DUEL with the DEVIL
Viewing comments for Chapter 29 "DUEL with the DEVIL - Chapter 29"The problem of creating a non-addictive painkiller
19 total reviews
Comment from Rachelle Allen
Ohhh, how this breaks my spirit. But I do understand it, especially today, because a dear friend of mine has a daughter who'd been cancer-free for almost five years. Then, two weeks ago, she was suddenly in immense pain, couldn't breathe, and was taken via ambulance to Emergency. Turns out, the ovarian cancer had metastacized and there were now tumors on her stomach, lungs and liver. After the 6-hour biopsy last Friday, she has been in nothing but pain. She's currently on MORPHINE, and it's not touching it for more than an hour or two.
So I, for sure, get the gist of how pain can make you do things that seem so well-thought-out but, in reality, are so dumb. So my heart is breaking for Brian and all he has accomplished.
I think your new title is perfect.
Great chapter. Horrible and sad, but very well done.
xoxox
reply by the author on 26-Aug-2024
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Ohhh, how this breaks my spirit. But I do understand it, especially today, because a dear friend of mine has a daughter who'd been cancer-free for almost five years. Then, two weeks ago, she was suddenly in immense pain, couldn't breathe, and was taken via ambulance to Emergency. Turns out, the ovarian cancer had metastacized and there were now tumors on her stomach, lungs and liver. After the 6-hour biopsy last Friday, she has been in nothing but pain. She's currently on MORPHINE, and it's not touching it for more than an hour or two.
So I, for sure, get the gist of how pain can make you do things that seem so well-thought-out but, in reality, are so dumb. So my heart is breaking for Brian and all he has accomplished.
I think your new title is perfect.
Great chapter. Horrible and sad, but very well done.
xoxox
Comment Written 26-Aug-2024
reply by the author on 26-Aug-2024
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Thanks so much, Rachelle. He's definitely in a bad place right now, and it seems any decision he makes is fraught with problems. You've got to sympathize with him for wanting to get out of pain, yet he gets confused eventually because of the feelings of pleasure that become part of the equation, and then he's perhaps less admirable when this creeps in.
Comment from Pearl Edwards
And so it start again for Brian, All the promises made don't help his deal with the constant pain, and so he thinks - I've got this, I will control it - Well written Jim, and now his fun begins again.
cheers,
valda
reply by the author on 24-Aug-2024
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And so it start again for Brian, All the promises made don't help his deal with the constant pain, and so he thinks - I've got this, I will control it - Well written Jim, and now his fun begins again.
cheers,
valda
Comment Written 24-Aug-2024
reply by the author on 24-Aug-2024
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Yes, and we know from the Prologue that it will happen at least one more time too. Let's hope he can get through what's coming now without too much damage.
Comment from Neonewman
Dammit Brian!!! This is how it always starts. You talk yourself into it,saying It'll just be for a little while, knowing you're lying to yourself. I hope he comes to his sense soon before he screws himself royally. Great chapter addition with a new title for the book.
God bless,
Steve
reply by the author on 22-Aug-2024
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Dammit Brian!!! This is how it always starts. You talk yourself into it,saying It'll just be for a little while, knowing you're lying to yourself. I hope he comes to his sense soon before he screws himself royally. Great chapter addition with a new title for the book.
God bless,
Steve
Comment Written 22-Aug-2024
reply by the author on 22-Aug-2024
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Yeah, it never quite works out the way you hope it will. Too many things he didn't consider as we'll see in the next chapter.
It's going to take more than himself to get through this episode.
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Yes, I just hope it works out, he has too many great relationships to toss it down the drain. But I understood pain.
Comment from Pam Lonsdale
I think your new title is more appropriate for this book. When you think about it, "enough" may be a word that signals the ending. And addiction is a duel with the devil.
You're right about the steroid injections; they're a crap-shoot.
"Easy-peasy" Just like it was last time, right?
I don't think I'd be able to sleep on the same floor as Scorch, given his history with burning beds and all:-)
I think Byron's (he, he!) only hope is going to be Daniel, who I'm betting will notice what's going on and intervene.
Look forward to the next chapter, Jim.
xo
Pam
reply by the author on 22-Aug-2024
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I think your new title is more appropriate for this book. When you think about it, "enough" may be a word that signals the ending. And addiction is a duel with the devil.
