Commentary: Opioids saved my life. Quitting them took five excruciating years
by Madora Pennington, Los Angeles Times
Oct 29, 2019
4 minutes
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The sweet, clean high of Vicodin, I will never forget. That exalted sense of optimism and quiet elation, the release from the troubles of life. Peace.
For years I needed it. I was born with the mother of all pain diseases, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, a genetic disorder that causes nervous system dysfunction, extreme pain, debilitating fatigue and overly flexible joints - yes, contortionism.
My case of Ehlers-Danlos is particularly severe. At age 13, my feet, knees and back exploded in pain. I could hardly drag my tired body around school. By the time I was 20, I regularly begged for
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