Tag Archives: Georgia

Let Our Voices Be Heard

March 24, 2014 Rebecca Gaunt 2 Comments

Guest Post by Mixed Up Daddy

I beg you to take the few minutes it will take to read this and the few minutes it will take to act. We can make a difference if we stand together.

Quickly, let me apologize to those that come to this blog to get updates on Connor. I swear I, Mixed Up Daddy, am not trying to highjack this blog with political rants, and my wife will get back to writing posts on Connor, but she has graciously allowed me to write one more post about politics, and what I feel should be the most important issue for everyone – being heard in our government process.

Based on my friends who span all parties and political groups, and who disagree on many topics, the topic of “being heard” has bipartisan support. Let me also say that this is not just a topic on Georgia state politics (although I may reference Georgia as an example since that is where I reside), but most states and our federal government.

As we saw in Georgia on Thursday March 20th, the last day of our legislative session, once again our elected politicians chose to ignore the majority of their constituents and either never vote on bills, or defy the overwhelming majority of the public and vote the other way on bills. Rest assured this is happening in every state.

No instead we have politicians like Georgia State Senator Renee Unterman tweeting out 4 hours before the end of the session that others were tearing up paper in preparation for their confetti to celebrate the end of the session. (In Georgia our congressmen and congresswomen feel it is okay to “trash up” their chambers, and celebrate that they have screwed over Georgians once again.) We also have childish games like those played by Georgia Lt. Governor Casey Cagle who refused to bring bills up for votes in the senate because the house wasn’t moving on senate bills. We are being led by a bunch of adults who act like 3-year-old children!

All too often I hear those in the general public say, “This issue is so obvious, why can’t or won’t our government pass it?” I am guilty of it as much as anyone else. Well this is our chance to change things. The time is now for us to tell our elected politicians that we, the 99% that cannot buy politicians, votes, and laws, demand our voices be heard, we demand to be truly represented, and we demand to have our votes counted.

There is no reason in this day and age that we as “the people” are not allowed to vote on certain issues faced by our states and country. Some will say, “What are you talking about, we have free elections and thus get a say in our government?” Do we? Yes we get to elect those who you will represent us, but are they really representing us? There are many issues that we the general public can’t agree on, but there are quite a few that have overwhelming support in the general public, but never seem to get passed by our government (at the state or federal levels). There are some great politicians at state levels and at the federal level, but unfortunately there are far too many more that only represent their donors (the individual donors, corporate donors, and lobbyists). Let’s face hard facts, the more you donate the more you matter. Unfortunately most Americans do not have the ability to donate to campaigns, and thus are ignored by their elected politicians. The politicians will claim this is not true, but the American people are not as stupid as they think.
So how can we solve this problem? This can be solved by letting the people be heard. There are a few states that actually are progressive enough to allow this, but far too many do not, and the federal government does not. What am I referring to? Let the general public vote on certain initiatives and referendums. There is no reason this whole map is not dark blue.

I am not saying that every single initiative and referendum should be voted on by the general public, but there are certainly some that have such widespread support either for or against that they would be able to garner a certain number of signatures on a petition to get added to the ballot.

Of course most politicians would balk at this idea. They will claim that we have a democratic process already. That is partly true. Times have changed though and are changing more and more each day. This isn’t 200 years ago, 100 years ago, or even 50 years ago when we had to elect individuals to represent us because we couldn’t get our messages out. These days we have 24 hour news and can contact anyone, anywhere, at any time via cell phones, emails, etc. Our voices can be heard now. And they should be heard now.

Our politicians have no problem getting involved in the politics of other countries, demanding that they allow the democratic process to prevail, yet they will not allow that full democratic process here in America. Don’t get me wrong, we still have a better process then most countries, but it can be better and more democratic.

Some politicians will state that we can’t allow this because of certain laws, well guess what, you make the laws and can change them, and we are demanding that you do. Remember Mr. or Ms. Politician, you work for us.

So what can be done? I am here to ask for everyone’s help on this. I am begging for your help on this. If you ever get involved in any issue, this is the one I am asking for help on.

Contact your duly elected officials (you can find out who your elected officials are here, ) and demand to get their opinion on this topic and ask them if they will take the lead on this issue. If they say they aren’t for this or won’t take the lead on this, let everyone know, and vote them out.
If they claim they are for it and will take the lead on this issue, let everyone know, and if they don’t hold up to their end of the bargain let everyone know that, and vote them out.

Contact the media and demand that they bring this topic to the forefront of their reporting and keep it there until it is enacted in every state and at the federal level.

If you are not comfortable writing to politicians and the media, write them a simple note saying you want their opinion on this matter and send them to this page and let them know this is an issue you want to know their opinion on (politicians) and want reported on (the media). If your elected official does not get back to you or ignores you (such as my state senator Judson Hill who ignores the dozens of his constituents that I know that have contacted him), keep on them, and let everyone know they are ignoring you, and vote them out.

