What I've been doing

I have been really busy with LIFE!  I can't tell you how amazing it is to say that!  This post, however, is due to the need to address medicinal cannabis laws in the United States.  I am writing an e-mail to my US representative, Denny Rehberg, R-MT.

This is what I've decided to send...

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As a medicinal cannabis patient in Montana, I am living in fear. For over 30 years I have suffered from chronic pelvic pain with no diagnosable cause.  I first tried medicinal cannabis about 10 weeks ago.  As of June 1st, I am finally off all the morphine I have had to take for well over a decade!  As for my decision to pursue the use of medicinal cannabis, I did as much research as I could before I decided to try it.   I will not smoke cannabis, however I believe people who smoke medicinal cannabis do so because it best addresses their symptoms. I have chosen to ingest it and this is where I am running into huge problems with the law of the state of Montana and the laws of the USA.  I have been given the right to use cannabis by my compassionate fellow voters and the benefits I have found (other than pain relief) have been wonderful!  I was able to attend my son's wedding in another state less than 2 weeks after I found a chemist who can make the tinctures and lozenges I need to get through the day.

What I am most afraid of is that I will need medicine after July 1, 2011, and I will find my caregiver either out of business or I'll find his business attacked by the DEA in a show of farce - and I say FARCE because I believe the Department of Justice and DEA both know they need to let alone those who grow and use medicinal cannabis.  What are people like myself supposed to do?  I cannot grow my own cannabis and I certainly cannot extract the medicines from the cannabis, as I am not a chemist and I do not have the equipment or the knowledge.

I know the American public overwhelmingly supports medical marijuana, and I'm writing to ask you, as my elected representative, to uphold your constituents' wishes. These bills are a simple and effective solution that would settle states' confusion over the implementation of medical marijuana programs once and for all.

The care and treatment of a person's pain, health issues, and quality of life should not be decided by politicians or voters - it should be decided by a physician and the person themselves.  A patients' quality of life should not be threatened by the executive branch's latest whims.  I believe you respect this idea and this is why I am writing to you.  I don't want other people to live in the fear I currently experience because of the laws related to medicinal cannabis.  That's why I'm asking that you support HR 1983, 1984, and 1985 which would unambiguously protect medical marijuana programs under federal law.

Please show the people of Montana that you respect their voice, their vote, to give people who have pain and other health issues the relief and compassion they deserve as a human.  Until the federal government decides to leave the cannabis community alone, we need your strong voice and your compassion to help us in this fight.  Please help us convey to the federal government that Americans - HUMANS -  have the right to live a healthy and happy life and until the federal government acts, those who provide and who rely upon this life-changing medicine need to be protected.

Please don't disappoint your constituents!
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I need to sit down and write up what has changed since I tried MMJ.  As you've read in my letter to Rep. Rehberg, it has been an amazing thing to come into my life!  I can honestly say I have never met more awesome and intelligent people than those fighting for the legalization of medicinal cannabis.  People who have immense compassion for others, yet will stand up and tell you where you are wrong.  It's done in a very loving manner and I am so grateful for these people!  I only wish, pray, hope, that this issue becomes moot very soon!

I made the call...

After having two miserable weeks with pain I haven't had for a long time, I opened my newspaper today to find it is FRIDAY!  I really thought today was Wednesday or Thursday. I did a little running around yesterday but nothing felt like it was a Thursday.

So I've been really fighting the past few days to find some relief from the chronic pain.  (I just had a thought that maybe I should give it a name - guess I'll toss that around for a while!)  I broke down and made the call to my caregiver.   I have never - repeat, NEVER - taken a drug that wasn't prescribed for me except some over-the-counter stuff for colds, headaches, and the like.  I reiterated that I won't smoke the medical marijuana, that I am most interested in edibles and I did talk briefly about using a vapor unit.  Right now I am in so much pain I can't really think straight and writing this is helping to take my mind off things.

Tom has someone to help him with his caregiving services.  His name is Ray (changed for privacy) and he was very compassionate.  I hope to meet with the two of them tomorrow and I'll have my hubby with me so I can get his input, although he's just as in the dark about this as I am.  I'll mostly be going on their counsel and prayer.

After I got off the phone I experienced more nausea but I don't know if that's due to nerves or the pain. I know the MMJ will help with the nausea, pain and the insomnia I've had lately.  Sleep during the past couple weeks has been rare - many meds I've been able to rely upon before haven't touched the sleeplessness.  I have thought (more than once), "Some medical pot would really help right now..."

This is still all very scary to me but I know I have two really compassionate guys to help me through this and my hubby is always there with the hugs even though he feels awfully helpless when he can't do anything.  I'll let you know how my first experience with MMJ goes.  Cross your fingers and say a prayer because I need them right now!