New Survey Reveals Only 30% of People Know that Alcohol is Key Risk Factor for Oral CancerNew Survey Reveals Only 30% of People Know that Alcohol is Key Risk Factor for Oral Cancer

Earlier this week, Vigilant Biosciences, in collaboration with Head and Neck cancer and Support for People with Oral and Head and Neck Cancer (SPOHNC), released the results from its national consumer survey on oral cancer.

The survey revealed that only 30 percent of people know that alcohol is a key risk factor for oral cancer. It also found that more than 96 percent of people recognize tobacco as a leading risk factor for the disease.

These statistics are shocking and frightening.

What’s more, many people also underestimated the death rate for oral cancer. Only 17 percent of those surveyed were aware that 40 percent of people diagnosed with oral cancer die within five years. Many of those believed the five-year survival rate to be higher.

With the release of these findings, we must do more to educate society on the risks of alcohol consumption and tobacco use. That’s why Busy Living Sober is not only dedicated to educating youth, teens, adults and families on the topics of addiction and recovery, but clean and healthy living as well.

#SoberNotAshamed

Fighting Today’s Battle, Not Tomorrow’s

Finding a way to deal with your addiction is extremely hard. As someone who battles with addiction every day, I found a solution that works for me: living in the moment and being positive. When I first started on my journey, I would think to myself, “Okay, I can go today without one drink.” But, I’d also think, “I can drink tomorrow.” To get that thought out of my head, I just had to keep telling myself that I just had to get through the present day and I can’t worry about tomorrow.

There is a saying that I love in the 12-step program that I attend which states, “Any man can fight the battles of just one day.” That is a true statement. 

I can do anything for 12-14 hours continuously, especially if I have people that I can trust and can open up to on a daily basis. I have those people in my life today, but it wasn’t easy to find them. I had to develop friendships and, most importantly, build trust. Trust is hard to build, but we all have to go out on a limb once in a while and use our ability to forgive and move forward.

Along with developing true friendships and building trust, finding a solution that works for you is key. Whether you are attending AA meetings or receiving one-on-one counseling, find a solution that you feel comfortable with. And, remember, you can only deal with the present; you can’t worry about what may or may not happen tomorrow.

#SoberNotAshamed 

OBAMA ADMINISTRATION ANNOUNCES:

NATIONAL OPIOID ABUSE EPIDEMIC

On March 29th, 2016, President Obama announced additional private and public sector actions to fight the national opioid epidemic. The President, who spoke at the National Rx Drug Abuse and Heroin Summit in Atlanta, Georgia, announced the following health care related administrative actions being taken to combat the opioid epidemic that kills thousands of Americans each year:

Expanding Access to Treatment

• The Department of Health and Human Services ("HHS") will be issuing a proposed rule to increase the number of patients that physicians prescribing buprenorphine to treat opioid disorders may treat. The proposal will increase the patient threshold from 100 to 200 patients.

• HHS recently released $94 million in funding to over 250 Community Health Centers to increase treatment programs for substance abuse disorders.

• The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) will be releasing $11 million in funding for eleven (11) states to increase medication-assisted treatment services.

Substance Abuse Disorder Parity

• Among other coverage related initiatives, HHS will finalize a rule to strengthen access to substance abuse services for individuals enrolled in Medicaid. HHS will require these services to be offered at parity, making them comparable to medical and surgical benefits.

Naloxone Initiatives

• SAMHSA will release $11 million in funding for states to purchase naloxone and train first response on its use.

Syringe Programs

• HHS will be issuing guidance for HHS-funded programs on the use of federal funds to implement syringe programs for IV drug users as a way to combat HIV and hepatitis.

Medical School Education

• Beginning in Fall 2016, more than sixty (60) medical schools across the county will begin requiring medical students to take a prescriber education course on prescribing opioids. This education will now be a required component of graduation.

This article will be updated.

For Questions please contact Delphine O'Rourke (dorourke@hallrender.com) or Maryn Johnson (mjohnson@hallrender.com) Hall Render Killian Heath & Lyman, Philadelphia Office.

Refocusing and Reflecting

In recent months, I have had to really focus on what it is that I do for a living. It took a bit of time for me sit down and actually put into words what I do exactly and here is what I came up with:

Elizabeth Chance is an advocate and coach for individuals suffering from the disease of addiction.

My true belief is that there is no wrong or right way to treat an addict, however, you can always treat them with love. Fortunately, or unfortunately, people that have this disease are sometimes not very lovable. Especially when they are in the end stages and about to hit rock bottom. In fact, people in this stage are sometimes impossible to reach. Is it sad? Yes, but it is the person’s journey and no one walking on this planet is God! (At least that I know of, there are a lot of imposters)

You may call me naïve, but I believe that all people are basically good and the each person wants to see their loved ones happy and healthy. When faced with a loved one in trouble, the way to help that person is to love and remove our judgment. This is particularly hard when you are right in the middle of the storm. Having someone there to help you navigate and give you a different vantage point is very helpful in this situation. For me to be able to really give my opinion on my own life, I need to take a step back, look at the facts and not run on only my emotion.