Demand that they take action on this now, not “some point in the future because we have more pressing issues”. There is no more pressing issue than letting everyone have a voice (vote). If your state is like Georgia and is only in session 40 days a year, and won’t be back until next January, demand a special session. Of course the politicians will say this takes money we don’t have, but they waste money each and every day, and each and every year in their budgets. Nothing is more important than allowing the American people to be heard. What are they afraid of? Don’t tell us you will take it up in the next session (next January) hoping we will forget about it. This will probably be a common reply as this is a big election year, and they hope they can ignore this issue right now, and then have the American people forget about it by the time the next big election rolls around in two year. Take it up now. If they don’t, or don’t vote for it, vote them out. Vote them out this year.

If your state requires that the governor call the special session, demand that they do. If they don’t, vote them out.
Let’s be honest, this special session should not be a long one. If we can get our voices heard, they will know that this is what their constituents are demanding and that this should be passed. If it is not passed, vote them out.

I also know there are a lot of people out there that say they will never vote for a democrat or never vote for republican, but if your elected politician will not get behind this and take the lead on this and vote for this, no matter what political party they are with, vote them out.

The last time I checked this was a nation “by the people, for the people”. We deserve to have a bigger say in our government. As we see each and every day, each side of the isle, at every level is playing games. Well our lives and our country are not a game. Since they will not represent us, it is time we force them to allow us to have more of a say in our lives and our country. Let’s show the world what a real democratic country should be like. And if they won’t allow us to have more of a say, vote them out.

Let’s come together and not allow them to ignore this issue “because it is an elections year” like they do every other year with pieces of hard legislation. This is an issue to be taken up now, otherwise, vote them out.

Please share this will as many people as you can. The only way we can have change is by having our voices be heard. If we, the 99% that can’t buy politicians, votes, and laws, band together we can finally force our politicians to listen to us. Only then will we be able to have a say, and finally get to have votes on the issues that so many of us can agree on, but they will not act on.

Current Events, Medical Marijuana

HB885 — the Georgia medical cannabis bill — died tonight.

March 21, 2014 Rebecca Gaunt 2 Comments

And when it died, this is what it looked like.

Glad I couldn’t make it down there today. I wouldn’t have wanted to watch this celebration in person. I’m so sorry for those parents that did have to see it live. A live stream was more than enough for me. I cannot begin to express the countless hours, time and money (parking, travel, childcare) that these parents put into this. Representative Allen Peake did everything he could and for that we are thankful.

Short version — most of which I stole from someone on Facebook — because I’m tired, ticked off and feeling a migraine coming on:

The Senate refused to pass HB 885 unless an autism insurance bill was attached because the House refuses to vote on the autism bill alone. Senate passed HB885 with the autism bill attached, then sent to the House who refused to vote on it with the attached autism bill.

Then late tonight, with HB 885 stalled in the House, the House sent SB291 (already passed in the Senate and unrelated to HB 885) to the Senate for a vote with the HB 885 language included. Senate refused to vote on SB 291 because it did not have the desired autism language.

And with that, the state of Georgia made it clear that it does not care about kids whether they have epilepsy or autism. But they do care about their end of the night paper party!

Current Events, Guest Blogs, Medical Marijuana

Medical Cannabis and Political Games

March 15, 2014 Rebecca Gaunt 1 Comment

Guest post by Mixed Up Daddy

For those of you that have wondered, yes there is a Mixed Up Daddy that walks the path of life with Mixed Up Mommy. Probably more astonishing to some (including my family and close friends), I even can write! Although let me start by saying I don’t write nearly as well as my wife.

Also, before I get into the true reason of this post, let me just say how proud of my wife I am, not only for writing this blog and educating so many on TSC and our journey through it, but also for being an incredible wife and best friend to me, and of course the best mom ever to Connor (no offense to the other moms out there!). I also want to thank the little man himself, Connor. He is such an inspiration to me, and I only wish I could have a little bit of the strength and courage he shows every day.

Now on to the reason for my first foray into blogging — a certain state representative here in Georgia. As I am sure you are all aware from reading Becky’s blog, there has been a push in 2014 to legalize medical cannabis oil in Georgia — oil that could potentially not only help with the quality of life for so many like Connor, but could potentially be lifesaving. It goes without saying how wonderful it is to have State Representative Allen Peake of District 141 who was willing to champion this cause for so many on our side. He did this knowing it was going to be a tough fight and one that could potentially end his political career. It is refreshing having politicians who, even though they may lose their political career, are still willing to take on the hard issues because it is the right thing to do! I applaud you sir!!! I only wish we had more like you at every level of government.

But that isn’t the representative I came to write about. I also didn’t come to write about my State Senator who, although he is in the state senate to represent myself and the rest of his constituents, never returns emails, voicemails, Twitter messages, stands you up for appointments, and doesn’t even show up for his own scheduled town hall meeting (and let me add this is not just my experience, but dozens of his constituents’ experiences). Nor am I here to write about how wrong it is that our government (both at the federal and state levels) take off every other year from tackling the hard issues because “it is an election year”. Again, there are some great politicians out there that don’t do this, but I am sick of hearing this. You are elected to represent us, each year and every year. I am also not here to tackle the comment made on the floor of the Georgia House of Representatives during the debate on HB885 by a freshman politician that when he took office he was told by other politicians that freshmen congressmen and congresswomen should be seen and not heard. Since when do those who elected a new member to represent them suddenly not have a voice? To me this is nothing more than bullying of politicians by other politicians. Thankfully the above referenced representative did not listen to those politicians, but instead gave a great speech and represented those from his district. On a side note, don’t get me started on the all too common practice in politics of “the more you donate, the more you matter and get access.” Maybe that is how I can get access to my state senator?

