HomeMy WebLinkAboutRomney TestimonyLora Romney Patient Testimony
I am a patient with Atypical Trigeminal Neuralgia
(ATN). This disease causes severe facial nerve
pain that never stops. It presents in my sinus
regions on both sides. Imagine an ice cream
headache that never goes away. This is what I
experience daily.
most painful conditions to live with.
I have been struggling with ATN for the past 13
years. I have tried everything to control my pain:
brain surgery, a nerve stimulator implant in my
face, blocks, lidocaine infusions, chiropractic, acupuncture, physical therapy and
over 30+ medications to try and decrease this pain. I was referred to a pain clinic
after my neurologist exhausted all options for me. Under the care of a pain
physician, I was given two oxycodone per day.
This dose of oxycodone was not enough to control my excruciating pain. It gave
me relief for approximately 4-5 hours. This meant that for 16 hours of the day
and night, I did not have any pain control. I suffered immensely. Since I had tried
all available options to control this pain, I began looking at alternative solutions. I
heard about the plant kratom that many were using successfully to help control
their TN pain. I decided to try it. Amazingly enough, I got instant relief. My pain
did not go away, but it moved from an 8-9 to a 2-4 with the use of a low dose of
kratom. I still have very bad days where nothing really helps, but the majority of
the time, I can function very well. I am an 8-year kratom consumer. Kratom has
allowed me to discontinue my daily opioid prescription! Kratom is a solution to
the opioid epidemic!
Patients like me need pain control options. I read stories every day of patients
who are being forced off their pain medication and given no other options. While
taking acetaminophen or ibuprofen for pain control works for some, when people
have severe illness and pain, these over-the-counter meds do not help. What is
not understood by many lawmakers and physicians is that you cannot survive at
constant 8-10 level pain for an extended period of time without
snapping. Mentally this amount of pain changes your brain, and suicide becomes
a real option. We want to live!
any sort of a high. In fact, the reason I love kratom is that is makes me feel more
normal! There is no physical craving for this supplement. The only craving I have is
the desire to have my pain drop a few points.
Pain patients are the silent minority in this country. We are the ones who have
no voice. We are hidden away in our homes, unable to work, go to lunch, and
even drive a car at times. All we are asking for is compassion and access to
medication and natural supplements that give us some quality of life. Sometimes
I lay awake at night thinking about the real possibility that kratom could become
illegal. What would I then do for pain control? That is a thought that haunts
me. Opioids are no longer available to most patients. I could not live at level 9-10
which is what I would be at without pain control. The answer for me has been
Kratom. I am grateful every day that it is legal and that I have the option to use
this supplement.
Please give pain patients a voice! Please stand up for the weak and helpless in
Support the Kratom Consumer Protection Act which
ensures adult kratom consumers like me can access pure, non-adulterated kratom
that has been GMP verified. Currently the adverse events being reported are
most frequently coming from 7-Hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) synthetic products
and not from pure kratom. 7-OH products SHOULD be banned since they are not
kratom. Please do not assume that these products are the same. 7-OH is NOT
kratom.
By regulating and not banning kratom, you are showing those that rely on kratom
to treat their pain, anxiety and even drug withdrawals with kratom truly
matter. You have the power to keep us functioning so we can give back to society
and take care of our families. Thank you!
Lora Romney
(801)557-1144
loraromney@gmail.com