Pubdate: Sat, 02 May 2009
Source: Pantagraph, The  (Bloomington, IL)
Copyright: 2009 Pantagraph Publishing Co.
Contact:  http://www.pantagraph.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/643
Author: Paul Swiech
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmj.htm (Cannabis - Medicinal)

PATIENT: COMPASSIONATE CARE FAVORS THE USE OF MEDICINAL MARIJUANA

BLOOMINGTON -- "I have never used marijuana in any form," Scott
Puckett said firmly. "I have never used anything not prescribed by my
doctor."

Puckett, a 36-year-old former information technology communications
analyst who wants to become a prosecutor, describes himself as a
Republican with a strong Scotch-Protestant work ethic.

So even Puckett recognizes the irony of his position favoring the
legalization of medical marijuana.

I never expected to find myself on this side of the issue," he said
recently in his Bloomington apartment. "But why wouldn't anyone want
to show mercy and compassion for cancer and AIDS patients?

I don't know whether medical marijuana would help me," said Puckett,
who has degenerative disc disease, a painful deterioration of the
intervertebral disc. "If it becomes legal, I don't know whether my
doctor would prescribe it.

But I can't even bring it up with my doctors. How does it benefit
society to let other people suffer?"

Puckett believes his back problems stem from injuries he sustained in
car accidents as a child. At age 18, he suffered a strained disc and
experienced muscle spasms in his back.

In 2000, his condition worsened so his doctor prescribed muscle
relaxants. In 2002 one doctor tried pain medicine and
anti-inflammatory medicine injected into Puckett's vertebrae.

In 2006, everything flamed out," he recalled. His pain got worse and
doctors discovered that three discs at the base of his spine were gone
and a fourth had significant damage.

An implanted spinal cord stimulator to block pain has provided no more
benefit than traditional muscle relaxants and pain killers. Puckett
takes Norflex (muscle relaxant) and Dilaudid (pain reliever) but
remains in so much pain he can no longer work. He does yoga stretches,
drinks green tea and eats spicy foods -- three things that help, with
the medicine, to alleviate pain for just a couple hours to allow him
to run errands and do laundry.

I'm not a quitter," said Puckett, who has been accepted to law school
but hasn't been able to attend because of his disc disease. "I refuse
to believe that this is what the rest of my life will be like." 
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