Prince

[[be...]]

Updated info on Prince:

 

https://www.yahoo.com/news/warrant-minnesota-doctor-saw-prince-prescribed-drugs-222741978.html?ref=gs

[[Fi...]]

Was he joking with Prince in mind? If so his joke was in poor taste. I highly doubt Prince had an addiction problem with opiods…sounds like he was most likely suffering from extreme chronic pain that was disabling and consequently warranted he take prescription pain meds.

 

But this is how addiction to pain meds happens.  Everyone who takes them for their particular pain insists they are not an addict.  Their brain doesn't know the difference, and I'm speaking from experience.  One NY Times article about Prince explained how his addiction to pain meds was actually a very common story.

[[ho...]]

Wow.. I just heard on the news Princes' doctor is going to be under investigation. Does a person have to be famous for this to happen? I sure would like to see a new prescedent set so we might have some legal case basis for even us everyday folks to remedy our own doctor issues...

[[Fi...]]

Yes, I think you have to be famous and then you have to actually DIE.  I could make a case against the doc who got me hooked on Oxycodone, but if I can't make my loved ones understand my pain and suffering, how could I make a jury get it?  I'd have no clear-cut case for lost wages since I'm self-employed.

 

The world will mourn the loss of Prince and look around for somebody to blame.

 

In my own case, I actually think it's more the fault of the pharmaceutical companies--Purdue Pharma to be precise--who pushed Oxycodone and Oxycontin on docs and told them that less than 1% of their patients would become addicted.  Ha!  A recent study showed that of people who were prescribed opioid painkillers for  thirty days for any reason, full HALF would still be on them THREE YEARS LATER.  That's an addictive substance.

[[ho...]]

I believe there is power in numbers...if enough people come together and validate one anothers experiences with these drugs, then others will have to listen...well I can hope anyway....

[[Fi...]]

hopeandfaith--I am about to publish a book about it which I hope will get the word out on BOTH opioids and benzos.

[[ho...]]

Oh nice!!! Maybe it will turn out to be a useful tool patients can use to have more productive doctor visits, family discussions and ultimately the elimination of overprescribing and undertreating forever! Gotta think big if we wanna beat this! I will support you and look forward to reading your book. How soon can we expect to see your publication?

[[Fi...]]

I thought I was going to pull the trigger in June and had even taken the huge step (for me, because I hate doing this) of booking a portrait sitting for an updated publicity photo, but Mother's Day triggered me with sort of PTSD attacks and I cancelled the appointment.  I just can't publish it until I can feel more confident this is truly in the rearview mirror because--duh--people want to hear about getting well, not about still being sick. 

 

It's just MY story, not a handbook for how to cope, but I do think it provides what people here claim they want--something they could show to a loved one that shows just how horrific this is to go through and how frustrating it is trying to not let every last relationship in your life completely implode!

[[ho...]]

Right, well a speedy recovery to you then! I shall say a prayer your work has not been done in vain, and people might benefit from such a publication. Good luck friend!!! Keep going....

[[Fi...]]

Thank you.  I appreciate the support. 

[[...]]

Hey Becks. 

Just saw this posted on FB and thought of you.  Purple Rain performed by Adam Levin and Patrick Monahan.  Can't touch Prince, of course, but nevertheless a pretty electric performance. 

 

[[be...]]

Tonight on CNN at 9 pm EDT is a special about addiction. I doubt they will mention dependency or benzo but probably will focus on what I assume killed Prince. FJ: Good for you on ready to publish!!!!! You must have worked very hard. Is it going to be self published?

[[ho...]]

Im on the wcoast and watching now....no mention of exit strategies whatsoever....main focus is opiods....and once again using the term addicted vs. dependant...arghhh...sooo annoying...

[[Fi...]]

Yes, I am self-publishing, which means I don't know what I'm doing!  In the past I've always had publishing houses giving me that huge initial stamp of approval and lots of editors standing between me and the book actually seeing print, so I  seriously don't know what to think.

 

I sent it off to Kirkus for an independent review.  Didn't know you could do that, but apparently there are so many people self-publishing that there's a market for people willing to take a shot that somebody will say their book is good.  The review is due June 6th, so that has given me something of a timeline.

