Example of accidental withdrawal –
One hot summer day, I was outside gardening which caused me to sweat. I didn’t realize the Fentanyl patches I was wearing had accidentally fallen off. I began having so many symptoms and I didn’t know what was happening to me. I only realized after 8 hours that my patch had fallen off and been lost. I put on some new ones, but I was not functional for 2 days – it was my first experience of ‘cold turkey’ withdrawal. Since that day, I constantly fear accidentally losing my patches again and going through the same experience.
Feeling of insecurity at the hospital –
As a patient experiencing opioid treatment, I am always worried about being at the hospital. This is because living with a chronic disease and being on pain medication is challenging to manage. It is hard to have confidence that a new medical professional will understand the extent of my situation. Unfortunately, my situation does not prevent me from being sick.