Tuesday, January 5, 2016

The CDC Opioid Guidelines: Exercise Your Right to Be Heard


Many of you may know I am recovering  from pneumonia, so in an effort to care for myself, I have not been blogging, but this is perhaps the most important advocacy topic of this month. Holding the CDC accountable for questionable behavior and making our voice heard!


Why We Should Hold the CDC Accountable

We deserve to be heard, but the CDC tried to slide their guidelines under the radar, calling them "guidelines" knowing they would be embraced as a policy without having to undergo the rigorous process of establishing a policy. As taxpayers, we have a right to transparency, which they did not provide. Please take a moment to read my dear friend, Myra Christopher’s blog on why this is important to those of us living with chronic pain.


Holding the CDC accountable and providing this opportunity to comment is in large part due to Myra and the PainAction Alliance to Implement a National Strategy

You can read my comment, which was kindly shared by the National Pain Report. My Story: Has the CDCConfused Addiction and Tolerance?


How to Comment

Commenting on the CDC Opioid Guidelines as part of the docket is a valuable opportunity to protect our rights as people living with chronic pain. So please, I am begging you, and I seldom do that, leave your comment, get your docket number, your comment only counts when you do this. Use  the link, just click on the comment button IN THE UPPER RIGHT HAND CORNER. You can remain anonymous. 

As of this writing, January 5, 2016, of the 100 million people who live with chronic pain in America, only 1,793 have commented.



Open Comments

Another opportunity has arisen, an open conference. My friend Myra Christopher has to say. "It is important for CDC to get this right, and they need our help to do so.” 

The following provided by the National Pain Report

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is hosting a public conference call on its controversial Guidelines for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain Thursday, January 7, 2016, at 9:00 am ET. The public can participate via a conference call.  The dial-in number is: 1-888-395-7561, and the Participant Code is: 3954121.

I may be weak, but I am not done! We the People-ALL the People

Since our Congress questions the CDC’s authority to infringe on our Constitutional rights as stakeholders in this issue, and as citizens of these United States, shouldn’t we too! Read the National Pain Report article, Congress Questions CDC: Who Drafted Controversial Opioid Guidelines?


No one understands the effort it takes better than I do, and what I also know is that under no circumstances is procrastination our friend. Please do it today.

The deadline is January 13th.



We are not alone. Read the comments within the article Pain Advocates Urge Patients to Comment on CDC Opioid Regulations 



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"Adversity is only an obstacle if we fail to see opportunity."  
Celeste Cooper, RN
Author—Patient—Health Central Chronic Pain ProAdvocate

Celeste’s Website: http://CelesteCooper.com

Learn more about what you can do to help your body function to its potential in the books you can find here on Celeste's  blog

All answers and blogs are based on the author's opinions and writing and are not meant to replace medical advice.  

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