 

I'm in the middle of watching the show you mentioned right now.  I'm surprised that it isn't making me too mad!  They seem to be emphasizing how doctors overprescribe and talking about the "dirty little secret of hyperalgesia."  One doc flat out said that opioids and benzos should not be given for more than two weeks without a really good reason.

 

I'm wearing of trying to explain all this to people and arguing about it with people who don't necessarily want off their meds.  I just want to get my story out there to do what good it can do and move on.

[[Ri...]]

I just want to add a happy memory to the Prince discussion.  Yes, I know it is about Opoids and addiction, but I just wanted to share a little tidbit.  This was decades ago now.  I used to be a professional dancer (hip hop and jazz dancing were my faves, but I also did ballet, ballroom, tumbling, modern, etc). I happened to do a little gig when Aladdin went into theatres, as I knew the theater manager, and he anted a genie to sit in the lobby on a "flying carpet" and give the kids candy. I rented a genie costume and wore ballet slippers.  The little kids LOVED IT!  I had a great time! What I did not know was that Prince and a friend wanted to see the same movie that night after the last showing, so after I bid adieu to all of the little kids leaving after the last showing, all of the sudden I looked up and Prince was standing there looking at me.  HEART IN THROAT MOMENT!  He was accompanied by a friend and bodyguard. I gave an awkward smile and looked back down at what I was doing. Couldn't resist looking up again after he walked away. Saw him whisper something into the BG's ear before entering the theater.  5 mins later, the BG comes back to me and asks if I can dance. "OMG!" I thought!  I said, "Yes, I trained for a few years" (well, 14 years at least...lol), but I did not say that, of course, in case he hated me.  He said, "Show me what you can do."  I almost passed out from the surge of adrenaline. I managed to do "a little something".  He took my number and said I would hear from him.  I thought. "Yeah, sure!", imaginary eye roll. Anyone who has done the whole audition thing has learned that you do not hear back sometimes, it is the nature of the beast. So... 3 months go by, and I get THE call.  They needed a dancer at Prince's club that night, for the after party, and was I available.  Luckily I was.  Had to do an audition on site at the club.  Got to work with his very talented troupe of dancers a few times to fill in until my work schedule got in the way, and I was moving out of state on top of that.  Went to a few parties at Paisley Park before I left too.  He was truly an amazing artist- he performed at the parties.  Great time had by all! Thanks for sharing in my memory!!

[[Be...]]

Rickey, thanks for sharing that very interesting post about being part of Prince's life for awhile.  Please do tell more about him and his Paisley Park home if you are willing?  I would love to hear more about him.  You must be a wonderful dancer for him to call you. 

[[Ri...]]

Becks,

I only stayed in the main areas of Paisley Park, which held his recording studio, his offices, a large room ( a couple of stories tall) he used for parties and concerts, and, his home (a part I never saw). It was beautifully appointed, with beautiful comfortable furniture- all very tastefully decorated. A fun little tidbit was that I used to work for a security company, and one of our techs went out to PP to fix a broken sensor.  He never saw "the man", but he was followed, by a maid carrying a vacuum cleaner. After exiting each room, she would use it to get rid of the footprints he had left. He questioned her if there was anything he could do to make her job easier (he told me he was afraid he was doing something wrong), and she simple replied that it was part of her job to make sure there were no footprints left on the carpets.  He said that the areas in which he worked was beautiful, and spectacularly clean. I have met Prince face to face, but knew not to speak to him.  He was known to be very shy (as I was told).  His bodyguard and I got to be friends for a while, and it turns out it was one of his brothers. The talk about Prince's weight being very low, and 80 lbs is VERY low, but he was really a very petite man.  I was a size 4 when I was standing right next to him, and he was way smaller than I, and even with his heels, he did not appear to be quite my height (I am 5' 4').  Hearing him sing live for a smallish group each time was amazing, maybe 150 people there, I would guess, each time, and he rarely looked out over the audience.  He looked at and sang to other band members or had his eyes closed.  I could really see his struggle on stage for sure with shyness, if that is what it was.  I personally danced from the time I was very little and danced in Chicago for a time for a company before I moved to MN at about age 20 or 21(?). I never danced professionally after that, but still took lessons. Right now I am struggling to get back to a place where I am physically strong enough to go to a local studio and take a ballet class, so keep your fingers crossed for me.  I have a barre at home, but since I have lost all of my muscle, working on footwork at the barre is all I can manage, but IT IS SOMETHING!!!  I only truly had big gaps in time in my dancing once I developed CRPS, as pain is not a good motivator...lol.  I love Hip Hop and Latin ballroom dancing the best, but take ballet classes preferably, when I am able, because it gives you beautiful muscles (firms that bum right up...LOL)! Sorry I do not have more specific memories! I do remember asking for an escort leaving his club one night because it was like 4am in Minneapolis, and remember this HUGE man walking me to my car.  I felt a little dumb because we saw NO ONE the whole time outside and in the parking garage...lol! The guy was nice enough to tell me that he heard someone comment that "I could MOVE" and he told me he agreed with that.  I thanked him! Everyone I encountered was very respectful and so nice!