Okay, so maybe I got to a few items, just not in the detail I could have.

No, I am here to talk about, and give my opinion — no one else’s — on Georgia State Representative Sharon Cooper of District 43. I did not know who Sharon Cooper was before this process as I do not live in her district and did not get involved in state politics. But after this process, oh wow! Now I readily admit I am biased when it comes to the topic of cannabis oil, but my issue with Sharon Cooper isn’t so much on this topic, but the way she has conducted herself during this process, and I can only assume, how she conducts herself in general down at the Gold Dome (the Capital in Georgia is referred to as the Gold Dome). I also will say that she voted for this bill twice — once in committee and once in the full House vote. But looks can be deceiving. In my humble opinion she has actually been trying to kill the bill behind the scenes. I will get to that in a moment. Some though will say, “Why would she vote for the bill if she didn’t want it passed in reality?” Well that is where I question how she does things. Based on parents who were in the House during the vote, she was one of the last to vote. Again it is just my opinion, but my guess is that she was seeing how the vote was going, and in “old school politician” mode, chose to vote for it as it isn’t easy to be a “no” vote when the vote is 171-4, but it is easy to hide as a “no” vote if the vote were say 104-71. (I know old school dirty politics, I was born and raised in Chicago, where that was invented). No, an “old school politician” would vote for it (knowing that is what the public would see), and then behind the “closed doors” of the capitol try to kill the bill (luckily the doors of the capitol of Georgia are not as “closed” as she thinks). My issue here is that she has a responsibility to her constituents to show them how she truly votes on the issues, not resort to the all too common politics of today of “I will do whatever I need to do to get reelected”. I have no problem with my elected officials voting contrary to my opinion on issues, as there is no way we would see eye to eye on every issue. We should not have to ask that they vote accurately though so we can actually make an informed decision during elections. We deserve that much!

Now you may ask, “How was she trying to kill the bill?” Behind the scenes at the Gold Dome she was passing out a flyer on the “Truths” (my wording) of HB885, yet there were several facts that were wrong on it. I am not sure if she just got the facts wrong and didn’t do the research, or if she did this on purpose, but either way that is unconscionable, and although it is common in politics, has no place. Let’s also not forget that her position on some items is ever changing. Take Epidiolex (a pharmaceutical cannabis product that is currently going through FDA trials and shows some great promise) for example. At her committee meeting there was testimony by a woman — a family values advocate, not a doctor –who said Epidiolex could be here in Georgia in 30 days, yet there was also testimony by a respected neurologist (Connor’s doctor, and many of the other children that could benefit from cannabis oil) who said he was in the process of getting DEA approval to run an Epidiolex trail, but it was a long and arduous process. So who does she back during the meeting? The non-doctor testimony — never mind the fact that it was a lie. She would correct that in later speeches and comments though. She could have also found out more about how it is such a long process by watching the show Weed 2 that recently aired on CNN and was done by Dr. Sanjay Gupta. Of course this is the same congresswoman who called into question Dr. Gupta’s credibility during her committee meeting. Never mind Dr. Gupta is a well respected neurosurgeon, assistant professor, and journalist. She also cut off more than one parent during their testimony, including one that she would later reference in her speech on the House floor regarding medical cannabis, although twisting and misrepresenting his story to fit her ways.

Representative Cooper’s big idea on the subject is that we have an alternative FDA medicine — Epidiolex — at our disposal. Unfortunately that medicine is not readily available and we have no idea when it will be (most likely years based on other FDA timelines). Currently it is only in trials, very limited trials (we are talking 125 people, and based on trials that are trying to get up and running, at most maybe 2000 people, but probably less, in the future). She also has said that Children’s Hospital of Atlanta has told her they are open to do studies on Epidiolex, yet when contacted, CHOA said they have no interest in doing a study on Epidiolex at this time. I have no idea why the parents are getting different information than Representative Cooper, but we certainly aren’t being told what she says she’s hearing (maybe “old school politics” again). What do these parents and adults do in the meantime? Also, let me point out that most patients have exhausted all available FDA-approved meds that are out there for their conditions. Let me also mention that although I am sure there are some incredible people working for the FDA, let’s not forget that the top levels at the FDA are political appointees, and that big pharma is an incredibly powerful lobby and big contributors to political campaigns. Let’s also not forget the side effects that come with the FDA-approved meds that are taken every day — possible vision damage, kidney failure and liver damage to name just a few. Or that there have been FDA-approved drugs that have then been recalled.

I am digressing though. There are some incredible parents we have met along this journey that are a lot better at giving examples of her lies, and if they cannot get them published in the Atlanta paper, I am sure my wife will give you a forum to get your message out. Since the Atlanta paper allowed an editorial by Sharon Cooper though, I certainly hope they give “us” a chance to get the truth out there. Again, this is about her shady politics, though. This is what the general public has grown sick of in America. We expect our politicians to act in a better manner. I only wish I lived in her district to run against her. In Georgia though, we are sort of set-up where the common man can’t run. We only pay our politicians less than $18,000 a year (no, I am in no way advocating for higher pay), so unfortunately unless you are a business owner, or independently wealthy, it is almost impossible to run as you can’t raise a family on that pay. As great as my company is, and they have been incredible throughout our whole journey with TSC, I am pretty sure they are not going to let me take the first three months of the year off. And how I would love to run against our state senator so that everyone in our district could be heard and represented. I deserve to be heard and represented; we all deserve to be heard and represented!

