For Grace leadership has submitted a comment ahead of the April 11th deadline for the CDC's Revised Opioid Guideline. While applauding the updated version as a much needed improvement to the 2016 original, For Grace keyed on three items that we feel need additional attention: returning to the slippery slope of allowing doctors and patients full reign in using opioids, the need to mandate coverage for non-drug, non-invasive therapies and the danger of forcing "legacy" opioids patients to taper down from well-established, stable dosing. We encourage all who have a vested interest in the plight of pain patients moving forward to leave a comment soon.

Women In Pain, let your voices be heard! The US Center for Disease Control has issued a draft that revises their 2016 Opioid Guideline which many criticized as an over-correction to mitigate the Opioid Crisis. Due to pushback from pain patients and healthcare professionals, the CDC has taken steps to improve the guideline which emphasizes individualized care and the importance of treating pain. Before a final version is released, a public comment period is now open to gain vital feedback from the community. For Grace encourages women in pain to voice their feelings on this important treatment guideline by the April 11 deadline. Here are two resources (here and here) that provide an excellent overview - along with instructions on how and where to comment.

For Grace leaders are excited to be in formal meetings with a California Senator's office to jump start pain care legislation first proposed at our 2019 Capitol briefing. That event was a great success as it brought much awareness to legislators, staffers and agency heads about the plight of people with chronic pain and the challenges they face to maintain quality of life and procure effective care. A great start to a (hopeful) 2023 bill! Please check back soon for details...

Check out For Grace's March 2022 Story of the Month where we're spotlighting an exceptional story of perseverance and courage! As a young woman, Lezli Kuntze developed breast cancer as a side effect to in vitro fertilization. After treatment and years of remission, she believes a prolonged, painful gall bladder attack triggered a different form of breast cancer. Lezli decided to make her new fight fun and positive, and using her bald head as a pallet (Healing Head Art), she encourages friends and family to paint expressions of "colour and love!"