Marijuana

After the "rare" occurence that happened Monday night, I have been feeling quite well. Tuesday I was back to the faint nausea I noticed on Friday (day 1). It has since then changed to a bloated feeling in the stomach, which feels kind of like I ate a little too much. But, otherwise, I am coping quite well and feeling good. Yesterday I had a very busy day, which almost resembled a normal day before chemo. So I am quite happy right now. Thanks for the messages, comments, and calls everyone ... your thoughts and concerns are much appreciated!

On to a new topic. I need to hit the rewind button here for a moment ... back to that fateful day when Dr. Maccormick first suggested chemo to me. We were discussing side-effects, namely nausea, when the doctor told me he would prescribe me 2 pills to assist with the nausea. He said the first (Ondansetron or "Zolfran") would be taken twice a day every 6-8 hours for four days following each treatment. The second ("Stemitil") could be taken "as needed" for nausea and vomiting. He told me that nausea is often worse in younger people taking chemo, so if the pills didn't work, he would suggest alternatives. Hold on to your seat. He said: "Melanie, I hate to say this in front of your mother, but do you ever smoke marijuana?" I was sort of shocked and not expecting this. My reply was simply "No." In return, he said: "Well, if these pills don't work, marijuana is likely what I will be prescribing to you."

As you can well conjur, the pills are not working. I vomited while taking them and have still been experiencing nausea, for one. And second, I took an allergic reaction to one of them. One of the cancer nurses called me yesterday to check up on me, and I explained everything that had been going on. She said that this week I will have a follow-up appointment with Dr. MacCormick and I should tell him about all of this then. She said he would likely suggest "something else" (you and I both know what that something will likely be).

Never would I EVER have thought that marijuana would be prescribed to me by a doctor. I did some reading on it and found out that marijuana for medicinal use is perfectly legal in Canada. It is grown in the Prairies and turned into various forms for use in people with terminal illnesses, chronic pain from diseases like MS, and other ailments from serious illnesses (i.e. nausea from chemo). It is even legal to be shipped through Canada Post! I saw an application form online for it, and, if accepted, you can choose whether you want it delivered to your door in dried form or seed form so you can grow it on your own. You then recieve a lisense to possess and grow marijuana. It is prescribed in one-month batches and you need to reapply each month for a new dose. The amount given is decided upon by the amount needed or the illness. There are also various ways of taking the marijuana: pill form (called Marinol), liquid form (called Sativex), or dried form (which can then me smoked in a joint or bong, or baked in foods like brownies).

One thing is for sure, if marijuana was legalized for medical purposes, it took a lot of work. This could only have resulted from an actual need for and benefit from the drug. More simply, it must work if it was legalized for medical purposes. Thus, if it is suggested to me, I will definitely consider trying it out. Who knows, it may just be the cure to my temporary ailments.

To read more about medicinal uses of marijuana, follow these links:

Health Canada: Medicinal Uses of Marihuana

Health Canada: Marihuana for Medical Purposes

Medical Marijuana: User's Guide

Marijuana ProCon. Org

Hits and Misses: The Best Way to Take Medical Marijuana?

Answers.Com: Medical Marijuana

10 Pros and Cons of Medical Marijuana

LA Times: Canada Approves Cannabis Spray

Tell me your opinions on this highly-debated issue!!!