Legalize Medical Marijuana in Oklahoma

Guess it's time for an update.

2011-10-09T12:40:00.000-07:00

Wow! I didn't realize it was in May that I last posted. So much has been going on. Well, I only have 4 more shots before treatment is over!!! YEAH!!!
It's been a long road and I just didn't really realize how long 48 weeks was until now.
Treatment has not been kind to me. I have lost 2/3's of my hair, 40 pounds, had Thrush, injection site reaction, severe rash, pneumonia twice, and I know there are a few other things that I just can't think of right now, it's called brain fog....LOL Then on top of all that I almost broke my toe the other night. I know that dosen't sound like a big deal but I had surgery on that foot 2 years ago and have 2 steel pins in it.
Other then all that lifes been pretty quiet. I get tired easy and most times don't leave the house.

FDA approves Boceprevir, the first new Hepatitis C drug in 20 years

2011-05-13T18:14:00.000-07:00

This is very good news for people who have failed treatment more then once. So, if after treatment I don't remain cleared of HepC and I have the option of of trying again and using the new medication.
http://www.latimes.com/health/boostershots/la-heb-fda-boceprevir-hepatitis-c-05132011,0,7948226.story

New Update and some exciting news...........

2011-03-14T19:41:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow I start week 15 of treatment for Hep C! I know I haven't posted since week 5 but honestly I spend alot of time sleeping now. The side effects of treatment haven't been pretty, nausea & vomiting, hair loss, rashes & itching, coughing & hacking, weight loss, fatigue, shortness of breath and just generally feeling crappy. BUT the doctor called last week with my 12 week lab test results, drum roll PLEASE............ I am UNDETECTABLE!!!! Which in real people terms means that I have NO detectable levels of the Hep C Virus in my system!!! While I am excited that I am responding to treatment I also have to be realistic. There is an 85% chance that it will return within 6 months of treatment ending (and I still have another 33 weeks of treatment) and a 20% chance that it will return within 5 years of treatment ending. Doctors says once you hit the 5 year mark with no reoccurance you are considered cured, but for those 5 years I have to be tested every 6 months to make sure and keep a baseline reading on my blood counts.

We were only hoping to lower the levels of the virus, as I have the worst and hardest form to treat Genotype 1A, but the doctor said because I am responding it gives my liver a break from having to do all the fighting. This doctor is really great and his staff are the best, no matter how many times I call or what the problems are they never put me through to voice mail or leave me on hold, as soon as I ask for the nurse and tell them my name they put me right through. If she dosen't have the answers then she always calls me back with the answer, most of the time the same day. If any of you need a good Gastro doctor email me and I will gladly give you his name, I won't be posting it here for obvious reasons.

I had a comment from a reader I'd like to repost here because of the nature of some of the post. I offered advise and I will repost that also, it contains a little more background on myself and the reasoning for the advise I gave.

Childress Report said...
I was in the air force and am 100% service connected. 50% of that is for migraines. I have been diagnosed w/figromyalgia, and in the last year for emphysema. There are spots on my lungs which the VA doesn't address. I'm in constant pain in my upper right back from "whatever it is" that is on my lung. I am given 5/500 lortab and some flexeril, which don't help. And, there is so much acetamenaphine in the Lordtabs, that I hate to take it anyway. I have a friend (here in OK) that has stage 3 breast cancer and is taking chemo. She just told me today that her dr. gave her a prescription for marinol (or equivalent). I don't know where she will get it filled, but it apparently is available. I can't smoke MJ anymore, because if I do, I will be taken off the meds that I'm on now for depression, pain, anxiety et al. I can barely get around anymore. I don't know what to do. But I do thank the author for her input and at least trying to get something done. Why do we have to suffer and be treated like criminals??

