A year ago, a very dear 80 year old woman came through the door, pushing her walker. She seemed somewhat defeated, understandably, having been diagnosed with late-stage lung cancer and being told she had 6-12 months to live. She wanted us to “keep her comfortable”. She was determined she wasn’t going to spend the sunset of her life facing the ravaging effects of chemo and radiation. I could have kissed her for that. Her doctor fully understood, and even told her son that if his own mother were in her shoes, he would not treat her with surgery, chemo, and radiation either.
So, during the past year, we’ve worked with this patient. Among other things we made her Cannabis Oil to take three times a day and we’ve had her do some vaporizing (trying to quell her desire to smoke as well as to douse the tumor with THC). She is unable to tolerate high doses of the oil, so she takes what she can. It’s working! Here it is a full year later and she’s very obviously healthier than she was when she got started.
When I spoke to her on Tuesday, she told me she’d had her one-year follow up with the oncologist (after diagnoses) and he gave her ‘two thumbs up’ saying she is doing something right, and that he believes it’s the Cannabis. She is scheduled for an MRI – because they are curious as to the size of the tumor. Sometimes I think it’s best to just leave the MRI-ing and whatnot alone … the course of treatment will not change, is it worth the risk of another procedure? I certainly understand the curiosity factor with everyone involved – doctors, patient, family members … the treatment is controversial not only in the medical field but within families, and people would like to see how things are turning out.
Myself, I believe that you can take one look at this patient and see that what she’s doing is working! She no longer needs her walker to get around all the time; she has truly “un-withered” and come back to life!
The most important part of all of this is the fact that this patient has truly enjoyed a much higher quality of life than she would have if she had undergone surgery, chemo, and radiation which are the traditional treatments for those who are younger. She has also completed some quilting she wanted to get done in this lifetime, leaving some beautiful keepsakes for family members when the time comes, hopefully long in the future, for her to go home.
We are so thankful to be a part of her wellness at Albany’s Canna Kitchen & Research, LLC, and so happy for her family that they are able to enjoy these days of her life with her getting healthier instead of sicker!