By Gayle Quin
Wow, what a summer, and a most beautiful fall! I’m healing well and can’t express my gratitude enough for all love and good vibrations sent throughout my healing journey. I’ve had a lot of help and support, and would like to thank each and every one of you.
This year is going to be as busy as it will be amazing. We’re off to a roaring start with Owen’s bakery trail, which starts at 10 am on Jan. 16. Please attend as often as possible, as we need to show the courts how many people use medical marijuana to sustain a healthy life. We are looking at a 20 day jury trial. Meet at 9:45 am at the club if you want to walk with us. Read more in this paper, or go to <www. hempology.ca> to read the pre-trial summary. If you don’t like going into the court house, but want to help, please join those standing outside with signs and banners.
The lecture series will continue after court is finished, since there is no way we can teach and be in court. When the lectures resume, Ted will be teaching in the movie theatre, Cinicenta. Next year, we will supplement some lectures with movies, before each 4:20. The UVic Hempology 101 Club will be canvassing the campus to collect 2,000+ signatures to launch a “Reeferendum” so we can re-establish ourselves on our traditional meeting ground by Petch Fountain in front of the Library. Ted is getting very close to publishing his Hempology 101 Textbook. He hopes to have it available by 4/20 (April 20).
Team 420 is doing great. Dodgeball happens Thurs. behind the courthouse at 4:20. The Thurs. after welfare day each month, we have a BBQ. (Bring your own food, BBQ supplied.) Saturdays there is soccer at the new CDI Institute (Hillside and Quadra St.) and we meet at 4:20. Ted is already getting excited about the T.C. 10K run, and getting Herb’s leaves flapping in the wind. So get your runners on if you want to join Team 420 this year! We are hoping to start a second dodgeball session started on Tues. at CDI when the trial is over. Monday, Feb. 13 is the beginning of International Medical Marijuana Week, and what a week to look forward to. We meet at noon in front of the Ministry of Health Bldg. on Blanshard St. There will be an auction of some of Ted’s t-shirt collection. Tuesday Feb. 14 sees us at the club for the end of a men’s/women’s raffle with a dinner date with Ted as one of the prizes for the ladies, and a date with me as a prize for the guys. Wednesday Feb. 15 is 4:20 at UVic. Thursday Feb. 16, there will be a movie showing at UVic. Time and place will be posted at the club and online at hempology.ca. On Fri. Feb. 17, there will be a Cannabis Scavenger Hunt starting at 4:20 pm on the back lawn of the courthouse. Saturday Feb.18, at 4:20 will be the end of the Silent Art Auction. Art and bidding sheets will be going up soon. The grand finale will be the 13th UVic Cannabis Convention on Sun. Feb. 19, which will be followed by an after party at the Sunset Room. Due to the length of the trial, we are going to delay the UBC Cannabis Convention until Sun. Mar. 4.
The 2nd Annual Cannabis Convention, in Nanaimo, at VIU (Vancouver Island University) will be on Sunday Mar. 18. Look throughout the Digest for posters of the conventions to find the locations, and read Kyla’s article to find out why they are so important. Remember, we broadcast the conventions live on stickam.
Whew! Today I would like to write about the more positive sides of my cancer experience. I have had the great pleasure to find, and be under the care of, several health care professionals. The first I’d like to thank and mention is my surgeon, Dr. Orram. He is the kindest and most caring surgeon I’ve ever met. He even made sure to miss the tail of one of my swallow tattoos while doing the surgery—the last thing I was thinking about at the time! He suggested I find a good naturopathic doctor to help me with all the concerns I had about whether to receive chemotherapy or radiation treatments. I was very pleased to tell him that I already had one to help me with my mercury detoxification and was in fact the person to first help with my breast. Once I received a diagnosis from the specialists at the hospital, Dr. Bovee started me on a weekly course of high doses of vitamin C administered intravenously. At 50 grams of vitamin C or more, more oxygen is produced in your body and it attacks tumours and abnormal cells. Exactly what chemo-therapy does! Dr. Bovee also asked me to start ingesting fractionated pectin to keep any displaced cancer cells from adhering to me.
