Husband's employee has taken/stolen my pain medication

[6demandingchildren]

This is a message expanding what happened today, it's from me to a good friend as it saves me typing it all out again, sorry it's long and probably complicated.
This is the message
I'm so angry right now and I was going to chat tomorrow but in too much pain to sleep.
Obviously we only have 1 week until holiday so we need to try and make some extra money as we won't be able to earn anything while we are away and we need money while away so the pressure is on.
We decided to go into work today to list as much as we can to sell on eBay.
Dh then had to go to the building site as the tree surgeon was going to be their early as he needs to do his bit before we can get the electrics in, so I said I would go to the warehouse on my own.
I have run out of tramadol at home but knew I had 6 at work so decided to wait until I got there as I'm in so much pain and the co-codamol isn't touching the pain.
I get to work and do a few things before settling down to a cuppa and 2 pills.
I go to get my tablets and they are gone, I look round and can't find them so go to the car and as I knew nothing in there so I phone dh who said employee pinched 1 tablet and they are on her desk.
I look everywhere and can't find them so phone employee and she said she has them in her bag.
I have spent the day in agony and I was also angry at dh as I thought he had given them all to her.
Met dh at home and he is also angry with her as he said she could have one then a bit later saw the strip on her desk and questioned why she wanted one when she had a strip she said they were the ones he said she could have and he said no, he explained that he said she could have 1 not all of them and to put them back on my desk as I need them.
But instead of putting them on my desk she put them in her bag and took them home and I doubt she will return them as she will of taken them all.
I'm so angry as she has stolen from me.
Sorry that was so long but I need to vent.

For context she knows I have 3 prolapsed disks and a spinal fracture as well as other medical issues, but she is also a family friend.

I am in so much pain I can't sleep and it's worse as I have not kept up with the pain relief.

Aibu to be so angry or could it be a honest mistake? (But I honestly can't see how)

[scaffoldingtheworld]

You are backtracking OP and covering for your husband who has admitted lying already.

[HerMammy]

The few ppl I know who are on regular Tramadol have a small lock box for it, I cannot believe the OP and her DHs casual attitude to this. Dishing it out and leaving it lying about 🙄

[6demandingchildren]

It would never cross my husbands mind to sell any of my medication, and why sell 6 when he could sell a box of 100?
I the reason I only had 6 left is because I don't think they work very well and I think it needs to be changed to something more suitable.

[longwayoff]

She's got a problem and you can't fix it. I wouldn't continue to employ her and, friend or not, she wouldn't be crossing my doorstep again. If she'll steal your controlled drugs, knowing that you need them, it's a short step from there to stealing whatever's not nailed down. Lose her.

[Newnamefor2021]

You were given a box of 100 tramadol? And the injury is only 10 weeks ago? And you only had 6 left but only take occasionally?

Hope you got an appointment OP.

[6demandingchildren]

**HerMammy

The few ppl I know who are on regular Tramadol have a small lock box for it, I cannot believe the OP and her DHs casual attitude to this. Dishing it out and leaving it lying about 🙄

Omg he didn't dish them out, she stole them. He lied to me as he didn't want me getting upset but I have so it was pointless.
He saw my medication on her desk he asked her whose it was and she said it was mine he told her to put it back as I need it, until I phoned him he assumed she put it back, she didn't she put it in her handbag.

[TheSunShinesBrighter]

@6demandingchildren

It would never cross my husbands mind to sell any of my medication, and why sell 6 when he could sell a box of 100?
I the reason I only had 6 left is because I don't think they work very well and I think it needs to be changed to something more suitable.

If there are only 6/100 left, there are only 6 to sell. At that moment in time.

This is a mess.
Phone your GP and get a new prescription or phone your GP and ask them to assess you for a different drug.

[M0rT]

You are not overreacting and I am regularly on very strong pain medications (not Tramadol as I don't react well).
I keep all my meds on a shelf in the kitchen, I don't have DC and it's a high shelf in case of visiting DC.
If someone with free access to my home and in your case office stole some of my meds that would be the last I saw of them.
I would also seriously consider the police, although I know that's hard when it's someone you trusted enough to have that kind of access to your personal space.
If people can look at you struggling to move and do basic tasks because of the pain and then remove your pain relief they are not friends.

[LemonTT]

@6demandingchildren

It would never cross my husbands mind to sell any of my medication, and why sell 6 when he could sell a box of 100?
I the reason I only had 6 left is because I don't think they work very well and I think it needs to be changed to something more suitable.

You don’t have a box of 100 right now do you?

Why? Well as you have said he is a liar. His lies are about serious matters. He is a man who rather than helping his wife in pain has attempted to cover up for a thief and failed. Not exactly salt of the earth type is he?

[Lorw]

OP, just so you know 111 is very helpful! They always sort my meds out when I’m caught short and it’s never been a problem, max i’ve had to wait is 10 mins on the phone and then they had my prescription ready in a few hours at a local pharmacy. Really good. Just for future reference 😁

[MsHedgehog]

This story really doesn’t make any sense but I’m going to go against the grain here.

