Become A ‘Criminal’ Or Continue to Risk Death: I Have A Decision To Make

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I have a decision to make.

I am trying to decide if I am willing to become a criminal for the sake of my health and quality of life.  If so, I  would be considered a violator of a federal law, facing a maximum penalty of $50 million and life in prison.

Here is the choice I face:

1)  Continue to take legal and potent medications to treat my Rheumatoid Arthritis

or

2)  Consider using a drug that although legal in my state, is considered a violation of federal law:

marijuana aka wheat,  ganga fu, butter, rainy day woman, diablito, o.j., love leaf, kif, binky, moocha, gong, juanita, poke, hooch, skunk, swag, hash, blunt, yellow submarine, sweet lucy, dimba, juju, poke, hooch, pakaloco, grass, boo…

Last summer, I almost died.  Not figuratively speaking, I mean really.  

I. Almost. Died.  

An infection made it to my blood stream and I was minutes away from having organ failure and dying, had I not gone to the ER when I did.

I live in pain, every single day of my life.  Some days it’s my feet or my wrists or my neck or my knees.  Oftentimes, it’s all of the above.  In spite of it all,   I love my little life and consider myself incredibly blessed.  I am not however, a masochist nor a martyr.  Although I have learned to accept my situation, it would be nice to feel better and to improve my quality of life.

I have a long and complicated medical history that no one in their right mind has time to listen to (or would willingly, even if they had the time.)  Trust me. 

The bottom line is that there is no cure for RA, and although there are well-known medications that reduce symptoms and new ones that are coming on the market, the side effects are horrendous.

There is no question (per numerous doctors that treated me) that my long-term use of some of these medications significantly contributed (if not caused) me to get this deadly infection.  One of the common side effects of these types of drugs is weakening of the immune system, thus making the patient more susceptible to infections or worsening of an existing infection.

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Not to mention:

{thinning skin, easy bruising, changes in the shape or location of body fat (especially in your face, neck, back, and waist), increased acne or facial hair, menstrual problems, impotence, or loss of interest in sex, increased appetite, fluid retention, weight gain, increased blood sugar (which can lead to diabetes), extreme fatigue, difficulty swallowing, increase in blood pressure, unfavorable changes in cholesterol levels, irritation of lining of stomach and small intestine, ulcers, bleeding, early cataracts and glaucoma, thinning of the bones leading to osteoporosis, mood changes (some people get “revved up” and have trouble sleeping, others get depressed), adrenal suppression, lymphoma.}

I have tried most of the medications available including chemotherapy to treat my RA. Some have helped but they have come at a high price, literally and figuratively.

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Last Tuesday, I met with a certified well-respected doctor who specializes in medical marijuana, to discuss the potential benefits for Rheumatoid Arthritis patients.  Holy Shit.  There are many, including the suppression of inflammation.  Inflammation is my enemy.  Inflammation is actually everyone’s enemy and the cause as well as the result of many illnesses.

 Marijuana use for RA patients promises to attack inflammation, target pain, relax muscles and help with sleep.  Many of the RA drugs out there promise the same benefits but the side effects of marijuana use are NOTHING compared to those of the conventional medications.   If marijuana use works for me, I could potentially cut FIVE of the many medications I take daily.  That is HUGE.  Less poison in my system!  

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Potential Side Effects of Marijuana use:

sensory distortion, panic, anxiety, poor coordination of movement, lowered reaction time, the user may feel sleepy or depressed , increased heartbeat,dizziness, shallow breathing, red eyes, dilated pupils, dry mouth, increased appetite, paranoia, suspicion, distrust or fear of other people.

Nobody likes side effects but unfortunately, there is no such thing as no side effects when it comes to medications or certain medical treatments.  When comparing the side effects of marijuana to my current medications, to me,  it’s a no brainer.

Problem:

The federal law does not recognize medicinal marijuana as acceptable or having medicinal value even if its use is protected under state law. It is not approved by the FDA as a drug that can be prescribed by doctors. Basically, we are halfway there but not quite there.  This is not fair to patients who are getting arrested and not fair or practical to expect law enforcement to be responsible for verifying the authenticity of a patient when the state and the federal agencies are not in sync. 

After qualifying me as a medicinal marijuana candidate, the doctor gave me a pin number to use when registering my name with the Sate Health Department. If I do this, I want to do it right.  I am not interested in getting high every day just for the heck of it .  I would like to try the specific strains that target pain and inflammation that may improve my quality of life.

If approved, I will receive my medicinal marijuana ID in a few weeks.  It has been suggested that I use a vaporizer to administer the marijuana as opposed to smoking it. That sounds fine to me. 