Sharon Cooper was passing out the original in black to members of Congress. The red print reflects changes made by two of the parents so it could be passed out by HB885 supporters to set the record straight.

Current Events, Medical Marijuana

And another medical marijuana refugee is born…

March 14, 2014 Rebecca Gaunt 2 Comments

Janea and Haleigh left for Colorado yesterday. Haleigh is the little girl for whom HB885 is named “Haleigh’s Hope Act.” The awesome Rep. Allen Peake met her and immediately began his crash course into the world of medical cannabis and CBD oil, pushing this Georgia bill with everything in him. But Haleigh’s declining health means she can’t wait. Her father must stay behind in Georgia because of his job.

HB885 has passed the senate committee but with major changes. Cultivation is out. Basically, it provides legal protection to a person caught with CBD oil. It does not help us obtain it. This was always a hurdle even with cultivation (there were different issues surrounding that). You’d have to get it in a legal state and get here without being caught. Frankly, places like Realm of Caring are not going to sell it to you knowing you plan to cross state lines against federal law because that puts them in danger of being shut down by the DEA. It’s important to understand that this bill, even if passed on the senate floor, signed by the governor and made law, would not allow everyone to run out and get it for their kids. It does prepare our state, however, for a change at the federal level. If the feds reclassify it with the DEA — as they need to — we are ready to go. And hopefully, passing this in such a conservative state will add more pressure to the federal government to get off their butts and help people.

Another twist is that a separate bill is now attached to HB885. The chair of the senate committee, Renee Unterman, has been trying to pass a bill for five years (Ava’s Law) mandating that insurance companies cover treatment for autism (Georgia is one of a minority of states that don’t require autism to be covered). A compromise bill that increases benefits up to age 6 is now part of a package with HB885 called the Kid Care Act. The autism bill has also been tacked onto HB943, which would prevent insurance discrimination over certain types of cancer treatment. The reason is that the autism bill alone would have to go through subcommittee in the House, and thus far, they haven’t been willing to hear it. By tacking it onto bills that have already passed the House, it bypasses the subcommittee when it goes back to the House for approval for the change.

Now the bill must go through the Senate Rules Committee and then go to the Senate floor for a vote. Then it goes back to the House for approval. Last day of session is March 20. Nothing like going down to the wire! Once again, if you haven’t e-mailed your Georgia state senator yet to support HB885, you can find out who yours is at openstates.org.

Also of note are two op-eds in the AJC today. Eli Hogan shares his experience living with Crohn’s Disease and it is a great read. It is followed by a counter-point from Rep. Sharon Cooper. As you read it, please keep in mind that she voted to pass HB885 twice. First out of committee, then on the floor. I would also urge you to read some of the excellent comments from parents below the essays.

If you missed Sanjay Gupta’s follow up to last year’s special Weed, you can find it here. The original is here. Anyone who cannot invest the 45 minutes it takes to watch at least one of these has no right to question the people who are fighting for these changes.

Current Events, Medical Marijuana, Tuberous Sclerosis

Hitting Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.

March 10, 2014 Rebecca Gaunt 4 Comments

So much excitement over the last couple weeks. Where to begin…

HB885 passed the House vote 171 to 4. It now awaits a hearing in the Senate. If you haven’t yet contacted your Georgia state senator, please do so right away. If you aren’t sure who it is, check here.

Chris and I flew up to Washington, D.C. last week to meet with our representatives about the continuation of funding for the Tuberous Sclerosis Complex Research Program (TSCRP) which is part of the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program (CDMRP) in the Department of Defense (DOD). Yes, I am drowning in a sea of acronyms. Quick quiz: how many of these acronyms do you know?

AML, TSC, SEGA, LAM, SEN, CBD, CW, FDA, THC, DEA, RoC, VNS, CPS, TC, GW, IND, LGS, HIPP, KB, CHOA, PT, SLP, MT-BC, MAD

(Answers: angiomyolipoma, tuberous sclerosis complex, subependymal giant cell astrocytoma, lymphangioleiomyomatosis, subependymal nodules, cannabidiol, Charlotte’s Webb, Food and Drug Administration, Tetrahydrocannabinol, Drug Enforcement Agency, Realm of Caring, vagus nerve stimulator, complex-partial seizures, tonic-clonics, this is the name of a pharma company (I actually have no idea what GW stands for), investigational new drug, lennox-gastaut syndrome, Health Insurance Premium Payment Program, Katie Beckett, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, physical therapy, speech-language pathologist, music therapist-board certified, modified Atkins diet).

That fact that I know those in no way makes me smart. It just means I can do even less math than before because I’ve had to drop everything number-related dating back to second grade to make room for it all. To be honest, that only equates to a couple of years. It was all downhill from fourth. Also, don’t ask me to pronounce most of them.

Now back to DC…(see how I did that?) Volunteers flew in from all over the country and we swarmed the Hill in our sexy blue jackets. There aren’t words for how excited I was to discover these had thumb holes. I love thumb holes.