[[Bl...]]

Was he joking with Prince in mind? If so his joke was in poor taste. I highly doubt Prince had an addiction problem with opiods…sounds like he was most likely suffering from extreme chronic pain that was disabling and consequently warranted he take prescription pain meds.

 

But this is how addiction to pain meds happens.  Everyone who takes them for their particular pain insists they are not an addict.  Their brain doesn't know the difference, and I'm speaking from experience.  One NY Times article about Prince explained how his addiction to pain meds was actually a very common story.

 

 

Yes…. I just LOVE how the media takes advantage of each golden opportunity to pounce on a sensational subject….especially when opioids are involed.

 

This type of news article serves only as media fodder, that perpetuates the belief that people who use opioids as prescribed for pain (long term) are, without a doubt, addicts!

 

I really like it when other drugs are eventually implicated in their untimely death, in particular benzos or Z-drugs. When these drugs are involved, it’s a guarantee that the person was REALLY suffering.

 

I mean no disrespect for someone who struggles with an addiction. And I do not want to minimize the pain of those who have lost loved ones from a prescribed medication.

[[Ri...]]

Was he joking with Prince in mind? If so his joke was in poor taste. I highly doubt Prince had an addiction problem with opiods…sounds like he was most likely suffering from extreme chronic pain that was disabling and consequently warranted he take prescription pain meds.

 

But this is how addiction to pain meds happens.  Everyone who takes them for their particular pain insists they are not an addict.  Their brain doesn't know the difference, and I'm speaking from experience.  One NY Times article about Prince explained how his addiction to pain meds was actually a very common story.

 

 

Yes…. I just LOVE how the media takes advantage of each golden opportunity to pounce on a sensational subject….especially when opioids are involed.

 

This type of news article serves only as media fodder, that perpetuates the belief that people who use opioids as prescribed for pain (long term) are, without a doubt, addicts!

 

I really like it when other drugs are eventually implicated in their untimely death, in particular benzos or Z-drugs. When these drugs are involved, it’s a guarantee that the person was REALLY suffering.

 

I mean no disrespect for someone who struggles with an addiction. And I do not want to minimize the pain of those who have lost loved ones from a prescribed medication.

 

 

BlueRose...

VERY WELL SAID!!!

[[Ga...]]

Was he joking with Prince in mind? If so his joke was in poor taste. I highly doubt Prince had an addiction problem with opiods…sounds like he was most likely suffering from extreme chronic pain that was disabling and consequently warranted he take prescription pain meds.

 

But this is how addiction to pain meds happens.  Everyone who takes them for their particular pain insists they are not an addict.  Their brain doesn't know the difference, and I'm speaking from experience.  One NY Times article about Prince explained how his addiction to pain meds was actually a very common story.

 

 

Yes…. I just LOVE how the media takes advantage of each golden opportunity to pounce on a sensational subject….especially when opioids are involed.

 

This type of news article serves only as media fodder, that perpetuates the belief that people who use opioids as prescribed for pain (long term) are, without a doubt, addicts!

 

I really like it when other drugs are eventually implicated in their untimely death, in particular benzos or Z-drugs. When these drugs are involved, it’s a guarantee that the person was REALLY suffering.