March 3, 2011 12:28 PM
Denise Stahl said...
I know what you mean about the VA not addressing issues. My husband is a 100% Disabled Vietnam Veteran he also recieved a Purple Heart USAF 69-71 and has the same problem with the VA, instead of addressing that his leg keeps going numb and then he falls, they do 149 x'rays in an hour and a half of his back and spine, you would think 2 or 3 would be enough.
As far as the Lortabs, I can't take those because of liver and stomach conditions, ask your doctor if changing to something like vicoprofen would be better, they don't cause the same stomach upset that Lortabs do. I suffer from severe muscle spasms, Flexeril is like taking a sugar pill and causes leg twitching and jumping when taken in higher doses. Skelaxin is used for treatment of figromyalgia and may be a better option, personally I take Soma 350mg, 3 times a day and it does help. I guess I should tell you that I worked in the medical field for over 10 years before becoming disabled. I worked for a Physiatrist (Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation MD) who treated patients with figromyalgia. I worked for a large Eye Surgery Center (3 Ophthalmologist, 2 Optometrists and a Retina Specialist) and the last place I worked was a Cancer Center here in Oklahoma.
As far as Marinol, some people may not have a problem with it but some people because of health issues can not use it. I can not use it because I had a heart attack 2 years ago, it can also cause seizures. The point of making marijuana legal is, if you can get it (THC) and use it (THC) in it's natural form (marijuana) why should we have to use a chemical form (Marinol) that have far diffrent and in some cases much worse side effects.
Does the VA or whoever you health provider is drug test you? Unless they are drug testing you or you tell them (the doctors) that you are self medicating with marijuana they really wouldn't know. The safest thing is, until the law is changed NEVER tell your health care provider you self medicate with marijuana. I know how that sounds and as much as I firmly believe that you "should" be able to be open and honest with your doctor you just can't be because the way the laws are written. You tell a doctor that you self medicate with marijuana because it's the one thing that gives you relief over all their chemicals and any medication you are on is going to be stopped and you will be branded a druggie.

Happy New Year!!!

2011-01-01T15:50:00.000-08:00

I wish you all a safe and happy New Year!!

Well, I will be doing my 5th treatment this Tuesday. I have to say that it is nothing like the first week of treatment. Frankly I haven't posted because I haven't had the energy. I sleep alot now, I'm either nauseated or have no appetite and have lost 13 pounds since December 7th. The headaches are horrendous, for the first 4 days after taking the injection all I want to do is either throw up or sleep. The headaches never go away the pain just decreases. The other night the whole inside of my mouth felt like it was on fire and to top it all off my hair looks like crap and is slowly falling out. I'm also having trouble concentrating and remembering things. I have sticky notes everywhere.......lol
On the up side, I have a wonderful husband who takes very good care of me.

One week and counting..........

2010-12-13T06:35:00.000-08:00

Ok, so my last post was October 1st and I talked about starting treatment. As you can see from the title of this post I just started treatment on Dec. 7th. I got my rx from the doctor, call my insurance to see how much the treatment meds were going to cost with my co pay and was told they were going to be $4.12 each a month and that it does not quilify for their Meds By Mail Program. So, I ran down to Walgreens, turned in my rx and waited the 4 days it was going to take them to order it and get it in. I got the call that my meds were in and went to pick them up. I'm standing at the counter, the girl rings them up and says, "Your total is $884.00" I asked her to check to make sure they used my rx coverage and they had. Needless to say I couldn't get it. I called the insurance company back and was told that the woman who I spoke with did not give me the correct information, well no shit! Then I went round and round with them about why their agent gave me totally false information, it only got worse, to the point where I told their agent supervisor exactly what I thought of their incompetence and hung up on them. Here's where the journey through Medicare, CHAMPVA, Non-Profit Foundations and finally the Veteran's Affairs Administration began.

I am on Social Security Disability due to my health conditions. I have Medicare and because my husband is a 100% disabled Vietnam veteran I also have CHAMPVA. CHAMPVA is for survivors and dependents of dead or disabled veterans. They pay the portion of your bill that Medicare does not cover (20%) and you pay 25% of your rx's. Now 25% of rx's dosen't sound like much unless your rx happens to cost over $2000 a month. My co-pay for one year of treatment was going to be $10,608 which is about $2000 more per year then I get in disability payments. So, if I'm only getting $8000 a year in disability, how am I supposed to pay $10,608 for treatment?

Fortunately for me I worked in the medical field and know that there are other options for people with limited income. I started by contacting the makers of the medications my doctor wanted me to use. From there I was refered to a non profit foundation that helps cover the cost of medication if you qualify. I qualified, which was great, I thought. I got the letter from them telling me that I qualified for a grant to help pay the cost of my meds, they were going to give me $500 dollars for treatment. I have to admit that by this point I was a mess and I actually started to cry. That's like telling someone who's house is on fire your going to spit on it to put it out. Everything kept leading back to the same question everyone had asked me, "Do you have Medicare Part D drug coverage?" So, I actually started looking into the diffrent plans and costs compared to my CHAMPVA which has no premiums. Then I found out that if I get Medicare Part D, I lose my CHAMPVA coverage completely. By this time over a month has passed and still no treatment and no answers. I waded through CHAMPVA, Medicare, Medicare Part D, Drug Companies, Non Profit Foundations and finally all the way back to CHAMPVA and Veteran Affairs.

