Last November, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. Like many others
in similar circumstances, I've tackled much of it with humor and a
positive attitude and loads of pharmaceuticals with varying unpleasant
side effects. It has been an epic battle involving a double mastectomy,
radiation therapy, breast reconstruction
(a process which left me miserably uncomfortable every single minute),
and chemotherapy -- endless needles pumping foreign liquids into my body
leaving me weak and nauseous and horribly depressed for days afterward.
At
one point, many months into my treatment, I was ready to quit. There
are no words to adequately describe the discomfort and despair I was
feeling. It was at that time a friend of mine offered to get me some
medical marijuana from Colorado. I said yes. I was willing to try
anything, willing to break the law, for some relief.
Before you
jump to any conclusions, I'm in my '50s and work in the medical field
and am not a recreational pot smoker (or anything else for that matter.)
Still, the chemotherapy combined with the prescription medications left
me so miserable and incapacitated, I was desperate.
I ate it --
didn't smoke it -- I don't want to smoke anything. And it worked.
Marijuana took away my nausea, so I could eat healthy. It took away the
severe restlessness and anxiety, so I could relax. It allowed me to eat,
sleep and be up and active when I was awake -- all of which are
critical to recovery. It didn't get me "high;" it made me feel halfway
normal (as opposed to the prescriptions, which left me feeling drugged
and weak). It gave me the strength to continue with chemotherapy when I
had reached a point where I really couldn't tolerate it anymore.
For
me, the medical marijuana was a miracle drug, a life-saver. I wished I
had used it from the beginning because it was so helpful. And according
to our current law, I should go to jail for it.
The fact that
people in Florida can legally smoke cigarettes (which are known to cause
cancer), but cannot legally relieve their cancer treatment
symptoms with medical marijuana is completely ridiculous. Medical
marijuana is safe, is already legal in 23 states and the District of
Columbia, and is supported by the American College of Physicians,
American Public Health Association, American Nurses Association and many
other organizations.
Yet, here in Florida politicians have decided to
take it upon themselves to decide what's best for health care when
medical decisions should be made by doctors and their patients, not
politicians.
Amendment 2 would fix that flaw by legalizing medical
marijuana and making it available for people with debilitating
conditions and diseases like cancer, epilepsy, HIV/AIDS, multiple sclerosis
and Parkinson's.
These people deserve compassion, not threats of
imprisonment or stigmatization for using a drug scientifically proven to
help alleviate their misery. Doctors should be allowed to recommend
medical marijuana to patients who need it and provide them a better
quality of life. It seems cruel to withhold any solutions we have at our
disposal.
Legalizing and regulating medical marijuana isn't only
the compassionate thing to do, it's also the responsible thing to do to
ensure safety.
I shared my experience with marijuana with women on a
breast cancer internet forum to help empower them to take control. Out
of desperation, one woman bought pot from a "street dealer" (since it's
not legal), and it only made her misery worse because it wasn't the type
of marijuana appropriate for her needs. Regulating marijuana means
patients could get prescriptions for exactly what they need.
I
have a friend who's dying from ALS who texted (because he can no longer
speak) me asking if I have any marijuana. I gave him everything I had
left. It breaks my heart that he and countless other suffering
individuals don't have access to this simple, safe solution. I urge
everyone in Florida to vote "yes" on Amendment 2 this fall. Individuals
who are sick and suffering should not go to jail for medical marijuana,
and neither should their doctors.
Virgin Atlantic Airways
http://tinyurl.com/pjbm6r6
Luxury French Lingerie
http://tinyurl.com/o7qcz7m
From chocolate eggs to chocolate coins, give your sweet tooth a treat with our delicious products.
http://tinyurl.com/nragc9j
No comments:
Post a Comment