BY THE PEOPLE FOR THE PEOPLE! TELL OUR GOVERNMENT WHAT YOU WANT, WHAT ISN'T WORKING, WHAT YOU NEED!!! IF YOU DON'T TELL THEM THE CHANGES WON'T BE MADE!!!
GET ACTIVE DAMMIT!
I did. Today I sent the following email to Our President, my Govener, Representative, and Senators, YOU SHOULD SEND THEM LETTERS TOO!
If you don't know how to contact your ELECTED officials, you may use this site: http://www.usa.gov/Contact/Elected.shtml
8/11/2011
Dear Mr. President,
My name is "Heifer Walrus". I am a 25 year old SWF living-and struggling- with Fibromyalgia (FM(S)) in CA. For the last nine years I have had countless doctors tell me that they had “no idea” what was causing my chronic pain, nausea, and fatigue; this caused not only frustration but financial hardship as I was spending so much money (despite the fact that I am lucky enough to have, and have had, health care insurance. My current plan is the Blue Shield PPO 500 plan) on specialists, medications, and treatments that did not provide substantial relief if any relief at all. There were periods when I was seeing three different specialists a month trying to figure out what was the matter with me. Several months ago I was finally given a diagnosis from a Rheumatologist: Fibromyalgia further complicated by hyperextension. This was the cause of the aforementioned symptoms as well as my previously diagnosed Sacroiliitis, Tendonitis, and Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS).
Ninety percent of my day I am nauseas and in some kind of pain- my average pain level is a five these days. Luckily, I am still able to work; however, it is difficult, and getting through my day is exhausting and all too often physically and emotionally painful. To date, I have tried more than forty different pain and nausea medications with no success. The only thing that I have found that completely eases my symptoms is Medical Marijuana. I do not medicate at work for obvious reasons, but this medication has been the only thing that has saved me from a life of loneliness and misery. My Fibromyalgia symptoms make me very anti-social, I just want to stay in bed all day and suffer alone, I have no energy to even ask for help; Medical Marijuana helps me to manage my symptoms, put them on my mind’s “back-burner” and allows me to get on with my life.
My first point of advocacy in this letter is to urge you to both decriminalize marijuana, and legalize Medicinal Marijuana on a federal level.
I urge you to consider this legislative move as it could help the other 10 Million Americans (http://fmaware.org/site/PageServera6cc.html?pagename=fibromyalgia_affected) who also suffer from this incurable disease have access to a medicine that could help them manage their symptoms. The fact that it is completely natural only adds to the allure. Additionally, making Medicinal Marijuana legal in all states allows those of us who do carry prescriptions in our/their own States (where it is legal), access to our/their medication when they travel to states where it is not. It will also keep us from having to pay the “prescription fee” in every state we travel to- another financial burden placed on those with this horrible disease.
Last year I traveled more frequently than usual, both for work and for pleasure, and when I traveled to states where I was not able to access my medication- the only medication that has proven to help me manage my symptoms, I was miserable. I frequently vomited, was bed ridden, and had to take several breaks while trying to do normal everyday tasks and activities. My quality of life was directly affected by the fact that my medicine was not available to me. Had I had access to my medication, or the knowledge that my possessing my medication would not land me in jail or with a criminal record, I would have had a completely different experience in my travels. I don’t want to feel like a criminal because I am sick and have finally found something that works- and that is exactly what the current legislation suggests I am when I am outside of my home state of California. Even in California it is implied despite my protection under the Medical Marijuana laws. This isn’t right. Everyone should be able to have access to medication that works for them, and they shouldn’t have to feel ashamed or frightened to feel better.
My second point of advocacy in regards to this letter, is to urge you to push Health Care and Insurance companies to cover more Fibromyalgia-suggested treatments in their coverage as an addition to their standard coverage.
As previously stated, I currently have a Blue Shield insurance plan, and yet the things that my doctor suggested as a treatment plan (acupuncture, massages, and chiropractor visits every two weeks- each) are not currently covered in my plan. As I cannot afford ANY of these treatments without insurance taking the majority of the financial burden away from me, I am left to suffer without them and with no alternative treatment plans other than Meloxicam (anti-inflammatory), Soma (muscle relaxer) and Cymbalta (anti-depressant used to “treat” fibromyalgia patients)- none of which (either independently or in conjunction with one another) make my symptoms no more than a “manageable” level. I currently have no other options available to me. My family has no money, I am struggling on my own as is in this economy, and I have no way to follow the treatment plan given to me by my doctor because of the limitations in our corrupt and broken “Health Care” system.
Without these changes, I, and the other ten million Americans just like me, will continue to have a limited quality of life through no fault of our own and with no other options available to us.
Thank you for taking the time to read this letter, I hope that it has given you some additional insight into the needs of your fellow Countrymen.
I will be more than happy to answer any and all questions/comments/correspondence in regards to this, or any other of the several letters that have been sent to your attention by my hand.
Very kind regards,
me
I also listed ALL of my contact information so they could contact me.
Maybe this time someone actually will....
