Published on: June 3, 2011

Short Film 3 of 50 in the LIFE Before Death documentary series about the global crisis in untreated pain and the dramatic life changing affect palliative care services can deliver to patients and their families around the world.

Pain, Pain Go Away is the story of breast cancer patient Paula whose intense 10 out of 10 neuropathic pain landed her in an intensive care unit, curled up in a ball, crying. It was not until Paula was treated with a combination of opiate medications through the care and persistence of her doctor, Dr Jay Thomas of City of Hope cancer hospital in Los Angeles California, that she was able to get any quality of life back.

Today, Paula’s pain is well controlled and she says that she is relieved to have her life back again. She reports that she is happy now. “I love my opiates! I couldn’t live without my opiates.”

Paula regrets the global crisis in untreated pain that sees 4 of every 5 people lacking access to adequate pain management around the world. Through the insight of pain expert Dr Kathleen Foley of Memorial Sloan-Kettering cancer hospital in New York we discover that pain can actually kill you.

Opiate medications, which are medicines derived from opium, are considered by the World Health Organization to be the gold standard in the treatment of moderate to severe pain.

Featuring Dr Kathleen Foley (USA), Dr Jay Thomas (USA), Paula (USA).

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If you’ve missed previous episodes, catch up on the LIFE Before Death website…