You see, I got a magazine in the mail called "Your Health" from CHAMPVA and inside this magazine was an article about the Meds By Mail program, their requirements for partisipation and the forms to use. So, I read it all very carefully, called the regional pharmacy that handles the area I live in to make sure they had the meds I require. I DID NOT ask them if I qualified to recieve my meds through this program since when I called CHAMPVA the first time they told me I did not. I figured if they were wrong about everything else they were probably wrong about this too.
I got a new rx from my doctor and mailed it along with the forms, my CHAMPVA insurance info and copy of my military ID on Nov. 16, 2010. I recieved my first shipment of meds on December 6th from the Veterans Affairs Administration Pharmacy at NO COST! No thanks to all the "help" I recieved from CHAMPVA!

I started treatment Dec. 7th, so far I've had some side effects but nothing too bad, but then again I just started.....lol I will keep you all posted on how I'm doing. Thank you all so much for your support and prayers.

If you or someone you know is having trouble paying for their meds and you want to ask me a question, just ask and I'll help as much as I can.

Starting Treatment Next Week

2010-10-01T09:18:00.000-07:00

Well, I got my rx from the doctor for my treatment meds the other day. Boy was I way off on how many pills I would have to take per day as part of the treatment. I will have to take 1 shot per week and 5 pills every day. That's 150 pills per month!!! That is not including the 150 pills a month I take for other medical problems. So, now I'm up to 300 pills a month.
Time for some background on the new medications I will be taking and their side effects.

Pegasys Drug Description

PEGASYS
(peginterferon alfa-2a)

Alpha interferons, including PEGASYS (peginterferon alfa-2a), may cause or aggravate fatal or life-threatening neuropsychiatric, autoimmune, ischemic, and infectious disorders. Patients should be monitored closely with periodic clinical and laboratory evaluations. Therapy should be withdrawn in patients with persistently severe or worsening signs or symptoms of these conditions. In many, but not all cases, these disorders resolve after stopping PEGASYS therapy (see WARNINGS and ADVERSE REACTIONS).

Use with Ribavirin. Ribavirin, including COPEGUS , may cause birth defects and/or death of the fetus. Extreme care must be taken to avoid pregnancy in female patients and in female partners of male patients. Ribavirin causes hemolytic anemia. The anemia associated with ribavirin therapy may result in a worsening of cardiac disease. Ribavirin is genotoxic and mutagenic and should be considered a potential carcinogen (see COPEGUS Package Insert for additional information and other WARNINGS).

Pegasys Side Effects & Drug Interactions

SIDE EFFECTS
PEGASYS alone or in combination with COPEGUS causes a broad variety of serious adverse reactions (see Boxed Warning and WARNINGS). The most common life-threatening or fatal events induced or aggravated by PEGASYS and COPEGUS were depression, suicide, relapse of drug abuse/overdose, and bacterial infections, each occurring at a frequency of < 1%. Hepatic decompensation occurred in 2% (10/574) of CHC/HIV patients (see WARNINGS: Hepatic Failure and Hepatitis Exacerbations).

In all hepatitis C studies, one or more serious adverse reactions occurred in 10% of CHC monoinfected patients and in 19% of CHC/HIV patients receiving PEGASYS alone or in combination with COPEGUS. The most common serious adverse event (3% in CHC and 5% in CHC/HIV) was bacterial infection (e.g., sepsis, osteomyelitis, endocarditis, pyelonephritis, pneumonia). Other SAEs occurred at a frequency of < 1% and included: suicide, suicidal ideation, psychosis, aggression, anxiety, drug abuse and drug overdose, angina, hepatic dysfunction, fatty liver, cholangitis, arrhythmia, diabetes mellitus, autoimmune phenomena (e.g., hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, sarcoidosis, systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis), peripheral neuropathy, aplastic anemia, peptic ulcer, gastrointestinal bleeding, pancreatitis, colitis, corneal ulcer, pulmonary embolism, coma, myositis, cerebral hemorrhage, thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura, psychotic disorder, and hallucination.

