Pubdate: Fri, 22 Apr 2016
Source: Kelowna Capital News (CN BC)
Copyright: 2016, West Partners Publishing Ltd.
Contact:  http://www.kelownacapnews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1294
Author: Kevin Parnell

IMPACT ON CANCER FOR ONE COUPLE MAKES THEM BELIEVERS

Lift Resource Centre area developer Debra Senger is a believer in
medicinal cannabis.

Without it, the Vernon woman believes her husband would likely have
passed away due to cancer in his liver.

Two years ago, Senger's husband wasn't eligible for a liver transplant
that could save his life. He had been taking tace treatments for the
better part of two years: A combination of chemotherapy and radiation
that directly targets a patient's liver, going in through the groin.

But the cancer in her husband's liver was growing and the treatments
were not able to get it under control enough to make him eligible for
a transplant.

That's when the couple decided to try treatment using a type of
cannabis that is loaded with a cannabinoid called CBD (cannabidiol) a
chemical found in strains of cannabis such as hemp, unlike the more
commonly known THC, which is the chemical that can get users high.

"I took it upon myself to do a lot of research on the CBD side of the
plant," said Senger. "My husband was getting sicker by the minute to
the point where we were prepared that it was going to be end of life."

With no, or minimal reduction in the tumour using the tace treatments,
Senger and her husband stopped the treatments and started taking CBD
capsules. For three months it was all her husband was taking as they
headed back to the doctor.

"We were booked to go in for an MRI and low and behold the tumours had
shrunk to the point that the following week, the director of the
transplant clinic called and told us my husband was activated for a
transplant," said Senger. "I almost didn't believe him."

But the results were true and soon a liver was found and by April of
that year, just four months after starting on CDB, her husband
received a new liver. He has been cancer free and healthy for the past
two years.

"I'm not a doctor and I can only tell you that after two years of tace
treatments that didn't work, after starting on CBD for three months
the tumours were of such a size that allowed him to be active for a
liver transplant. I believe in my heart that it was the CBD," said
Senger.

Now living happily in Vernon, Senger has joined the Lift Resource
Centre to try and help spread the word about medicinal cannabis and
get patients access to information. Lift is a private company that
acts as a resource centre for medical marijuana, getting patients
information about the plant and helping them navigate the often
complicated Health Canada system to get access to the plant.

"We don't have anything to educate patients, nothing," she said. "It's
just stumbling around. People are so desperate with trying to find a
doctor or trying to find someone, anyone to talk to about whether this
will be a drug they could use to alleviate their symptoms."

Three weeks ago, Lift began operation in Vernon and Singer says they
are hoping to open more centres around the Okanagan. For more
information or to book an appointment go online to liftcentre.ca or
call 1-888-254-5438.  
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MAP posted-by: Jo-D