I have researched the arrests of medicinal marijuana patients in my state and they are greater than I would have hoped.  The confusion and lack of a standardized process has made it difficult for all involved.  I don’t think the police or the FEDS are going to necessarily be interested in little ‘ol me but it is uncomfortable knowing that my name is registered in a state system and that I am in violation of the federal law. 

Typically, I  find humor of most situations I encounter and believe me, I was tempted to insert all kinds of jokes in this post (like me dealing with distrust and  fear of others as a side effect of marijuana) but I need to be serious about this first before I am able to laugh and enjoy the benefits.

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Marijuana fines and penalties:

{1000 Kilos or + or 100 plants or + = $10/50million = 10 years to life

100 to 999 Kilos or 100-999 plants = $5/25million = 5 to 40 yrs

50 to 99 kilos or 50-99 plants = $1/5million = up to 20 yrs

Less than 50 kilos, 10 kilos of hashish, 1 kilo of hashish oil or 1-49 plants =$250,000/1million = up to 5 yrs }

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What are your thoughts on this topic?

I Was Awakened/ Order of Seven Blog Tour

I like hearts

When Beth Teliho‘s book, Order of Seven came out, I was so excited for her that on my Facebook page, I made it Beth Teliho Day and took the liberty of changing her cover into a heart-shape.  Because love.

When Starr Bryson from Starry Knight Word Slayers ,posted a sign-up sheet to host Beth on her blog tour, apparently I must have been drinking dozing because I missed it.  After sobering up panicking and begging,  I was able to sign up to do a review of Order of Seven or as the cool people refer to it, 0o7.

So I begin my review with part of a quote from the book;

“…those of us who weren’t aware, had to be awakened…”

This quote is in reference to a critical point in the story where the main character, Devi, finally realizes what her mission is and can make sense of the twists and turns her life has taken and why she is the way she is.  It is at that moment when she understands her true purpose.

That is precisely what this captivating book does.  It takes you on a transcendental journey along with the well-formed and intriguing characters, as they search for the meaning of their existence and the answers to their many questions.  Throughout this pilgrimage, they learn of their individual superpowers and how those powers interact with the powers of others as well as how they relate to the earth’s energy.

As the reader, you are awakened along with the characters, in that you appreciate the importance of being balanced with your surroundings and better understand how your actions and thoughts can affect others.  In this age where life quickly passes by via a text or tweet, you are reminded to take pause and be mindful of your own energy against the beauty of earth’s natural resources.

Beth takes her reader on a full curriculum of educational experiences as she weaves her knowledge on many subjects including history, anthropology, earth sciences and geophysics, into a beautiful love story defined by trust, strength and collaboration.  She succeeds in blending it all together thus producing a riveting and suspenseful read.

In other words, this book rocks!  

I applaud Beth for her process (4 years of research into fruition) and accomplishments {I am clapping a lot right now} and look forward to reading her future projects (hurry up and get writing, girl!)

ps. I may have your husband beat in that I, am the slowest reader in the world. HA!

Please head on over to amazon to order Order of Seven, ahora, not mañana.

…and she’s beautiful too

BETH TELIHO is a writer, artist and tree hugger who lives in Texas with her husband and two adventurous sons. Restless in the mundane, she writes about the abnormal, paranormal and otherwise fantastical because that’s what quickens her heartbeat. She laughs at inappropriate jokes, and prefers spicy food and margaritas to almost anything. One day, she hopes to live in a treehouse, where she can be an eccentric introvert with at least seven cats.

Blog: www.bethteliho.me

Facebook: www.facebook.com/writerbisme

Twitterverse: @beth_teliho

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/bethteliho 

 

My Husband Loves Owls & As It Turns Out, He Married One

brickhousechick

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When I started dating Mr. B, I learned that he was an avid birder.  A what, I asked?  I found out that not only did he enjoy this daytime hobby, but that he also enjoyed an occasional “owling” session in the middle the night.  Que, que?

I was convinced that once married, he would choose staying in the warm bed with his new bride over going owling at nights.  Lucky for me, he was too exhausted most of the time and stayed in bed.   At first I didn’t give a hoot about owls but then I learned more about them and happily supported Mr. B’s love for birds and all wildlife.

Did you know that you can actually go out and call the owls and they will return the call?  Mr. B is highly proficient at owl calling and can imitate them perfectly.  Click here if you want to listen…

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My Husband Loves Owls & As It Turns Out, He Married One

pinterest.com

When I started dating Mr. B, I learned that he was an avid birder.  A what, I asked?  I found out that not only did he enjoy this daytime hobby, but that he also enjoyed an occasional “owling” session in the middle the night.  Que, que?