Nearly all patients in clinical trials experienced one or more adverse events. For hepatitis C patients, the most commonly reported adverse reactions were psychiatric reactions, including depression, insomnia, irritability, anxiety, and flu-like symptoms such as fatigue, pyrexia, myalgia, headache, and rigors. Other common reactions were anorexia, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, arthralgias, injection site reactions, alopecia, and pruritus.

I will be doing treatment for 48 week, if I can. Wish me luck and keep me in your prayers.

Got another one!

2010-09-28T11:54:00.000-07:00

I honestly don't understand why Cliff Aldridge's champaign keeps sending me political ads. I wouldn't vote for him if he was the last politician left on earth. I am a registered Democrat and have seriously been thinking about changing to the Tea Party! I think the rest of the week I am going to spend contacting Oklahoma Tea Party members and see what their view on medical Marijuana is. It's worth a shot and they can't do anything worse to me then Cliff Aldridge did.
I also wanted to take this time to let you all know that I will be starting treatment for the Hep C next week. It's 1 shot a week and 2 pills a day for 48 weeks. My viral load (how much virus is in the blood) is very high and they are hopeing that treatment will slow the progression of the desease or maybe put it into remission. That means 60 more pills per month added to the 150 a month I already take for the diffrent health problems I have. I was also diagnosed with scoliosis (abnormal curving of the spine) just last week, which explains the lower back and hip pain.
Maybe if marijuana was legal I could get rid of about 120 of the pills per month.

Let's get rid of the status quo not only in Washington but in OUR state. After all We ARE the People.

2010-09-15T15:49:00.000-07:00

I know I've been out of touch for a bit but I'm back with something of an update. I was a little surprised when I checked may mail today and found a political advertisement addressed to my family from Senator Cliff Aldridge, who is running for office again. We all know about my meeting with him in February and the outcome of that, I won't go there. So since he, via his staff, sent me the ad I wanted to take this opportunity to pass on some information I found about his voting record.

On 3/06/08 he voted No to requiring health benefit plans to cover medical necessities.
Your just supposed to suck it up and pay for all your medical necessities yourself.

On 3/10/08 he voted No to requiring health insurance to cover autism.
Since when is Autism a crime and why should children have to suffer? To protect the greedy insurance companies.

On 3/12/08 he voted No to restricting childhood vaccine mercury levels.
Mercury levels in childhood vaccines have been linked to Autism as well as a number of other deseases.

On 3/12/08 he voted No to mandatory clinical cancer trial coverage.
They don't want to pay for something that might cure you.

On 4/25/09 he voted Yes to ban certain types of stem cell research.
Why dosen't he just vote to ban science all together. What do you expect from a former insurance agent?

On 5/25/10 he voted Yes to requiring women seeking abortions to answer questionnaire.
What happened to the HIPPA law and patient privacy?

Is this what we really want? He says he has "real-life experience", as what? A former insurance salesman. That hardly qualifies him to make MEDICAL assessments or decisions regarding someones care when a MEDICAL DOCTOR has said that the treatment is what the patient must have to enjoy any quality of life. I find it suspect that as a former insurance salesman he has voted against any law that would require insurance companies to pay.
I will not be voting for Senator Aldridge. I can not and will not vote for someone who believes it's fine and dandy to let sick people suffer!

I'm Back..........

2010-04-13T19:14:00.000-07:00

Well, I have to say it hasn't been a good month since my last post. As I told you all I was having some major dental work done. It seems it's not finished, now they have to go in and grind my jaw bone to smooth it out since when they pulled the teeth it left jagged bone and I am not healing right. On top of that, I went to my PCP and he wants me to see a liver specialist for a cat scan and ultrasound, x-rays of spine and hips and all kinds of lab tests. He also added another nausea medication, $95.00 for 20 pills, that's 20 days worth.
Yesterday was the topper though. My kitty, who we've had for over 8 years died suddenly. He was fine one min. and making strange noises the next, I reached down to touch him and he just fell over and died. He was gone before I could even scoop him off the floor to rush him to the vet.
I promise I will get some more stuff posted soon just really drug out from all the medical shit and then my kitty. Just keep checking back from time to time. I have been putting together some new things and I will get them posted soon.

More to come:

2010-03-12T12:04:00.000-08:00

I will be posting some more things in a few days. I am not feeling well right now plus I had 5 teeth pulled Tuesday and I'm still sore from that. I will post more probably on Monday. Thanks for sticking with me and don't forget to sign up with the Oklahoma Compassionate Care Campaign at:
http://okmedicalmarijuana.org/

Let's Talk About "Legal" Medications

2010-03-06T11:46:00.000-08:00

I was going through the news yesterday and found an article of interest about 68 fatal ODs linked to scheme at Kan. clinic. (I will post a link to the full article at the end of this post.)

