HEAL THYSELF

For a good portion of my adult life, I have dealt with issues that have made feeling healthy seem like nothing more than a fantasy. When one disappears, tree more take it's place. To quote a lyric from Mick & the Boys. “Please allow me to introduce myself.” I am a 70 year old Vietnam Vet and 50 year morning radio vet who is now living the stereotype – retired in South Florida. That's the “Cliff Notes” version and, pretty much, all you need to know. In fact, even that much is somewhat irrelevant except as a point of reference. What is necessary knowledge is the fact that I have been dealing with health issues since I was 35 and hospitalized for the first time with heart issues. Over the ensuing 35 years, my health seemed to deteriorate at a faster rate than I could keep up with. More cardiac problems, high cholesterol, “screaming” triglycerides, Diabetes and a blood pressure that I just assumed was that high because of my Jewish genetics. By the time I hit 60, I was taking about 15 pills a day, splitting them up between morning and evening with a few that I had to take twice a day. This is where I was up to about a year ago when I passed out at home and had to be taken, by ambulance to the hospital. I had been dealing with atrial fibrillation, an erratic heartbeat, and its accompanying medications, including heavy blood thinners, for more than 3 decades so a cardiac ablation was suggested and I had it done. They went in through both sides of my groin and froze a few “trigger” areas of my heart so it could go back to a normal beat, which it did with the exception of occasional rogue palpitations. I will preface the remainder of the story by telling you that I smoked my first joint when I was 19 years old and stationed outside of Nashville. It was 1966 and I had a date with a girl from one of the colleges in town. She pulled a joint out of her purse and I started to panic. I didn't, really, know what to do and I didn't want to embarrass myself, so.......I did everything she did. It worked and I really liked it and have been a proponent ever since. But, it was always purely recreational with no thought of medicinal value until recently. I smoked the way I smoked – that was that. While, in my younger years, it served as an adjunct to booze, it eventually became a fitting substitute when I stopped drinking altogether. As a diabetic, a sip of wine can put me under the table and, at 70, that's not where I want to find myself. It's just too hard to get back up. The cardiac ablation was a relative success and the doc told me I could go home the following day. There was just one problem. My blood pressure was extremely high at 200/103 and the only way they would release me was if we could bring it down with the top number below 160. They tried a pill which didn't work. Then they tried an injection of a different BP drug to no avail. For the next three days they gave me pills, shots and combinations of both but I was still hovering around 175 to 190. That's when I became completely fed up and told them that I wanted to release myself and go home. As much as they tried to convince me of the folly of my request, I insisted until the cardiologist said, “Fine, just make an appointment to follow up in a week.” When my wife came to pick me up, I already knew what my course of action would be when I got home. I had recently discovered medicinal strains of cannabis and was beginning to understand how different strains were being bred for different ailments and how curative it actually is. I got into bed and filled my little stone pipe with medicinal weed. I took a few hits and closed my eyes and took a nice, relaxing breath. After a few minutes I pulled out my BP cuff. I took my blood pressure and, for the first time in weeks, it read 118/74. I did the follow ups with my cardiologist and my primary who, now, both reflect in their records that I prefer cannabis to control my blood pressure. I have come off all BP meds except 1 and all of my cardiac meds. What was a 15 pill a day regimen is now about 7 pills a day and those include pills for diabetes and cholesterol which I have in control. Medicinal marijuana is now legal in 22 states including Florida. What was a pure joy for 51 years is now a necessary medicine........and sill a pure joy! I'm feelin' pretty good on a daily basis. Fantasy fulfilled.