I was convinced that once married, he would choose staying in the warm bed with his new bride over going owling at nights.  Lucky for me, he was too exhausted most of the time and stayed in bed.   At first I didn’t give a hoot about owls but then I learned more about them and happily supported Mr. B’s love for birds and all wildlife.

Did you know that you can actually go out and call the owls and they will return the call?  Mr. B is highly proficient at owl calling and can imitate them perfectly.  Click here if you want to listen to some real owl calls.

*Fun fact: The female barred owl call, sounds like it’s saying, “Who cooks for you? Who cooks for you?” Take a listen.  

So what is my point and why does the title of this post say that he married an owl?  Let me explain.

I have recently discovered, now that we have no owlets at home, that I must be either part wolf, part vampire or part owl.  Since vampires are over exposed and wolves are creepy,  I choose owl.

Holy, night owl!  

I have become a lover of the night.

A woman of the night.

A spirit of the night.

I come alive when the sun goes down.  

I go from being a tight and stiff little chrysalis to becoming a beautiful and free butterfly.

Well, you get my point.

As many of you know, morning is not my time.  That’s when my joints ache and when I lay in bed for hours.  By 2:00 pm, I am finally vertical and somewhat alive.  By 6:00 pm, I am ready to…PARTY!  Almost everything in my body feels a bit more loose and I just want to go out and conquer the world.  The problem is that the world has already been conquered by Mr. B during the daylight hours and all he wants to do is fall flat on his face on his side of the bed.

Three weekends ago we stayed out until 1:30 am.  That was one of the best nights we have had since, for ever.  I felt alive as I took in the sights and smells (pot smoke mostly) of the night and all the joy that came with it.

This past weekend we went to a concert to see a group I have raved about called, Postmodern Jukebox.  You really need to check them out.  

Mr. B had spent the entire day ending hunger, curing cancer, planting our garden, mowing the lawn, painting the side of the house and bringing me breakfast and lunch in bed.  I, on the other hand, had spent most of the day  horizontal.  By 7:00 pm I was PUMPED and ready to take on the night.

She only comes out at night…

(Oh-oh, here she comes)
Watch out boy
She’ll chew you up
(Oh-oh, here she comes)
She’s a maneater

Before leaving for the concert, Mr. B looked around for some kind of dinner I may have made for us and that’s when (not unlike the female barred owl), I said to him,  “Who cooks for you? Who cooks for you? Not I.”   So we and our empty stomachs, left for the concert.

As we waited for the concert to begin (at the bar),  I began to feel so loose and free that not even an unbuckled seatbelt could compete with my looseness.  I smiled at Mr. B and told him how much I loved him.  In fact, I told everyone around me how much I loved them (empty stomachs will make you say stuff). I wore black funky heels which I never wear anymore just because I wanted to.  Although I took them off for most of the concert, I felt feminine and beautiful.  Oh, and I  told random people around me that they too, looked beautiful.

After enjoying the music, behaving like a real groupie and literally swaying my arms from left to right along with the music and the crowd, the show was over.  For most people.  For me, the hunt had just begun.

I needed to stay around the venue to meet some of the band members.  Particularly, the piano player and the hot bass player.  Sure enough, they finally came out and blessed us (me) with their presence.  I got my picture taken with both Mr. Bass and Mr. Piano.  I also proposed to both of them.  They were very afraid.

She only comes out at night…

(Oh-oh, here she comes)
Watch out boy
She’ll chew you up
(Oh-oh, here she comes)
She’s a maneater

Then, Mr. B practically carried me to a bar nearby so that we could put some food into our stomachs.  The name of the bar is, The Dirty Truth.  Is that not the most awesome name??  We had 10 minutes to order before the kitchen closed.  I remember welcoming the waiter to the bar even though…he works there.  Suddenly, who walks in but the hot bass player.  He saw me and panicked, (it’s the crazy lady again!)

As Mr. B and I ate and drank some more, I turned to him and told him that he was the best husband ever.  I told him how much I appreciated his willingness to have fun with me and to humor me while I basked in my high from being out and feeling free.  I also thanked him for taking  me out of my daily “cage” where I sit alone in pain for hours at a time.  And for letting me fly.

 Although I wasn’t allowed to keep or eat my prey (like Mrs. barred owl gets to do), I enjoyed the hunt, the sights and the company.

I would rotate my head 270 degrees for Mr. B, anytime!