"A new federal indictment implicates a Kansas doctor and his wife in nine additional patient deaths, bringing to 68 the number of fatal overdoses the government contends are linked to illegal prescription writing and a moneymaking conspiracy at their clinic.
Dr. Stephen Schneider, his wife Linda, who is a nurse, and unnamed others are accused of scheming to illegally dispense prescription drugs and defraud health insurance programs and patients through their Haysville clinic.
The new indictment also includes three deaths that occurred while the Schneiders were imprisoned.
Among them is a 52-year-old amputee whose decomposing body was found Feb. 10, 2008, in his Wichita home. His last visit to the Schneider clinic was Jan. 3, 2008, when the clinic was struggling to stay open while the Schneiders were jailed.
An autopsy report showed the man died as a result of taking a very small amount of the pain medication Oxycodone at the same time as a muscle relaxant. The death was ruled accidental."
Now, let's looks at that very last sentence."An autopsy report showed the man died as a result of taking a very small amount of the pain medication Oxycodone at the same time as a muscle relaxant. The death was ruled accidental."

I and many like me have to take muscle relaxants due to severe muscle spasms, add a little "doctor prescribed" Oxycodone and you have a prescription for DEATH.
All these studies and articles about the rate of overdose and death from these "legal" medications, does anyone understand or even care that without intending to a doctor can prescribe you a lethal combination of "legal" medication? That without intending to, doctors can and do get their patients hooked on "legal" medications, then when they realize the patient is hooked they cut them off and therein comes the criminal issue, because now they have to get it from street dealers by any means possible, lie, cheat, steal, whatever they have to do to get it. People who use MEDICAL marijuana, (weather deemed legal or illegal by their state), do not go out and commit murder, robbery or prostitution if they run out and can't get any. When will they understand that all we want is the right to a medication that affords us some quality of life without the risk of overdose, death or imprisonment? Is that so much to ask? Maybe it is to them..............

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100306/ap_on_re_us/us_doctor_indicted;_ylt=Ao_NrMdXaGpIXHHKlrBCkIOs0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTNtcGtiMDdoBGFzc2V0A2FwLzIwMTAwMzA2L3VzX2RvY3Rvcl9pbmRpY3RlZARjY29kZQNtb3N0cG9wdWxhcgRjcG9zAzUEcG9zAzIEcHQDaG9tZV9jb2tlBHNlYwN5bl9oZWFkbGluZV9saXN0BHNsawNmZWRzNjhmYXRhbG8-

The interview is HERE

2010-03-03T10:37:00.001-08:00

OKLAHOMA CITY -- There's a move underway to legalize the use of medical marijuana in our state. Fourteen states have already done it. One Oklahoma woman tells us, when she tried to talk about the issue with her state senator, she ended up face-to-face with a number of law enforcement officers.

Denise Stahl lives taking 12 to 14 pills a day.

"I've been diagnosed with chronic Hepatitis C, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Arthritis, and Asthma."

Denise recently made a trip to the state capitol to discuss legalizing medical marijuana with her state senator.

She wanted to show him legislation drafted by a pro medical marijuana group called Oklahoma Compassionate Care Campaign.

"I feel very much like I was ambushed when I went in there," Stahl said.

The senator and a team of law enforcement officials were waiting for her on that day.

"I didn't mean to ambush her. I don't feel like she was, but if she felt that way then I apologize for that," said Sen. Cliff Aldridge (R).

Aldridge says he simply didn't know enough about the issue and invited some experts to join the talk.

One of those experts was Mark Woodward from the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics.

"I've heard this same story repeated over and over," Woodward said. "It does tend to be a gateway drug for many people. It opens a door and puts them on a path that often leads to other places."

He says the issue of legalizing marijuana for medical use sends the wrong message, that pot is okay.

Sen. Aldridge agrees.

"I just don't think it's something that's good for the state as a whole," Sen. Aldridge said.

But Denise says Oklahoma's laws are keeping her and others in pain from getting the help they need.

"We don't advocate it for everyone, only for medical use," Stahl said. "I just want to be able to have the same quality of life as everyone else."

Denise is not on her own; there is an organized group in Oklahoma dedicated to trying to change the state law so that doctors would be allowed to prescribe medical marijuana.