Fellow TSC mom Reiko and my hubby Chris helped me hit all the Georgia congressional offices.

We secured promises of support from the offices of John Lewis, Hank Johnson and David Scott. The meeting with David Scott was my favorite as I had no expectation that we’d be promised support on the spot like that, and the staff member we met with immediately began asking questions about what was going on back in Georgia with HB885 when we mentioned TSC’s link to seizures. It was awesome to know they were talking up there. Don’t worry, fearless trainers from the previous evening’s dinner, Reiko got us right back on topic 🙂

Chris and I even got some time the first day to explore so we went to Ford’s Theatre and the house where Lincoln died. His blood-stained pillow and the tiny gun that killed him are on display. The balcony is preserved as it was, and I was actually surprised to learn that it is a working theater. We did some more walking around including a photo op at the White House where our phones died simultaneously only letting us each get one shot. I don’t want one more stupid iPhone model coming out until they can make a battery that lasts more than five minutes.

The last night we were there was the Volunteer Recognition Dinner. Four people were awarded a Franny, the volunteer of the year award for 2013. Chris had broken down and told me he nominated me a couple weeks prior — so very sweet — but that did nothing for my slow processing as one of the winners was described as having a son Connor’s age, a blog with the same amount of hits and followers as mine and involved in similar activities. I thought, man, who is this person leading such a similar life? Oh it was ME! ME!

Then, like a jerk, I forgot to thank Chris a la Hilary Swank and Sean Penn who ended up divorced after their Oscar acceptance speech snubs of their significant others. He swears it doesn’t matter, but just in case: THANK YOU, MY AWESOME HUSBAND!

Well, if you haven’t read it yet, check out my post from Sunday here. It is now my most read and shared post of all time. I’m thrilled to help get the message out on the potential benefits of medical cannabis. Though I can’t help but wonder why you all aren’t as intrigued when I blog about my repetitive dreams of my teeth falling out or weight loss powder shakes…

With CEO and President of the TS Alliance Kari Rosbeck.

Grandma and Grandpa took Connor to aquatic therapy while we were gone. We did it! Four whole nights away! Guess we’re ready for the islands…

Please check out my latest post at Mommy Hot Spot.

Medical Marijuana, Parenting

The Side Effects of Medical Cannabis

March 9, 2014 Rebecca Gaunt 15 Comments

I’ve posted before about Hunter, an eight-year-old boy from Georgia, whose family relocated to Colorado several months ago to try and treat his severe epilepsy with cannabis oil. Previously 12 FDA-approved meds, the ketogenic diet and a surgically-implanted VNS had failed to make him seizure free. He was not a candidate for brain surgery. Some of his meds made him sleep constantly or scream. Here is an update.

This non-psychoactive oil has made an incredible difference in Hunter’s quality of life. According to Mom, “His bad seizures (myclonic clusters) would happen almost daily before and last 5-10 minutes. NOW, he is averaging one a week and they are under 2-3 minutes. In the month of February he has had 4 so far. This is HUGE! His quick seizures used to last upwards of 30 seconds and happen 10-20 times a day. After a month or so we were still seeing them every day and several times a day but they were literally seconds and half the time we couldn’t tell if he was actually having a seizure. Now, after 3 months, we are hardly seeing ANY!”

But in fairness, we must address the side effects of this medication. Sure, it might help kids with terrible seizure disorders that are damaging their brains and ability to function and learn, but surely there are SIDE EFFECTS? Well, you’re right. There are. Here are the side effects Hunter is experiencing.

1. Increased eye contact and the ability to maintain eye contact.

2. He no longer needs Miralax and daily suppositories to go to the bathroom.

3. He is relaxed. His fists no longer remain in a clenched position with his nails digging into his palm, making his hands bleed.

4. After eight years of only being able to sleep on his back, he can now roll to his side and sleep in a new position.

5. He now rides the school bus since Mom no longer worries about him having a bad seizure on the bus.

6. There have been no calls from the school for EMS.

But I guess a few side effects are the price a parent must pay for giving their child quality of life. That and leaving your entire life behind in another state.

Update 3/10/14: The Klepingers were on CNN today. Check it out here.

Medical Marijuana, Parenting, Tuberous Sclerosis

The hearing on HB 885 and a diet decision

February 11, 2014 Rebecca Gaunt 7 Comments

I guess blogging really can be therapeutic. After I posted Friday about our trip to Birmingham regarding the ketogenic diet, I just didn’t feel right. I had a tightness in my chest that I hadn’t experienced in a long time. Anxiety? I couldn’t stop obsessing over our appointment with the neurologist and how she just wasn’t on the same page at all. I guess it’s true what people say about going with your gut. I looked back over my correspondence with CHOA. I had never cancelled our March appointment just in case. Connor is already responding so well to the tweaks in his diet that aren’t even the full-blown MAD or ketogenic diet. I went upstairs to find Chris and said, “you know…we still have the CHOA appointment, and the nutritionist said she could help me start MAD at home…” And within seconds it was confirmed that neither of us were comfortable moving forward in Alabama with that neurologist. So I emailed the nutritionist that we would be sticking with CHOA and I am waiting to here from her.

