Chester County Medicine Winter 2021 - 13

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The Overdose Epidemic
During the COVID-19 Pandemic
BY DAWN TROUT

he opioid epidemic has been going on for years; in many ways it keeps getting pushed aside. There is
a huge stigma in this arena and many people want to ignore it. Sadly, the issue is making the epidemic
grow and overdose deaths continue to climb. Trying to get a person with a life-threatening substance
use disorder the help they need is met with many roadblocks.
Most insurance companies and rehab centers only allot a 30-day stay for the patient which isn't anywhere
near the time they need to start thinking more clearly. Actually, obtaining a bed in a facility is like a Russian
roulette where many have to wait weeks or months and by this time, they may not want the help or worse.
Recovery houses are sometimes run without any specific regulations, which results in many ways for the newly
recovering addict to relapse.
There is so very much to be done and changed within the addiction/recovery process, and no one, easy fix.
As the mother of a son who I lost to fentanyl poisoning, I wish there was!
In 2019, we lost 77K people due to the opiate epidemic, 192 a day. With the COVID-19 pandemic, the
numbers have sky-rocketed and I have no doubt will jump to 6 figures. The more we raise awareness and speak
for our loved ones, the closer we get to the day that these changes will occur.

She is a Grieving Mother
BY DAWN TROUT

She walks around, pretending to smile and quickly picks up on
the people she is around and who it is safe to say her " angel's "
name. She is a grieving mother.
She goes to the grocery store and finds it difficult to go
through certain areas/aisles as they hold vivid memories of her
child's favorite foods. She is a grieving mother.
She tries her best to be present and engage in conversation,
though her mind drifts to times that come to mind when
she was discussing this topic with her child. She is a grieving
mother.
She watches intently when young people walk down the
street, seeing if she is able to pick up on similarities such as
clothing, facial expression, the way they walk, to her " angel. "
She is a grieving mother.
She hears a loud noise and jumps, she hears a police car or
ambulance and it triggers memories. She listens to hear if the
noise stops nearby. She is a grieving mother.

She hears it will get easier, it's her new normal, stay strong and
more and each day she wakes up realizing it's another day she
won't be able to hug her child or hear their voice. It doesn't get
easier, she learns to try and adjust and pretend differently than
she has. She is a grieving mother.
She goes to bed every night and talks to her child, hides her
tears muffled by a pillow or in the shower. She just wants them
to answer, sometimes they do show a sign just not exactly what
she craves in her soul. She is a grieving mother.
She longs to celebrate their special days with them once again,
thinks about all the things they are missing. She curses the
whole system and wonders " why, her angel? " She is a grieving
mother.
She will continue no matter what, to keep her angel's memory
alive even if no one else dares mention their name. She is a
grieving mother and she just wants acknowledgement her
child mattered.

WINTER 2021 | CHESTER COUNT Y Medicine 13

Chester County Medicine Winter 2021

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