Here's the link, they are allowing comments and in a little over an hour they have gotten 26 comments! Now up to 63 comments!

Check out this website:
www.republicandui/dwioffenders.com

http://www.kfor.com/news/local/kfor-news-medical-marijuana-story,0,4726019.story

Interview Disclaimer

2010-03-03T05:26:00.000-08:00

While I like the way the interview was done and presented, I feel I should state for the record that the marijuana shown being smoked both from a pipe and in joint form was NOT me. That was added by KFOR for their visual effects.

Interview with Marika Lorraine

2010-03-02T10:34:00.000-08:00

Well everyone they played the interview!!!! I have to say I'm impressed with the way it was presented. I was a little worried that they might be biased but I have to say it was very well put together, I was very surprised that the senator offered an apology. I did tape it and will try to get it converted from VHS to digital so I can post it here. Let me know what you all think? I need input.........lol

KFOR News Interview

2010-03-01T14:13:00.000-08:00

I had an interview this afternoon with KFOR Channel 4 News' Marika Lorraine. She said it should be on the 10 pm news tonight. She also said that there will be an opposing view by the OBNDD on why we shouldn't be able to use Medical marijuana. So, we will see what happens now.

2010-03-01T09:30:00.000-08:00

There were 12 presidents alleged to have smoked marijuana, the most recent President Obama, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton and JFK, but they go as far back in history as George Washington. Barack Obama has openly admitted to smoking pot.

Oklahoma Compassionate Care Campaign

Our goal is to change state law, to allow doctors to recommend medical marijuana.

This would include regulations for cultivation and distribution.

www.okmedicalmarijuana.org

Drug Policy Reform Network of Oklahoma

405-714-1236

Request information at:
DPRNOK
PO Box 73140
Midwest City, Ok. 73140
_____________________________________________________
A.M.A.
The American Medical Association on Tuesday November 10, 2009 adopted a resolution calling for the government to review its
classification of marijuana, in order to ease the way for more research into the use of medical marijuana.

Report 6 of the Council on Scientific Affairs

Based on the current science base, the following conditions continue to merit further study on the potential medical
utility of marijuana. In some cases, advantage may be taken of multiple pharmacologic effects of cannabinoids. Conditions
for which continued research into the potential therapeutic effects include:

•HIV-infected patients with cachexia, neuropathy, or chronic pain, or who are suffering adverse effects from medication,
such as nausea, vomiting, and peripheral neuropathy, that impede compliance with antiretroviral therapy;

•Patients undergoing chemotherapy, especially those being treated for mucositis, nausea, and anorexia, and those patients
who do not obtain adequate relief from either acute or delayed emetic episodes from standard therapy;

•To potentiate the analgesic effects of opioids and to reduce their emetic effects in the treatment of postoperative,
traumatic, or cancer pain;

•Patients suffering from spasticity or pain due to spinal cord injury, or neuropathic or central pain syndromes; and

•Patients with chronic pain and insomnia.
_____________________________________________________
Marinol: FDA approved man-made form of cannabis

Side effects:

Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of
your face, lips, tongue, or throat. Stop using dronabinol and call your doctor at once if you have any of these serious
side effects:
seizure (convulsions);

paranoia, extreme fear;

fast heart rate;

feeling light-headed, fainting; or

unusual thoughts or behavior.
_______________________________________________________
Continue using dronabinol and talk with your doctor if you have any of these less serious side effects:

mood changes;

dizziness, trouble concentrating;

feeling "high";

weakness, lack of coordination;

anxiety, confusion;

stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea;

warmth or tingly feeling; or

sleep problems (insomnia).

Side effects other than those listed here may also occur.
_______________________________________________________

Side Effects of inhaled marijuana (naturally grown)

Increased appitite

Decrease in nausea/vomiting

Pain relief

Dry mouth

Sleepiness

Update & More insight

2010-02-24T18:00:00.000-08:00

First of all, thank you for writing in your comments, they are appreciated. I've been stewing over my meeting with the senator between Dr's appointments and came up with a few things that should be touched on.

We look to our "elected" officials thinking that they are in that particular position because they are the best person for the job and because "they have the peoples best interest", at heart. We assume that they are going to listen to the concerns of the people they are charged with governing, but in reality most of them have their own agenda, and little concern for the people who voted them into that position in the first place.

