Painopolis

After recovering from eight gunshot wounds, Jeff Droke confronts two major dilemmas: chronic pain and a faulty justice system.

Previously on Painopolis, gunshot survivor Jeff Droke described the day in 2003 when a gunman ambushed him at home. Droke was shot eight times in the head, neck and chest. Despite life-threatening injuries, the 44-year-old accountant and professional wrestler tussled with his attacker. Droke ended up throttling the guy so badly that the gunman was forced to flee.

“Just three weeks after the shooting, he was back at the gym working out. But his severe pain didn’t go away; it only went dormant.”

But Droke wasn’t out of danger. While waiting for an ambulance, he nearly bled to death on his neighbor’s lawn. He also had an unforgettable near-death experience. And at the hospital, doctors were amazed that the bullets hadn’t killed him outright.

In the weeks that followed, doctors would be surprised again by Droke’s speedy recovery. Just three weeks after the shooting, he was back at the gym working out. But as he would eventually discover, his gunshot-related pain didn’t go away; it only went dormant. Meanwhile, the police arrested two men and charged them with attempted first-degree murder for the attack on Droke.

Today, Droke talks about:

•  The strange and unexpected way that severe pain came roaring back 11 years after the shooting

•  How he ultimately brought that pain under control

•  What other gunshot-related medical complications cropped up

•  What happened to the culprits involved in the attack

•  How the local justice system bungled any chance he had of getting the justice he’d hoped for

•  Why a gunshot-survivors support group is probably the safest place in town—unless you’re a bad guy

Interviewee:

Jeff Droke is an accountant, gunshot survivor, and gunshot-survivor advocate.

Resources:

•  Droke created shotmemphis.org to serve as an internet resource for Memphis-area survivors of gun violence.

•  Droke’s website was inspired by shotproject.org, another website that addresses the tragedy of gun violence (caution: it contains graphic images of gunshot injuries).

Straight from the lab:

Medical experts have published more than 10,000 articles on the treatment of gunshot wounds. In a sign of just how common gun violence has become, name any body part that’s ever been hit by a bullet, and you’re likely to find published papers exploring the best treatment options for it.

Explore the show notes for this episode at: https://painopolis.com/gunshot-survivor-chronic-pain-part-2/

Music:

Our theme music is “Gentle Storm,” composed and performed by Betsy Tinney (betsytinney.com).

Bonus:

Can’t sleep because of chronic pain? (And wondering if weed might help?) Get our new book, Cannabis Lullaby: A Painsomniac’s Quest for a Good Night’s Sleep. Available in print, ebook, and audiobook, it’s brimming with real-world, evidence-based answers. The author is Painopolis co-host David Sharp, an award-winning health journalist who nipped his pain-fueled insomnia in the bud. Buy a copy today at: painopolis.com/cannabis-lullaby/

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