I have fairly severe RA, pain everyday for decades. My rheumatologist used to easily grant me 15 5mg of hydrocodone each year for my vacation. I’ve also had three surgeries to my feet and hands and was given 30 x 5mg for each surgery. That’s it. That’s the grand total of my opioid use in my life - my middle finger on my right hand locked at the middle knuckle last Wednesday. My rheum referred me to a hand doc (I moved 4 years ago, so needed a new one, next Mon am appt). I am in pretty miserable pain. I can’t really rest or get comfortable. I asked my rheum, my pcp and the new hand doc for 5 miserable 5mg of hydrocodone. All 3 gave me a firm NO. Every one of them deferred to another one of them. I do understand that millions of people’s lives have been destroyed and way too many lost. I really do. I also know my own suffering and struggle to understand where the mercy ( in a perfectly reasonable amount) has gone.