The only thing we as citizens can do is to vote them out. Any and all public officials who treat the concerns of the people as I was treated does not belong in public office. Why was it necessary to bring in "law enforcement", just to talk to me? I am an older adult, I know the law regarding marijuana. I did not say I wanted to smoke it in his office, I said I wanted to "talk" about changing the law, yet I was treated as a common criminal, talked down to, and made to feel that my concerns and others like me don't matter.

Our plight and quality of life means nothing to them since, according to them we are criminals and druggies. Do they even know that there are over 80,000 people in Oklahoma who suffer just from chronic hepatitis C alone? Not including the thousands of others with serious diseases who could benefit from medical marijuana. The answer is, they just don't care!

As long as they can collect their pay without someone cutting into their self-serving, pre-programmed agenda, they don't care about others who don't agree with their antiquated way of thinking, and want to keep the status quo.

I always thought senators, congressmen, etc., were at least open to "listening" to the voter even if they don't agree with the subject matter, but I was so totally wrong. You would think that a person in a position of trust such as this senator, would be able to think for himself instead of turning our meeting over to "law enforcement", to answer a voters questions. I don't recall anyone voting the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs head, R. Darrell Weaver, into the senate. Had I wanted a meeting with him I'm sure I could have set it up myself, as I said, I know the law regarding marijuana in Oklahoma. There was absolutely no reason for him to be there other than Senator Aldridge thought to intimidate me with all the badges. Sorry, it didn't work. It only made me mad and more determined to change the law, and change will only happen when we make it happen.

We cannot blame others if things don't change. We have the power to change Oklahoma for the better, to give everyone with a serious medical condition the choice to speak to their doctor about medical marijuana, and the choice to use it when conventional drugs are as dangerous as the disease itself. We need public officials who are more concerned about the citizens of their state than their own private agenda.

The only way to make any of this happen is to identify the "close minded", "self serving", public officials and, VOTE THEM OUT!!!

Legalize Medical Marijuana in Oklahoma

2010-02-17T15:14:00.000-08:00

State of Oklahoma Capitol Building

I am a middle aged women who has been diagnosed with Hepatitis C, PTSD and Arthritis.

About a month ago I was looking for information regarding medical marijuana in Oklahoma and found a article of interest by the Oklahoma Compassionate Care Campaign. They are a group of Doctors, Lawyers and Lay People in Oklahoma who are trying to get a medical marijuana law passed in Oklahoma. I emailed them requesting information on their group and asked what their agenda was. I received a nice email reply from one of the lawyers for the group and set up a meeting with him. I went to the meeting really wondering if this group was just for medical marijuana rather than "marijuana for everyone", as it turns out it is JUST for MEDICAL marijuana. Just what I was looking for. The lawyer helped me write letters to my Senator Cliff Aldridge and State Rep. Charles Joyner, in which I sent a copy of the proposed bill for Legalization of Medical Marijuana in the State of Oklahoma and requested PRIVATE meetings with both of them on Feb. 17th, 2010. Last week I received calls from both Senator Aldridge & Rep. Joyner aides and was given appointments with them both on the date I requested. Feb. 17, 2010 was called, A Day at the Capitol for Oklahoma Compassionate Care Campaign, there were about 100 of us there to speak with law makers about changing the law in Oklahoma.

My "Private" meeting with Senator Aldridge was anything but private. I walked into a ambush! I was waiting in his office for our meeting when in walks four people wearing badges. They turn out to be Oklahoma Law Enforcement Director R. Darrell Weaver with Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs (OBNDD), the head of the Narcotics Unit and I have no idea who the 2 women were that were with them. The meeting was civil but I have to be honest, it was a waste of time and I knew it from the time I saw the first badge.

I was shown into his office along with all the law enforcement people. What they did not realize is that the gentleman in the suit with me is a criminal defense attorney.....lol In no way did I walk into that meeting unprepared, I was a little surprised that the Senator wasn't willing to listen to me without involving law enforcement but I went there with a purpose, to speak to my law maker about an issue of concern to one of many of the voters of this state. What I got in return was the basis of this blog.

