Cancer
Kathy R. Colton
USA
My Mom and Me
On December 10, 1983, on my mom's 54th birthday, I showed up to take
care of her in her final months of living with cancer. I was 24. I did the
shopping, housework, I bathed her, fed her, gave her medication, changed
her dressings, massaged her, let her yell at me one minute and laugh the next
when the cancer entered her brain, and spent every minute I could with
her.
She was in insurmountable pain. Even with all the pills available, she just
couldn't stand it. It was extremely hard to watch this feisty independent-
thinking woman that used to stop me in my tracks just by putting her
fingernails on my scalp, withering away at 75 lb. I remember getting in a
contest with her to see who could lose 20 lb. the fastest when we both
weighed in at 165 lb - 7 years earlier!
She won... it was then we discovered the cancer. It was a most deadly strain.
My best friend's mom had just died of the same strain that month. I didn't
handle things very well the next few years. Mom went through the gamut
of treatments, and they didn't work- She fought for about 7 years. So there
she was on the last leg of this horrific fight, losing it with no hope, sent
home to die because the hospital could do no more. I was smoking cannabis
for the stress I was under, and she thought that was fine. She knew it
was therapeutic with the dosage I was consuming, and she relied on my
competence morning, noon and night without regret or question.
There came a point,just before Christmas when the pain was too much to
bear. She asked me if cannabis would help her. I said," In my experience, yes,
definitely." Many people do radical things for the wrong reason, but this was
not the case-e smoked... she got some much needed sleep and I cleaned
the kitchen and prepared dinner. No rimes committed here. I was grateful
she got some rest.
hen she awoke, a most awesome thing happened. SWAS HUNGRY! I
thanked God and Lord Jesus and cried. I made her some food, which she ate
and then smiled. She said, "Xathy, I had no idea. I wish I had mown earlier
how this helps-" I told her,"You know now, so whenever you need it mom,
just tell me." So from then on until I had to leave just before her death, we
smoked, we talked, at one point she wanted to know why she had to share
with me. I smiled and said' To share in this stressful time, and to keep it lit."
She didn't understand so E rolled one for her, lit it and handed it to her
to smoke. Every other 'pub' as she called it, I had to re-light it for her, so
she understood. It didn't become an issue after that. Her hospital bed was
situated in the breakfast area off the side of the living room. There was a 'pass
through' in the wall if anyone wanted food or coffee passed through to the
breakfast area but now we were using it to talk to each other while I was in
the kitchen. One time I recall vividly, we had just smoked marihuana before
I prepared dinner so she could rest before she ate. She had just received this
beautiful music box that had one of her favorite classical music pieces, and
she was playing it while she was resting, waiting for dinner. Her eyes were
closed, her fists were under her back, (part of her spine had been fused.) and
her legs were rocking side to side. Her look was peaceful. Her husband came
into the kitchen to discuss her comfort.
e must have been a bit too loud because all of a sudden her forehead got
all crinkled and she said in a whisper..."Ssshhhhhh-... I'm skating! "e were
disturbing her visualization of that peaceful place where cannabis helped
her go Before she died on January 29, 1984, she learned of its benefits.
Please don't watch your loved ones wither away and die before at least giving
cannabis a chance. Obtain it any way you can for their comfort. It is the
most compassionate thing you can do. The law is wrong. They deserve that
much comfort from the pain. I've seen it. Nobody will ever convince me
otherwise.
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