 

I mean no disrespect for someone who struggles with an addiction. And I do not want to minimize the pain of those who have lost loved ones from a prescribed medication.

 

 

BlueRose...

VERY WELL SAID!!!

 

If prince needed a hip replacement op he had to be in horrible pain

 

Id like to hear more nice stories about him.

 

He was a fabulous entertainer

[[Bl...]]

 

Thank you, Rickeyrescue320. I don’t know much about Prince. However, the first time I heard him play just his electric guitar during an awards show…maybe 2002 or around that year, I was ABSOLUTELY FLOORED. He was an amazingly talented musician.

 

Gardenia…I totally agree, Prince was, no doubt, suffering from serious chronic pain….and with that issue in mind, he probably struggled with insomnia. It is very hard to imagine what he was dealing with--mentally, physically, emotionally, during the days leading up to his death.

[[Be...]]

Thanks, Rickey.  I think Prince was the best talent on our modern music scene.  I truly believe that.  Which other solo musicians does anyone know of who could play 12 instruments, dance, sing, write their own very original music and be so original on stage?  I don't know of anyone who even comes close.  I did hear that Prince had stage fright and was shy, but he pushed through it to entertain all of us.  He was amazing.  It doesn't surprise me to hear that his PP estate was beautifully decorated and the ppl. there were so nice and respectfu, etc.  It reflects Prince's artistic and true personality, IMO. 

[[Er...]]

I got together with two friends to share Prince stories one night in late April.  It was sublime.  My Prince story was lame but my one friend said that he and his buds would dress up and try and play and sing like him, they started listening around 1980. 

 

And then my other friend trumped us all.  She lived in Vegas for a long time and dated a Prince impersonator, pretty much the same height and weight but not the voice for sure.  And then she got tickets from a radio station in LA and to her surprise they were front row.  She swears she plucked his hair from the stage and still has it.

 

The man was an enigma and a wonderfully talented one.  He was such a deep thinker, just check his interviews with Tavis Smiley. 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbz0tJnvVEY

[[Bl...]]

 

 

Maybe…hopefully…some day this piano piece I’ll learn and Prince can be my teacher. Classical piano music was one of the few things that soothed my weary soul during acute withdrawal from ativan. I was so sensitive to sound that I had to have the classical music station turned down to where it could barely be heard. That’s how I came to appreciate the piano as never before.

 

I would have enjoyed listening to 'Summertime' by Prince during acute w/d....and it would have been turned down to a whisper! I would love to play like that...in this brief clip where he is at a practice session it looks so easy and fun.

 

August 2, 1990 sound check Osaka Japan, Prince playing 'Summertime'

[[be...]]

Yes, I am self-publishing, which means I don't know what I'm doing!  In the past I've always had publishing houses giving me that huge initial stamp of approval and lots of editors standing between me and the book actually seeing print, so I  seriously don't know what to think.

 

I sent it off to Kirkus for an independent review.  Didn't know you could do that, but apparently there are so many people self-publishing that there's a market for people willing to take a shot that somebody will say their book is good.  The review is due June 6th, so that has given me something of a timeline.

 

I'm in the middle of watching the show you mentioned right now.  I'm surprised that it isn't making me too mad!  They seem to be emphasizing how doctors overprescribe and talking about the "dirty little secret of hyperalgesia."  One doc flat out said that opioids and benzos should not be given for more than two weeks without a really good reason.

 

I'm wearing of trying to explain all this to people and arguing about it with people who don't necessarily want off their meds.  I just want to get my story out there to do what good it can do and move on.

 

FJ:

 

You'll do fine with self publishing. I know of friends who were scared to do it and they sold books, mainly on Amazon. If you can make a deal with them, I'm sure it will sell. Even my sister in law's PhD thesis called How to be a 3rd Grade teacher (heh heh) is selling there. There was only one guy in that opiod show that said anything about benzos, but he didn't say much. I think I am going to send an email to CNN and tell them to do a show about it, as that POed me. Lots of people die mixing the two, so why didn't they bring that up? When will the world ever learn? One step at a time, like you. I'll buy it but don't know the title or your name.