I was told repeatedly by the Senator and the law enforcement people that marijuana leads to stronger drugs, marijuana has over 400 chemical properties in it, marijuana breeds violence and best and most absurd of all is,"marijuana is just like meth" I asked them all, "How many people have you ever heard of that would pimp themselves or their kids out for marijuana? The answer, NONE. I also asked them the same question about meth, "How many meth addicts would pimp their kids or themselves out for more meth?", the answer, too many to count. I told them, " Doctors can prescribe Oxycodone, Oxycontin, Methadone, and Morphine, all of which are highly addictive and can pose any number of dangers up to and including death from over dose even from small amounts. How many people have you ever heard of dying from an over dose of marijuana?" Once again the answer was, you guessed it, NONE." I also made sure to tell them that I did not get HepC from IV drug use, being easy or anything illegal, I got it from a legal tattoo done in a licensed shop, at which point they all looked surprised. I asked them why my quality of life should be less important then someone who can take all the pills doctors shove at you, I can't take those pills or most medications. HepC causes liver damage and I have stage 1 liver disease. If you've seen the drug commercals on television almost all of them say "If you have liver problems, do not take this medication". So your telling me I am supposed to just take those pills and help speed the death process along? They didn't really have an answer for that one.

When Mr. Weaver of the OBNDD was asked if he was aware of the directive by U.S. Attorney General Eric H. Holder that the Justice Department will no longer prosecute marijuana dispensaries that are operating legally under state laws, this was his answer. " I DO NOT agree with that and I never will, I will never agree with a man who has NO law enforcement background." So I guess in Mr. Weavers' eye's, The United States Attorney General, Mr. Weavers' own boss, is wrong on every decision, directive or order he gives just because he was never a law enforcement officer. How absurd is that?

Then of course the Senator brought up the smoking issue, smoking is bad for you, it causes cancer, blah, blah, blah. They were stunned when I brought up the new herbal vaporizers, no smoke, just like breathing in Vick's Vapor for congestion....lol They didn't have anything to say about that one either.

Mr. Weaver then say's a doctor can prescribe Marinol which is a marijuana based FDA approved medication. Then I told him the ramifications of bringing up the subject of Marinol or Marijuana to a doctor with the way the laws are written now. "As soon as you bring up the subject with your doctor you will get a polite and curt exam and sent on your way. Then three days later you will get a letter in the mail from that doctor telling you, "You have been discharged from the practice and we will not see you again." Then any "legal" medication you were on you just lost because the doctor has now refused to see you." No surprise, they didn't have a answer for that either. It's not even a catch 22 situation, your damned if you do and damned if you don't. Needless to say the "Private" meeting with the Senator lasted a little over an hour and went down hill from there. I probably would have gotten a better reception from a pack of vipers then I got from my own Senator.

I've done alot of reading and alot of talking to people about how marijuana help the side effects of the decease as well as the side effects of treatment. A good majority of the people I have spoken with live in states like Michigan, Nevada and Colorado who have medical marijuana laws and almost all of them say they can't believe how much their quality of life has improved.

I guess the thing that bothered me the most about this meeting was that the Senator couldn't even have a discussion with me without calling law enforcement. He never had any intention of really listening but mainly turned the meeting over to the law enforcement who argued and lectured that marijuana is just like meth. It's sad that the Senator couldn't take a few minutes to research the subject before our appointment instead of deferring to law enforcement to answer a voters concerns. He had almost 3 weeks to prepare for this meeting.

Hepatitis C Geno Type 1a, which is considered untreatable. Oh, I could go ahead and put myself through treatment, Peg interferon: injections 3 times a week and Ribavirin: oral antiviral agent daily for 12 to 18 months, chances of being cured: less then 20%

Treatment side effects (mild): Fatigue, aches and pains, sleep disorders, depression, irritability, nausea, loss of appetite, dry skin, thinning hair and baldness.

Treatment side effects (serious): Mental health problems ( depression & suicidal tendencies ) blood problems with lungs, eyes, immune system, thyroid, liver and heart, nausea/vomiting. Just to name a few.

Now tell me, would you want to put yourself through that kind of treatment if you had less then a 20% chance of being cured? There is NO effective cure for HepC Geno Type 1a which is why it is termed as "untreatable". There are doctors who have offered me treatment but with the odds like those I see it only as a form of torture to put myself through that and lots of large pay days for them.

Side effects of decease without treatment: Fatigue, aches and pains, nausea/vomiting, muscle spasms and flu like symptoms, and intermittent pain in the right upper quadrant.

Tell me, What side effects would you choose?

I did not address my meeting with State Rep. Charles Joyner in this blog because he did not show up. His secretary stated, "He has a broken rib and isn't here today." Since they had my contact number I can only assume it was too much trouble to pick up the phone and cancel my 4:00 p.m. appointment. Could it be that the House of Representatives was having a meeting on the 5th floor and was worried that the voter who was willing to wait any length of time to speak to her Elected Official would keep him past quitting time?