Yesterday I attended the first committee hearing on HB 885. I don’t know what I expected, but it wasn’t what I got. It started late as the morning session had gone long. Some members came in late to the hearing as they were at other meetings that overlapped. Paige Figi — Charlotte’s mom featured in the Sanjay Gupta special — flew in with Joel Stanley from Realm of Caring to testify about what they are doing in Colorado and the success they are having. They are in the process of getting FDA-approval and they are doing studies, but it is a time consuming process and children with severe seizure disorders don’t have time to wait. They explained that they are a heavily regulated industry. They also said they now have a waiting list of over 2,000 people nationally and internationally, hoping they will be allowed access.

Dr. Mike Green then testified and shared that the Medical Association of Georgia supports the bill. Dr. Smith testified about his experiences having a child with a seizure disorder (Doose syndrome) and the awful side effects that can come with seizure medications. He and Dr. Green also shared about the Epidiolex drug trials that are going on. Epidiolex is manufactured by GWPharma using CBD as the active ingredient. Dr. Smith tried to get his child into one of the studies, but they were full. Dr. Flamini also testified. He is the neurologist to many of the kids whose parents are fighting for this. He is actually the mysterious neurologist I frequently refer to in this blog. He is very supportive of CBD studies and is applying for Investigational New Drug status (IND) so that he can work with Epidiolex in his office. It is a very lengthy, difficult process to work with a schedule 1 substance, but even if he is approved he is very limited in how many people can use it. Though he was testifying in support of HB885, he is actually excluded by the bill because he has a private practice. It would only be available via research hospitals.

I also want to point out that Epidiolex is in trial phase and not yet FDA approved. It has been granted orphan status, which speeds things up, but we’re still talking years. May I remind you that vigabatrin was not FDA -approved in the U.S. until 30 years after the first trials. Ahem.

Several parents shared their heartbreaking stories. Janea Cox shared about Haleigh, pleading with the committee not to let her daughter die. Aaron Klepinger shared about the amazing success their son Hunter is having in Colorado and how badly the family wants to come home. One dose stopped him from clenching his fists so tightly that his hands would bleed. Jonathan Jiles shared about his son Kason’s battle with Ohtahara syndrome. Sgt. Chris Clark, a 26-year veteran of the police department shared about his family and how his wife and child are in Colorado for treatment while he remains behind to provide income and insurance. He also shared that his son had a brain surgery that caused a stroke. I wished they could have had more time, but were all rushed because of time constraints and the impending bad weather.

Then came the oppositional speakers with lengthy presentations. Sue Rusche from National Families in Action opened with a YouTube video she took of an advertisement for Indispensary in Colorado. Dispensaries are where you can buy marijuana products. It took me a while to ascertain her point, but it seemed to be, hey, look at all these recreational marijuana products. These are available in the same place as where some of these Colorado parents are obtaining their child’s medication. It was a long, slow video with lots of silent footage of recreational products. Personally, I was shocked it was allowed to play out in full considering the rush for time and that testifying parents had to talk quickly. It was also quickly pointed out by Rep. Kaiser that it was irrelevant. Georgia is not Colorado. This is not what we are doing here. That is simply a place in Colorado where medicine may be picked up, but we wouldn’t have that here. We are interested in a non-psychoactive oil that can’t get you high only ONLY; recreational is not on the table. We want an oil form, not buds. Rusche was clearly not supportive of products such as Charlotte’s Web which has saved many lives in Colorado. She pushed the Epidiolex trials repeatedly and insisted it was not hard to get, that any doctor can apply for IND status and have it in 30 days. This was after Dr. Flamini already testified that it was a difficult process. The doctors behind her were also shaking their head as she spoke. But no matter what was asked, she insisted that Epidiolex, courtesy of GW pharmaceuticals was the only suitable option. She was so insistent that one of the reps eventually questioned whether her organization received money from GW. A representative then asked her if Epidiolex is so easy to get, why aren’t these parents doing that? “I wish they would!” was her response. And at this time, I ask you to recall above where I mentioned that one of the testifying doctors tried to get it for his kid and couldn’t. At that point, Rep. Peake asked her, ‘Would you tell Aaron Klepinger to stop giving Hunter Charlotte’s Web and get in line for Epidiolex?” She said no.

Some doctors from CHOA spoke. While they have reservations, they are very interested in possibilities of CBD oil. Then Rick Allen of the Georgia Drug and Narcotics Agency spoke of the challenges of getting it here due to it’s classification as a schedule 1 substance — no doubt a major hurdle. He said that where we stand, something like Charlotte’s Web cannot be brought into the state legally. University of Mississippi is the only place permitted by law to supply as part of research projects.

Then came, what was for me, some of the most disturbing testimony. Karen Tinker gave lengthy testimony as a mother of a son with epilepsy. I was confused at first. Why was she at the end rather than with the other parents? Why have I never seen her or heard her name before? As it turned out, she wasn’t testifying for the bill. She was testifying against it. She started out with a similar story. Many meds failed her son and he recently received the VNS implant, which she acknowledged comes with it’s own dangers, and wasn’t guaranteed to solve the problem. She talked about her methods of evaluating treatment options for her son, and said that she had chosen not to use Onfi because of potential side effects (a med that I felt we had to try for Connor). But she stated that CBD oil did not have the research to back it. That we needed wait to several years to see what studies would say. She likened the passing of the bill to opening Pandora’s Box and said she worried that all the positive headlines about marijuana would lead her teenage son to try recreational pot. After the fact, I saw her Linked In profile. It turns out she owns a company that provides mobile drug testing of employees to companies. She doesn’t seem to differentiate between medicinal and recreational.

