Dear Senator
I am writing as a mom who has watched her almost 19 year old daughter suffer in daily pain for four and a half years. She suffers from chronic pain, due to Lyme disease, Endometriosis and Chronic Migraines. I have watched as she missed most of her Junior year and all of her Senior year, including prom and graduation ceremonies. For that same four and a half years I have watched as doctors prescribe heavy duty medications like oxycodone, hydrocodone and Tramadol. I have watched as Noelle has tried to avoid becoming dependent while trying to ease her pain.
I am writing to encourage you to wonder what you would want if this was your daughter, or your granddaughter. Would you want her to have the chance to try every possible treatment? I honestly don’t know if medical cannabis will change my daughter’s life. But it could. She struggles every day to do the things that others take for granted. She is a fighter and she fights through and does amazing things. But as a mom, I want her life to be easier. It shouldn’t be difficult for her to walk across campus due to leg pain.
Please vote to give my daughter, and many others like her, the chance to try every solution to their medical issues. Give them the right to access medical cannabis right here in Iowa. We love Iowa. We have no desire to move so that our daughter can get access to every option for her medical care.
Thank you for considering voting in favor of medical cannabis. As a life- long Republican I would prefer to continue voting based on other issues than this. If you have questions about our particular situation please feel free to call at ...
With high hopes,
Diane Larson
I have said over and over during this journey that you have no idea what you will do in a given circumstance. I just sent this letter to all of the Iowa Republican Senators. The Medical Cannabis Bill has passed the Iowa House and will now go to the Iowa Senate; at least if I have my information correct. I would love for Noelle to test this treatment for her pain. I feel that the side-effects and possibility of addiction are most likely better than what she currently takes for pain.
As we continue to try and deal with her pain, we had an appointment with our third pain doctor yesterday. I wrote about our first appointment in January of 2014 here, http://larsonquest.blogspot.com/2014/01/rough-week.html. It was not a good experience. Our second attempt was shut down. After reviewing Noelle's records the doctor did not even grant her an appointment. Yesterday, the doctor gave Noelle's pain a great deal of respect and is trying two new medications. We are praying this medications will eventually contribute to lessen Noelle's pain.
In another scheduled attempt at political advocacy, Noelle and I will be attending the Lyme Mayday Protest in Arlington, Virginia, at the end of the month! More on that later!
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