During Easter, take sometime to really reflect on what is going on in your life. Is there anything that you can change? If so, do you want to change? Or, are comfortable with the way things are? Whatever the answer is, always remember that life did not come with a manual and we are all doing our best one-day at a time!

Surgery and Recovery

Surgery and Recovery

Recently, I have been dealing with a number of health issues – both unexpected. I had an emergency root canal yesterday, and on top of that, I am currently recovery from a surgery I had last week. That recovery has been tough to say the least. What was interesting about both of these surgeries was that they both were conducted to remove something in my body that was no longer doing what it was supposed to do.

Coming off of the anesthesia and heading home after the first surgery was emotionally challenging and very painful. It took me four days just to feel stable and to start feeling like myself again. The recovery also took a toll on my relationship with my significant other. Let’s just say that I have been very short with people and have had little to now patience. So, I haven’t been a fun person to be around and my recovery has not been fun!

This recovery has been extra difficult because I was prescribed 20 Percocet by each doctor to help manage the pain while recovering. That meant I was going to have a total of 40 pills in my house, which is a lot! As I have been sober for 10 years, I knew that having one Percocet prescription filled was dangerous. However, I wanted to have it just in case of an emergency. Thankfully, I was also prescribed Ibuprofen, which I thought would probably help me.  

Any narcotic prescription is unpleasant. They make you feel better in terms of pain, but the rest of the symptoms that come with them can as bad as the pain such as making you feel constipated, fuzzy or even a bit loopy! You cannot even drive a car while taking them. So, what does that say about narcotic medications that we are prescribed? 

Needless to say, after 4 days of having the Percocet in the house, I took it to CVS to return it. Although I didn’t want it in my house any longer, CVS couldn’t take it back. So, they suggested that I head over to the police station to have them dispose of the medication. My incision from the procedure was killing me at that point, so I just went home and flushed them down the toilet. After doing so, I told a dear friend who responded by saying, “You know that goes into our water supply and that is why so many people drink water these days.”

I know that flushing the Percocet down the toilet was not the best solution, but I needed to get them out of my house! And, when the oral surgeon handed me another prescription for Percocet yesterday, I handed it right back to her and said that I didn’t want it. She just looked at me and said, “Okay.”

Pills and what they do to our bodies is a little sick! Take the medication Oxycodone for instance. It was made specifically for end stage cancer patients and not for route canals or laparoscopic surgeries.

Earlier this week, Paul Ryan challenged doctors to no longer write these scripts. I am hoping that this challenge is met and we can start seeing a change. Our nation has had enough with our kids and adults becoming hooked on this stuff.

Personally, I say no more painkillers. People should try Advil or even good old Tylenol. These medications work too and they don’t make you battle unnecessary problems while taking them. Don’t forget that just resting and sleeping can all help make an easy recover too!

#sobernotashamed

Nancy Reagan’s Lasting Legacy: Just Say No

For almost a week, the death of Nancy Reagan has been the number one story in the media. When hearing about her and what she had accomplished during her time as the First Lady of the United States, we are reminded that she coined the well-known phrase “Just Say No.”

In 1980, Nancy told reporters that one of her main goals, if her husband became president, was to educate our nation’s youth on drugs and drug abuse. The following year, she announced that, in her role of First Lady, she would make it her mission to bring awareness to the dangers of drug abuse. In the announcement she stated, "Understanding what drugs can do to your children, understanding peer pressure and understanding why they turn to drugs is...the first step in solving the problem."

Later, in 1982, Nancy visited an elementary school in California to talk about her cause and how that helping just one person is all that we need to do to combat this problem. During her visit, a student asked, “What do I say when someone asks if I want to take Drugs?” Nancy replied, “Just say no.”

In that moment, the famous phrase “Just Say No” was coined and immediately became associated with the First Lady’s mission.

By 1985, Nancy was speaking about this topic in the U.S. and abroad. In fact, there was a children’s television program in the United Kingdom that was on air in 1986 that had a storyline about heroin addiction.

Despite all of her efforts, many critics of Nancy Reagan critics felt that her message was too simple. And, although there was a small change in the use of drugs due to her message, it was not significant enough to continue.

Fast forward to present day, and heroin deaths alone have quadrupled since 2002. So, if you think about it, Nancy Reagan was making headway! The phrase – and its campaign – was still having an impact on society, even if it was slow and in small amounts.

Remember, the old saying goes, “Slow and steady wins the race!”

Like Nancy Reagan, the mission of Busy Living Sober is to change the way society views addiction. We too believe that we can help make a difference one person at a time.

 #SoberNotAshamed