It was heartbreaking that a parent of a child with seizures would do this to other parents. Especially after Janea Cox had cried and shared that Haleigh has stopped breathing 56 times in the last month.

I respect the right of every parent to choose the course of action for their child. Not every parent is comfortable with medical cannabis at this point and I respect some would not opt to use it. Just as Tinker chose not to use Onfi, we did choose to use it. I do not respect someone that tells others they shouldn’t do something that could save their child’s life. I am so lucky that Connor’s situation is not as dire as the situation of the testifying parents. It’s cruel to try and stand in the way of something that could save their lives.

After that, a couple doctors testified that had been recruited by Rusche. I’ll be honest. I didn’t hear much of what they had to say because I was still in shock over Tinker’s testimony. At that point the hearing had hit three hours and it was an hour and a half past when it was supposed to end. The remainder of speakers were asked to return to the next hearing.

I’m not sharing all my thoughts at this time on the hearing in the blog. If interested, I can talk more one-on-one. I will provide more detail at a later date. All I can say is that yesterday was an eye-opening experience.

Current Events, Medical Marijuana, Parenting

An unsettling appointment and a great press conference

February 7, 2014 Rebecca Gaunt 6 Comments

Quick plug: Lisa Cummings, another TSC mom I know through our online community often writes and shares poems about her life with her daughter, TSC and special needs. She just published her first collection of poetry and it is available through Amazon. Please check it out here.

The journey toward the ketogenic diet continues…and might end with me jamming a screwdriver in my ear. We have been pursuing diet therapy since before Thanksgiving. The wait lists at keto clinics are ridiculous. The one that could get us in the earliest was in Alabama, so we had our new patient appointment Tuesday. Two hours there and back again. Connor’s neurologist had sent his 157-page chart over well in advance. I knew that this appointment would be, for the most part, a formality as the neuro that will oversee him on keto has never treated him. As expected, it was a lot of repeating his history. There was only one thing I wanted after 2.5 months waiting–the date Connor will be admitted so we can get this damn diet started. We’ve had this hanging over us for months, afraid to plan trips and make plans. I thought that would finally come to an end yesterday, but it didn’t. She agreed to take him on, but we still have to wait to hear when he gets admitted. She hoped it would be February, but couldn’t say for sure. So until they call, I have to worry that they will want him during the March dates we’re in DC or Boston OR that they will want him in right before those dates and I will have two days to prepare for traveling on this insanely strict diet.

To be honest, the appointment was a little strange. First, I was bummed to find out that our stay will be longer than the typical keto stay because she wants to do an EEG first. Granted it has been a while since he had one, but I don’t want to spend a week in the stupid hospital. But if that’s what it takes to get things going, I wasn’t going to argue. The thing is, we just got the feel that she wasn’t that thrilled with the ketogenic diet. She wanted to know why we weren’t pursuing surgery. I consider surgery a last resort for the most part. It was an easy choice the first time because the seizures were so frequent and causing major developmental delays. But he’s much better now, and has already responded to some tweaks I’ve made in his diet on my own leading me to believe the diet will be beneficial. Also his EEGs, while indicating activity from the left occipital lobe, have also shown activity from other areas.

Don’t get me wrong…it’s not that we wouldn’t consider surgery again if a newer EEG could determine one particular tuber as the only or primary culprit (and my guess is that it would be the one in the left occipital) but since our referral was specifically for the diet, I really wasn’t expecting such enthusiasm for surgery. The doctor even made a point of expressing concern about potential side effects of the diet, and I was thinking…what is going on here? At any rate, surgery is not on the table for us right now. I see no need for that if keto can do the trick.

I know neurologists have very differing opinions on the best course of action…I just finished reading a book (I recommend Fighting Back With Fat by Whitmer and Riether) that talked about how the diet was often used decades ago, but fell out of favor with the emergence of so many pharmaceutical options coming on the market. It made a comeback in the 90s when the son of a filmmaker — Jim Abrahams — was diagnosed with epilepsy and he wasn’t responding to medications. The ketogenic diet was his savior. His father later made a film called First Do No Harm with Meryl Streep and started the Charlie Foundation. Since then keto clinics have popped up all over the country, and in many countries around the world. More and more neurologists are coming on board with diet therapy because it has proven results, but there are still some that shy away, especially in other countries. The book had me so gung ho on the diet, that this neuro’s lackluster response threw me for a loop. The nurse that came in prior was very enthusiastic about it. But forward we shall move.

Wednesday was a better day. I finally met many of the other parents fighting for HB 885/ Haleigh’s Hope so that we can have access to medical cannabis in Georgia when we met for a press conference at the capitol building. I’ve been to DC to meet with legislators, but this was actually my first trip to the gold dome, even though I’ve lived in the Atlanta area since 1992. I was not prepared for how packed it would be. As a former teacher, I feel I can express what so many of you are thinking in many public places (i.e. Fernbank, the aquarium, the zoo, etc). Field trips are evil. A necessary evil. But evil nonetheless. I remember being at the aquarium in the role of teacher, with multiple schools crowding the walkways, and looking at all the people who paid full-price admission and thinking, “You poor b*******.” As I crammed onto crowded capitol elevators, I thought, the kids need to see these places, but perhaps we should pass a bill banning scavenger hunts. But I digress.

