By Gayle Quin
Although summer took a long time to come, it was packed full of fun and lots of hard work. The Reach For the Pot Tournament was full of excitement and fun with team “Smoke on the Water” screaming to the top! Congratulations to Brandi, Fayaz, Jason, and John. This year’s contest winners are: Best T-Shirt: Rocky; Best Pipe: Dan, and Bong: Lotus; and Best Joint Rollers: Liam and James.
On Sept. 7, we started the 16th Anniversary of Hempology 101 celebrations by holding a handful of rallies to protest Health Canada’s proposed changes to the MMAR program. This was done while Ted was in a meeting with Health Canada officials in Vancouver. Later in the afternoon, we held the first 4:20 of the school year at the University of Victoria. Finally, the International Hempology 101 Society held its 16th Anniversary March, which was very well attended this year. We paraded from Centennial Square to the Legislative Buildings, where we had a photo taken for the annual postcard. We also gave out the personal trophy bongs to the winners of Reach For The Pot, and prizes for the contests. The Jack Herer Bowl for Most Valiant Player in the tournament was given to Brandi. You can check out the video and pics on the Hempology 101 YouTube channel and forums.
Ted went to Vancouver to get the Hempology 101 Club at UBC up and running and it looks to be off to a fine start. Nai and Graehame were excited to be back and are getting a first hand experience of democracy in action. There was some discussion of the ropers (pro hemp) splitting from the tokers (pro cannabis), but in the end agreed it was all one plant and they could work together. The Vancouver Island University Hempology 101 Club is doing well with Amie, one of our writers, as president this year. Both clubs will be hosting their second conventions this Jan. and March.
The lectures have started at UVic again, as always they are free and lots of fun. They are being held in the old club Vertigo in the SUB Building, not room 110b as some earlier posters suggested. Remember, if you can’t make it out to the University, we broadcast live on stickam (you can chat and ask questions, but Dan types with one finger so be patient please) and post them on the Hempology 101 YouTube page as well.
Team 420 has gone well this summer, too, with weekly dodgeball games starting every week on the backlawn of the downtown courthouse every Thurs. at 4:20, and weekly soccer games at the old field behind the BC Smoke Shop on Quadra St. every Sat. at 4:20.
I’ve spent a good part of my life wondering what was wrong with everyone until I discovered I was ahead of my time. An early warning signal, or canary in the coal mine if you will. The universe has a great sense of humour, and this is how it is teaching me patience. So, it is a great encouragement for me to hear people other than myself and Ted finally being concerned over Mr. Harper’s proposed crime bill. It is never too late for anything but non-action. Get in touch with your local MP and MLA, and write a letter or email parliament (it’s free).
The biggest problem with having breast cancer (beside losing my right breast) was trying to find a doctor. Our health care system is not what it was 10 years ago. You now have to go to a clinic and wait—and wait—and then you had better not tell your doctor you use cannabis as medicine. My whole life I have been honest with my doctors. In the 1990s, Dr. Graham even documented how cannabis helped save my life after being diagnosed with Hep. C and given the prognosis of death within five years.
Since the introduction of the MMAR, though, I have had such responses as, “We do not help your type here,” “I do not believe you have been as sick as you say you have been,” and “You are probably going to need surgery but I do not have hospital privileges.” The responses used to be, “Thank goodness it is not tobacco,” “It will not hurt you,” “Do not worry about it,” and “Keep it up.” How times change.
But this article is about my dance with cancer. Once you get their attention they will want to hack you up right away, and if you do not do things on their schedule they will make you wait.
My first time to the hospital was for a mammogram that produced positive results, so it was into the next room for an ultrasound that produced positive results, also. So a specialist came to talk to me and said he could do a biopsy in 20 min. for me. I said I did not want one and that I just wanted to see a surgeon. Two weeks later, the surgeon said he would not operate without doing a biopsy first. A positive mammogram is justification for surgery and they will do a biopsy when they knock you out to see how extensive the cancer is, so having a biopsy is not really necessary, in my opinion. According to Susan Weed, in her book Breast Cancer? Breast Health! the Wise Woman Way, 90 percent of tests come back inconclusive, adding to the waiting time while putting the body through the hell of a small surgery.
After cancer surgery, I was told there is a six to eight week recovery period which is turning into more like six to eight months. I am starting on month four now. I know my ceiling intimately, and discovered I really like animé. I feel like I am hopefully half way to being recovered.
I was told by the lady in the hospital bed next to me that “ice would be my friend.” Small ice packs have been helpful to keep swelling under control. Big ones are too heavy. I eat turmeric and frankincense every day because they are good anti-inflammatories, but eating cannabis is the best to relieve the inflammation. I have been ingesting one bottle of Cannoil each day so that I can sleep and be in as little pain as possible. I make a big smoothie with most of my meds in it and have a cup three times a day. I put one and a half cups of fruit juice—preferably apple, one cup of yogurt, one bottle of Cannoil, one tablespoon of fractionated pectin, one teaspoon of vitamin C crystals, one tablespoon of aloe vera gel, one tablespoon of ground flax seeds, two tablespoons of hemp hearts, and one cup of frozen fruit into a blender. I drink this morning, afternoon, and evening.
The fractionated pectin keeps loosened cancer cells from re-adhering and now I just take it three days a week. I also take two tablespoons of ground flax seeds daily as a replacement for tamoxifen, a hormone therapy often given under the circumstances. As well as in the smoothie, I put one tablespoon on some cottage cheese and eat that every day, too. All of these foods help fight cancer according to my naturopath and the books I have read.
I was not healing as fast as I thought I should be, and it turned out I received a rotator cuff injury during the operation that was not treated. As a result, my shoulder has been very sore, something I did not expect.
In the next issue I will explain my naturopathic treatments and cancer fighting foods.