You're right about the steroid injections; they're a crap-shoot.
"Easy-peasy" Just like it was last time, right?
I don't think I'd be able to sleep on the same floor as Scorch, given his history with burning beds and all:-)
I think Byron's (he, he!) only hope is going to be Daniel, who I'm betting will notice what's going on and intervene.
Look forward to the next chapter, Jim.
xo
Pam
Comment Written 22-Aug-2024
reply by the author on 22-Aug-2024
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Thanks, Pam. I'm glad you like the new title. I will be making a few more references to the song "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" and that's what gave me the idea to change the title. You'll see even more why the new title fits better by the end.
I've finished writing the book now, and it came in at 77,000 words. I've posted 47,000 so far which is 61%. Still a long way to go, including the invention of the new drug, which was the part that really interested me in writing this. I had to do quite a lot of research for that part and the AI bot Poe Assistant was invaluable in this. Saved me hours of time because it answered my exact questions.
I'm hoping I won't lose half my readers when we get into the science. I've tried to make it simple enough to understand and interesting, as well as interspersed it with some fun parts and some very dramatic parts, so it won't be just straight science. We'll see how it goes. Any feedback you can give me about it (what seems confusing, unnecessary, boring, what I should cut or trim down, etc.) when we get there will be very much appreciated.
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Hopefully, feedback on that will help you to figure out if you've written the science part of this just right. It is about a chemist, right? So we should have known what was coming. His addiction, and relationship with Jules, is what makes us come back for more. We're rooting for him:-)
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Yes, he will become a chemist. His addiction and his relationship with Jules will also figure very heavily in the story as well. I just hope I strike the right balance among all of it.
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You'll do great:-)
Comment from Carol Hillebrenner
Pain does make a person do stupid things even when they know it is stupid. I sure hope he can get the implant. I'm also no sure his grades will improve with oxy because as it eases the pain it makes a person unable to concentrate at a higher level.
reply by the author on 22-Aug-2024
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Pain does make a person do stupid things even when they know it is stupid. I sure hope he can get the implant. I'm also no sure his grades will improve with oxy because as it eases the pain it makes a person unable to concentrate at a higher level.
Comment Written 21-Aug-2024
reply by the author on 22-Aug-2024
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That's a good point. He may be inadvertently confounding his own good intentions to improve his grades. There are a few other things he didn't consider as well which will soon be made clear.
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You know, I have a sneaking suspicion there is a famous Western book/movie with Duel with the Devil for a title.
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After I came up with it, I looked on Amazon to see if there were any books by that name. There is one, which had it as the main title. The full title is: Duel with the Devil: The True Story of How Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr Teamed Up to Take on America's First Sensational Murder Mystery.
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I can imagine how I heard of that with that subject unless it was published in the last 4 or 5 years.
Comment from lancellot
Hmm, it seems pain can lead a man down many paths, including, as often is the case, a road to drug use.
You do a great job of showing how Brian gets dragged to that point, and his deliberations before diving back in.
reply by the author on 22-Aug-2024
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Hmm, it seems pain can lead a man down many paths, including, as often is the case, a road to drug use.
You do a great job of showing how Brian gets dragged to that point, and his deliberations before diving back in.
Comment Written 21-Aug-2024
reply by the author on 22-Aug-2024
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Thanks very much, Lance. Severe pain is a tough thing, and I'm not sure if I would have acted any differently in his place.
Comment from Dolly'sPoems
Your new title is appropriate as combatting any kind of addiction is a challenge and can be a constant battle that not everybody wins. It is a pity after staying off the drugs that Brian is back on them to quell his pain. Another fine chapter in this story of yo yo addiction, love Dolly x x
reply by the author on 21-Aug-2024
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Your new title is appropriate as combatting any kind of addiction is a challenge and can be a constant battle that not everybody wins. It is a pity after staying off the drugs that Brian is back on them to quell his pain. Another fine chapter in this story of yo yo addiction, love Dolly x x
Comment Written 21-Aug-2024
reply by the author on 21-Aug-2024
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Thanks, Dolly.