The week before, and two weeks after surgery, Dr. Bovee added glutathione and other ingredients to my vitamin C cocktail to promote healing. The three doctors who looked at my incision during the early weeks were all astonished at the rate and completeness of my healing, so I’d tell them what Dr. Bovee was doing for me. I had no sign of infection the whole time. I also took three capsules of frankincense/turmeric (and still do) as well as up to one full bottle of Cannoil every day for the anti-inflammatory and antibiotic properties. I took no pain pills the entire time, and the vitamin C treatments were able to give me energy and clarity. We continued the vitamin C treatment for 10 weeks in a row after surgery, and have now began alternating the vitamin C and the mercury detox treatments once every three months. I’ve had my ups and downs for sure, but the ups have been much greater, and with all the healing energy and love being sent my way by so many, I keep feeling better every day! I’m slowly getting back to work and can’t wait to start gardening; something I haven’t had the strength for in quite awhile. The Universe seems to be conspiring to get me to take up Yoga. Dr. Bovee first suggested it, and Ted laughed. Then I figured out it was because I’d have to learn to sit still. Then a new member joined up who is a Yoga instructor, so we’ll see what the New Year brings!
With that, I’d like to introduce you to Dr. Kristen Bovee, ND. Kristen grew up in Sherwood Park in Edmonton, Alberta. She came to B.C. in 1989. Kristen had come to visit the year before, and while attending University of Alberta, in Calgary, she decided to come and join her sister on the West Coast, to get away from home and start her own life journey. She obtained a degree in Bio- Chemistry from UVic. While going to school, Kristen started working at Green Cuisine (a Vegan restaurant) first doing dishes then moving on to prep cook, and finally learning to juice. This was her introduction to good nutrition; she became a vegetarian and started learning how to cook and eat better. She also worked doing dishes and one on one home care work. The latter is that which lead her to first think about becoming a doctor. So she took a year off and went to Australia, then Indonesia where she describes having a tough time. Kristen came back to Canada quite discombobulated and did odd jobs for a year before deciding to put her degree to work. She got a job with a bio-chemical which was generally quite stressful. A helping co-worker suggested going to a sweat lodge—the two went together every New and Full Moon for almost two years. Many thanks to the Tsawout First Nation. Kristen became unhappy at work and started looking for a new job. Through a bout of unwell-ness, another friend suggested Kristen see a naturopathic doctor. This sparked an interest in how her body worked, and she moved to Toronto for the next four years while she obtained her Naturopathic Doctorate. While attending school, Kristen volunteered with the Anishnawbe Homeless Project. She made lunches and helped drive around giving them out to the homeless, as well as another who helped with chiropractic skills. In Feb. 2002, Kristen came back to Victoria to open a Clinic. Ending up in Sidney, she got a loan and started the Peninsula Naturopathic Clinic at #102- 9725 Fourth St, Sidney, B.C. She started with a bare concrete floor, and no walls for rooms. It is now a sparkling, bustling hive of activity as Kristen shares the space with two other N.D.s, a massage therapist, and a colon therapist. Kristen was excited to tell me she was having an open house in April for her 10th anniversary of the clinic. Look for the date and time on their website <www.peninsulanaturopathic.com> or phone 250-655-1660. Kristen now takes great pride in, and is very happy with, her work. She says the most enjoyable part of her work is meeting different people and helping them to sort out their personal health puzzles.
“A lot of people come frustrated with our health care system, and I help them figure out how to empower themselves and commit to another better way. It’s most challenging finding a balance between work and home life whilst running your own business,” she says with a smile. The most frustrating part is trying to find time to stay connected to spirit, and wishes for more time to connect with her community and do more volunteer work. All things we can all relate to for sure.
It has been an incredible healing journey Kristen has been helping me through, and I strongly urge any of you who are not happy with their health care to find a qualified naturopathic doctor, or another type of qualified alternative health care professional.
Another person of great assistance in my recovery is chiropractor Mark Galloway. He studied kinesiology at UVic, and works by balancing your muscles to allow your bones to realign themselves. He may be reached at 250-655-3233 and is located in Sidney. Call first as he may be moving soon.
Once again, I can’t thank everyone enough for all the loving energy that’s has been pouring my way. It’s been great to see folks again. Have a Hempy New Year and see you in court! Lots of love, Gayle.
