THOSE SUFFERING COULD BE US

I lost my mother to uterine and breast cancer the same week that I was
diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, so I know a little bit about the
suffering of people with terminal or serious illness.

My stoic mother was in terrible pain for a week while her nurses and I
fought to have morphine prescribed for her. After my pancreatic
resection, which included partial removal of my stomach and colon,
food and medicine refused to stay down. Medications for calming my
stomach and reducing pain were of little use since they wouldn't stay
in my stomach long enough to digest.

This is a bit graphic, but now that a truly medical marijuana bill is
available, we need to face that swallowing "proven medication" doesn't
always work. We have to face that those suffering could be us or those
we love. Please vote yes on Initiative 692.

Some are concerned that this bill might make marijuana available to
our youth. When I was sickest, a friend confided that her non-using
kids said they could get marijuana for me within a day anytime. I
resisted asking someone to break the law. Now that we have a carefully
worded initiative that increases availability only to the seriously
ill, please allow cancer and glaucoma patients to relieve their suffering.

Norma L. Plumb, Lynnwood

Checked-by: Rich O'Grady