Some people criticize his weakness for succumbing again, but I'm not sure we should judge him so harshly unless we've walked in his shoes and been able to resist such temptation. It isn't like his goal is just to get high. He's just trying to get out of pain. Putting pleasure in the mix is what really messes things up as we will see in great detail before the end.
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It is difficult to cope with pain and if it goes away with a pill then we would all be tempted, love Dolly x x x
Comment from T B Botts
Hi Jim,
well, crap! I was really hoping the kid would have learned his lesson, but obviously not. It's kind of like our political system right now. We've been dealing with crap for a few years, but lets go do it some more, it's bound to get better. I'm pretty disappointed in him. I'm suffering some back pain myself right now, and I actually have some drugs from when I had my knee surgery, but I've no desire to tap into them. I'm hoping his sister will somehow get word and intervene. Good chapter buddy.
Have a blessed day. Tom
reply by the author on 21-Aug-2024
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Hi Jim,
well, crap! I was really hoping the kid would have learned his lesson, but obviously not. It's kind of like our political system right now. We've been dealing with crap for a few years, but lets go do it some more, it's bound to get better. I'm pretty disappointed in him. I'm suffering some back pain myself right now, and I actually have some drugs from when I had my knee surgery, but I've no desire to tap into them. I'm hoping his sister will somehow get word and intervene. Good chapter buddy.
Have a blessed day. Tom
Comment Written 21-Aug-2024
reply by the author on 21-Aug-2024
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My opinion is that it's pretty hard to know how to judge him unless you've walked a mile in his shoes. Most of us have never experienced the kind of high-level, unremitting pain he has. It's easy to feel disappointed in him, but honestly, I'm not sure if I would have done differently if I were him.
I might be tempted to try using a controlled amount for a couple of months until I could have that surgery based on the fact that he has done it before and successfully tapered off it.
But he is forgetting Raffi's statements about mixing pleasure into the pain-killing equation and the confusion that brings to the issue. He is forgetting a few other things too and there are also things he's unaware of that makes the situation more hazardous than he realizes. If he successfully makes it through this episode, maybe he will learn those lessons which might help him in the future.
BTW, if your knee medicine didn't make you feel high, I wouldn't hesitate to use it now with your back problem if it will make you feel more comfortable while it heals. Chances are very small you would develop an addiction to them if you don't feel that high. I took Vicodin for 4 or 5 months, up to 5 pills a day following my back surgery in 2007, and never felt high, and had no trouble tapering off it. But they sure helped with the pain.
Everyone is different though, and just because it was like that for me doesn't mean it would be like that for you. If you do decide to use them, make sure you take some Metamucil and/or Miralax twice a day to avoid constipation. It can get bad if you don't.
Comment from BethShelby
I can understand if the pain was severee enough and constant, I easy it would be to become addicted. The constant pain that get to you. Even it the pain left was ten if you get some relief from being in a differend position it wouldn't be so tempting. I hope he doesn't have to go through rehap to get off of them again.
reply by the author on 21-Aug-2024
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I can understand if the pain was severee enough and constant, I easy it would be to become addicted. The constant pain that get to you. Even it the pain left was ten if you get some relief from being in a differend position it wouldn't be so tempting. I hope he doesn't have to go through rehap to get off of them again.
Comment Written 21-Aug-2024
reply by the author on 21-Aug-2024
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I'm glad you understand that, Beth. I can't fault Brian too much either. I think most people experiencing the type of pain he has might also succumb to something he still feels he can control (measured doses of Oxy). Not sure how differently I might respond in such a situation.
Comment from Karen Cherry Threadgill
Pain can make you do all kinds of dumb stuff. But, like I tell everyone. It does not stop the pain,, cure it, or fix it. It dumbs and numbs you down so you don't care. Good writing fella. I like the new title. Karen
reply by the author on 21-Aug-2024
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Pain can make you do all kinds of dumb stuff. But, like I tell everyone. It does not stop the pain,, cure it, or fix it. It dumbs and numbs you down so you don't care. Good writing fella. I like the new title. Karen
Comment Written 21-Aug-2024
reply by the author on 21-Aug-2024
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You're absolutely right about the pain--that the meds don't cure it. But would you really care if it could not only take it away but leave you feeling normal rather than dumbed down or loopy? That will be Brian's goal with his new drug.
The song "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" will recur several more times, and that's what gave me inspiration to change the title.