Dr my wife was diagnosed with stage 4 breast Cancer on 12/30/2010 and from there we went for a Radical right sided Mastectomy with lymph node retrieval and then it was chemo and the radiation along with hysterectomy opphroectomy and taking of the bladder, my concern is My Dr put me on Dilaudid 4 mg every 3 hrs and Oxycodone every 4 hrs for the past three years, I dont even know if they help that pain anymore what I do know is that when Im not taking them I get very sick, sweats, cramps. basically I can not function, I want my life back. I have an amazing surgeon who said to me the other day thet you may just be a person wowil always have to be on pain pills to function, I was a gasped he explained furher he said Barbara you survived a very serious case of cancer and its not that you can get high off these meds they are what makes you feel human and makes you function at a normal level, its not your fault and its nothing to be ashamed of the only problem here is I am not ok with being on something for the rest