CAAAANE!
Saturday, March 21, 2015
An Open Letter on the Legalization of Medicinal Marijuana in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
An open letter to Governor Tom Wolf, Senator Jay Costa, and
Representative Ed Gainey on the legalization of medicinal marijuana in the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Dear Sirs,
It is a sad time to live in this country when people feel
the need to uproot their entire lives and move to another state in order to get
the medical treatment they require. Sadder still is when it’s political discord
rather than availability that is keeping people from receiving adequate medical
attention.
The conversation about medical marijuana is always a tricky
one, both because of the social stigma that needs to be overcome, and the fear
advocates have that not only will we be denied such a beneficial medication,
but that we may be deprived of some of the existing medications we currently
legally take. With that in mind I tread these waters lightly, but with the firm
conviction that it is the right of every person who is in pain to receive the
help they need, regardless of political pressures or social sensitivities.
I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2001, three
months before my 20th birthday. In the 13+ years since then, I have
also been diagnosed with fibromyalgia and, following the shooting at my
workplace in 2012, I suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder. Every day I
take ten different medications to help with painful spasms, tremors,
depression, and a host of other symptoms, plus vitamins and minerals to
compensate for what these medications deprive my body of such as iron and
vitamin D. I am not on medications for fatigue, sensation loss, or muscle
weakness because my doctors have decided I’m on so many medications it would be
dangerous to add on more. As is, my pain and tremors are not fully controlled
by the medications I take, but to increase dosages of medications I already
take would be dangerous and, as I previously mentioned, it’s not terribly safe
to put me on more.
A typical week’s worth of medications. Each container holds one day’s meds.
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When I have access to marijuana, my pain goes away far better
and faster than when I take my regular medications. When I have access to
marijuana, my vertigo is tolerable. When I have access to marijuana, my tremors
lessen and spasms die down. When I have access to marijuana, my anxiety
disappears and my depression is easier to handle and I sleep through the night
and don’t have nightmares of gunshots.
As of publication there are 23 states who allow patients to
use medical cannabis to ease the pain and suffering of people with multiple
sclerosis, Parkinson’s, glaucoma, muscular dystrophy, terminal cancer, and
other debilitating medical conditions. Why have we not yet started treating our
citizens with the same respect and access to healthcare that other states
provide theirs?
Governor Wolf, Senator Costa, and Representative Gainey, I
ask you, please make this a discussion about patient care, not about politics.
There are thousands of people suffering every day who could be helped by access
to medicinal marijuana, and with modern medical advances prolonging the lives
of people with severe medical conditions, there will be more and more people in
need of effective treatment every year. Legalize medicinal cannabis to help us
live through our pain rather than despite it. Please. You can be the heroes of
thousands of patients, but nothing can happen until the laws are changed, and
it’s in your power to start that change.
Thank you for your consideration,
Alisa Grishman
Pittsburgh, PA
A List Of Things It’s OK To Ask A Person With A Disability That Was Rejected By McSweeney's So I'm Posting It Here
- Would you like a hand with that?
- What’s your name?
- Do you know what time it is?
- How do I get to the nearest gas station?
- Can I buy you a drink?
- Would you like that for here or to go?
- Do you believe that aliens built the pyramids?
- Who really shot JFK?
- Can you solve the Twin Prime Conjecture?
- Who let the dogs out? Who? Who? Who?
- What would you do for a Klondike bar?
- Does my butt look good in these jeans?
- Oh my god, where did you get those shoes?!
Wednesday, March 4, 2015
Relapse
Welp. I just got out of the hospital... Thank you, multiple sclerosis, for being horrible. Lots of writings and whatnot I want to make about what a truly dehumanizing experience being hospitalized is, but right now I am quite seriously in withdrawal from steroids (sweating, shaking, gross) and weak from the relapse, so al I'm up for right now is lying in bed shaking. But I'm still alive. That's what matters, right?
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