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FROM THE MAGAZINE

The Faces of Medical Marijuana: Jim Miller’s Story

BY LARRY LECHUGA, THE420TIMES.COM

Due to a large tumor in his abdomen, Jim Miller had to undergo a gastrectomy, a procedure that involves the removal of the stomach. Despite the uncertainties surrounding his condition going into surgery, Jim remained optimistic that he would live to see another day. Indeed, Jim emerged from his surgery without his stomach, but otherwise healthy. He finds that medical marijuana provides him with multiple benefits: it helps jump-start his appetite, improves his mood, and helps manage the side effects of a pill he had been taking while on chemotherapy.

I went into a hospital on a Monday morning, and they found that I was bleeding internally. There begins my story! Tubes were inserted through my nose and, based on the amount of blood I was losing, a tranfusion was begun. A long, long story shorter? The next day, they decided to physically check my abdomen, and the doctor was amazed at how disproportionate my belly was. He asked me if it had been like this and I replied: “Well yes, sir, you should have checked it yesterday.”

He then immediately ordered a CT scan on my abdomen and they were amazed at what they found. A rather LARGE mass had covered up my internal region. They, in shock, requested to perform surgery right away!

The next morning, I had to wait in extreme discomfort until an operating room was available, and the doctor even came in that morning to talk with me. He said he had been in the business for 30 years and had never seen anything like what they saw in my CT scan. So, from that, all he could say is they have no idea what they are going after, and would not, until they open me up!

Later that evening, a room became available and the surgery was about to be performed. I was about at the end of the line with it all and was feeling like this was my call to heaven. My father had been throwing holy water on me prior and calling in the priest to pray for me. My sisters were holding my hands and asking me if I was scared. My wife and children were looking right through me as if in shock! I had to let it go to my higher power at that time, and I was ready!

At 47 years old, I assumed my time was up, and yet I was not ready to give in! There was a strange sense of faith and power that was overwhelming that day! Something deep inside had said this was just a passage in the story of my life!

The first hospital opened me up and looked at what was a rather large mass covering my internal abdomen, and they cut it in half to see how they would be able to extract this large tumor. At this point, they decided that they would not be able to perform this surgery based on the complexity involved. They were afraid they were going to cut a main artery that they did not have the staff and technology to support this procedure. They decided to close me up and put me in a coma to have me transported to another hospital.

The next day, at the other hospital, they decided they needed to make a decision soon, since I had been under anesthetic for such a long time that a fever was starting to develop. They decided they could remove this tumor in full — but I had to sacrifice my stomach with it. Those were the words I awoke to, 2 days after the initial surgery.

It was found to be a 17 pound GIST tumor which wrapped itself around my stomach, and they had no choice but to remove it all! This was 7 months ago. Although I am several pounds lighter than when I went into the hospital, I am fortunate to be alive and doing rather well! I find that my situation is not too uncommon; I suppose there was a reason for it all. It just wasn’t my time to go yet.

Because my stomach was removed, one of the biggest obstacles for me is eating. The doctors wanted to start me on a synthetic drug called Marinol — or something like that — and I chose to be part of the medical marijuana plan instead, since I knew much about the drug anyway.

Of course, I would rather wish to take a natural drug instead of a synthetic drug that I know nothing about or the effects it may have on my body. Anyway, when I asked the doctors at the hospital to sign my form for the program, they did not know what to do. I suppose I was the first patient requesting a signature for the medical marijuana program, and I was surprised. After all, I am in a world of cancer patients and they all should be trying this alternative!

The bottom line is that it makes my appetite increase and relieves many of the depressed thoughts I have along with stress and the side effects of the chemo pill I had been taking! All good for me! I will stand up in front of the world and tell them how it has been a blessing for me to be part of the medical marijuana program!