Rieder was in a motorcycle accident and hurt his foot badly enough to require 6 surgeries. This book talks about his struggles with the health care system and specifically the lack of assistance from any of his doctors when it was time to STOP taking opioids that were prescribed for his pain. He was not an addict...he didn't want to take the medications any more but his body was dependent on them. He went through a hellish month of withdrawal wherein he considered suicide and basically sat at home and cried. He describes it as the worst flu he had ever had times 100. In the end, there were other issues with his care but this one was the biggest. When he called doctors to get help, they told him, 'Just start taking the medicine again if it is so bad." Thus pushing the ball down the field and having to repeat the withdrawal process at a later date. Rieder did not find that advice very helpful. The kicker here is Rieder works for John Hopkins. He is not a medical doctor but a Phd. who studies and writes about medical ethics. If this guy can't get good care, what chance do the rest of us have?
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