Is it at all as simple as she was in pain and needed painkillers, and so she took the ones she knew was there? And your husband let her. But there was a misunderstanding, and she took more than one.

Yes I know tramadol is a controlled drug but not many people do, and everyone calling her a thief when OP’s husband let her have them seems really extreme.

[SeasonFinale]

@Hendalle

A lot of PPs need to RTFT. OP updated that her DH didn’t tell the employee to take one, she stole them and OP saw this in DHs messages.

Actually if you read the full thread you will see that the OP rapidly changed her story from him saying she could have one to her taking them without permission once it was pointed out what he had done was illegal and irresponsible.

[Gilmorehill]

@ZealAndArdour

Tramadol is a controlled drug so this whole scenario is a legal nightmare. Good luck to all of you, the person who left the drugs lying around, the person who told an employee to take one, and the person whole stole the drugs. Nobody is in the clear here.

^ This

[MsHedgehog]

Actually if you read the full thread you will see that the OP rapidly changed her story from him saying she could have one to her taking them without permission once it was pointed out what he had done was illegal and irresponsible

It does sound odd. The text that OP’s husband wrote as well is clearly drafted in a way to cover his back, whether he’s lying to OP or OP made up the text to us. Seems really OTT to say “I’m done with you” rather than looking into what actually happened first.

Don’t think this is as simple as the employee being a thief.

[chocolateorangeinhaler]

@ZealAndArdour

Tramadol is a controlled drug so this whole scenario is a legal nightmare. Good luck to all of you, the person who left the drugs lying around, the person who told an employee to take one, and the person whole stole the drugs. Nobody is in the clear here.

This 💯 ⬆️

[ClumpingBambooIsALie]

Controlled drug is neither here nor there for a member of the public. What's important is that it's Class C under the Misuse of Drugs Act, which theoretically carries a maximum penalty for supply of 14 years or an unlimited fine (though the sentencing guidelines don't allow that level of sentence for this kind of situation). You put in writing to a friend that your husband "said she could have 1", then repeated that on a public forum. That counts as supply. You need to be way more careful about what you write.

[ClumpingBambooIsALie]

(the phrasing "controlled drug" is technically correct but is more usually used when talking about the regulations people like pharmacists have to follow when dealing with them professionally; the theoretical potential penalties would be based around what class it is)

[ilovesooty]

@ClumpingBambooIsALie

Controlled drug is neither here nor there for a member of the public. What's important is that it's Class C under the Misuse of Drugs Act, which theoretically carries a maximum penalty for supply of 14 years or an unlimited fine (though the sentencing guidelines don't allow that level of sentence for this kind of situation). You put in writing to a friend that your husband "said she could have 1", then repeated that on a public forum. That counts as supply. You need to be way more careful about what you write.

Cue the OP getting the thread deleted citing 'RL concerns'.

[HaveringWavering]

In the last ten weeks you have fractured your spine, your DH has had a near-fatal head injury and your sole employee was previously on tramadlo for pain relief? What on earth IS this business that the two if you run-do you hire yourselves out as human cannonballs for parties? !

[HerMammy]

Tbf I wouldn’t believe a word from the DH, he’s went from oh I let her have one to she’s a thief I never gave her them.
He’s backtracking to cover his arse or OP has changed the story as her DH is coming across as a lying twat.

[ClumpingBambooIsALie]

sooty yeah sorry about that, but I think OP isn't really getting the gravity of the situation. You can't be this casual about chatting about your husband giving away illegal drugs FFS, not if it could get back to you (and she sent it to an IRL friend so it easily could).

[lottiegarbanzo]

You (and she) need to take more personal responsibility for carrying what you need with you.

She stole prescription medication. Why have you or DH not told her to return it to you without delay, at home, given you desperately need it (and she should not have it)?

Your DH gave her one prescription tablet. He is an irresponsible idiot asking for legal trouble (and a lifetime of painful regret, if something actually went wrong as a result). He is not a doctor. He does not prescribe. He has no idea what else she's on that it might interact with... etc.

[CuriousAuntyMaud]

HaveringWavering Fri 30-Jul-21 09:17:49 In the last ten weeks you have fractured your spine, your DH has had a near-fatal head injury and your sole employee was previously on tramadlo for pain relief? What on earth IS this business that the two if you run-do you hire yourselves out as human cannonballs for parties?!

This is what I was wondering. Should you all be going on holiday OP if you're in so much pain you can't sleep and you're requesting another drug because you don't think the tramadol and co-codamol is working?

[ilovesooty]

@ClumpingBambooIsALie

sooty yeah sorry about that, but I think OP isn't really getting the gravity of the situation. You can't be this casual about chatting about your husband giving away illegal drugs FFS, not if it could get back to you (and she sent it to an IRL friend so it easily could).

Oh no - didn't mean it like that. I agree with you. The attitude of all parties to this is disturbingly cavalier.