The Pain Wouldn’t Stop — Because Her Medication Had Been Stolen
The New York Times
Too often, seniors who use opioids become targets for exploitation and abuse.
LaVonne Borsheim’s family could not understand why she was suffering such intense pain.
Ms. Borsheim, 86, had long contended with rheumatoid arthritis and other health problems, including hip and knee replacements and heart failure. Her husband, Roger, cared for her in their small house in suburban Minneapolis, meticulously administering the prescribed daily OxyContin and oxycodone that allowed her to remain active, to ride a tandem bicycle with him and to stay involved with their Lutheran church.
But in 2018 Ms. Borsheim underwent ankle surgery and a subsequent operation to treat a resulting infection. Released from the hospital with regular home health visits, she began an alarming decline.
