,098 ✭✭✭✭✭ Graduate

    @Catfish I'm not attacking you or your doctor. He seems to be doing a good job managing your pain which is no easy task. All I'm saying is that opioid addiction from prescription drugs is more prevalent than you are making it out to be and we need to do better job monitoring it and preventing it. I keep repeating in different ways that opioids have a place in healthcare and pain management. I'm not quite sure why you think I want to steal your pain meds?

  • YaleDawgYaleDawg Posts: 7,098 ✭✭✭✭✭ Graduate

    @FirePlugDawg around 25% of people prescribed opioids misuse them and 10% of patients given opioids become addicted and abuse opioids.

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