It was freezing outside, very much in contrast with the 100 degrees inside the building. The room numbers are all out of order, too, thus ensuring a healthy workout. I started out meeting my representative Don Parsons, who has signed the bill. We had a nice conversation and he asked me many questions about Connor. Then I had a scheduled meeting with my senator Judson Hill. That didn’t happen as he had not come in that morning. I was disappointed to say the least. I am not sure where he stands on the bill as I have had no luck getting a response from him. I continue to follow up.

Check out that landmark in background! Pshh. Not the gold-domed capitol...Johnny Rockets! — Check out that landmark in background! Pshh. Not the gold-domed capitol…Johnny Rockets!

We had a press conference at 11:15 with WSB’s Lori Geary, who has been a champion of the cause, presenting it in an appropriate way and making every effort to make key issues clear. For example, we are still trying to make sure people understand that kids aren’t smoking joints. It is an oil form, high in CBD, low in THC — though I do want to be clear that THC has medicinal benefits as well. But since it is the psychoactive component, people are more afraid of it than the CBD. At any rate, the kids aren’t getting stoned.

WSB's Lori Geary speaking with affected families. — WSB’s Lori Geary speaking with affected families.

Several parents spoke about their kids: Shannon Cloud, whose daughter has Dravet syndrome; Janea Cox whose daughter has LGS and for whom the bill is named (Haleigh’s Hope); Chris Clark, whose wife and child have relocated for treatment; Jonathan Jiles, whose son was born with Ohtahara syndrome; and Aaron Klepinger, who flew in from Colorado to speak about his son’s successful treatment in Colorado and how they want to return to their Georgia home. FYI: Haleigh is in PICU and really struggling. They are looking at having to relocate a medically fragile child to Colorado when she becomes stable enough for a life flight. Fundraising efforts have started here.

Aaron Klepinger clutching a photo of his son Hunter.

Shannon Cloud addressing the need for medical cannabis.

I’ll keep you updated as it progresses through the process. Here is the news clip (you can see me and Connor in the background several times).

I’ll close with a few more photos from the capitol:

Wendi Scheck with son Hudson and Rep. Allen Peake (and service dog Denali).

It's hard to tell a delighted toddler that you aren't supposed to pet service dogs :) — It’s hard to tell a delighted toddler that you aren’t supposed to pet service dogs 🙂

Medical Marijuana, Parenting

For anyone who thought hell would have to freeze over for Georgia to move towards legalizing medical cannabis…

January 29, 2014 Rebecca Gaunt 3 Comments

You were sort of close. Atlanta froze over creating a hell of sorts yesterday when Rep. Allen Peake dropped the bill HB 885 Haleigh’s Hope, named for Haleigh Cox, diagnosed with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, who is still in the hospital. It now needs to go through committee in the house and if it passes, then get passed to the senate, and at that point will go to Governor Deal to be signed. Some basic details of the current version are:

The bill will be tightly restricted and very regulated, managed by a doctor, administered orally in oil or capsule form. Seizure disorders have been added to an existing law that includes cancer and glaucoma. (A previous 1980 law had allowed for controlled use for cancer and glaucoma, but due to stipulations on how it could be obtained, never actually benefitted anyone because they couldn’t get it.)

I’m very excited to see progress being made that could potentially benefit Connor and so many others. I’m anxious to find out the nitty gritty on exactly how and when we will be able to obtain it if passed.

Of course, this bill is met with controversy, and I don’t even mean the anti-any legalization whatsoever groups. People who want to treat medical conditions not expressly named in this bill are expressing their dismay. Another point of contention is the limited allowance of THC-where exactly we stand on that is unclear. The CBD oils are very high in CBD with very low THC and have great medicinal value. Since THC is the psychoactive component, this aspect gives great comfort to people who would otherwise oppose it. However, THC also has medicinal benefits. Some of the people being treated with CBD oil are supplementing with THC when the CBD oil alone is not enough. I don’t want to get too technical because this has been a learn-as I-go-along type of experience, and I do not want to unintentionally spread misinformation.

Haleigh's Hope-courtesy Corey Lowe — Haleigh’s Hope-courtesy Corey Lowe

But this is a start. I’m hoping we are headed toward access to all components that could help my child. If you are dealing with a medical issue that would benefit from cannabis, I highly recommend you contact your legislators with your story. I hope we are on a path to this being an option for everyone that needs it. Georgia is an exceptionally conservative state that just let adults make the choice to buy alcohol on Sundays and cannabis has been demonized incorrectly for decades. Miracles don’t happen overnight, even if they should. Getting this far required the persistence of some incredible parents that knocked on doors at the capitol and wouldn’t take no for an answer.

Atlanta’s Snowmageddon (Snowpocalypse? Can’t decide) that hit yesterday and had kids and teachers stuck at school and on buses, people sleeping in Home Depots, shelters, gas stations, strangers’ homes and in their cars on highways, while other people had their 20 minute commutes turn to nine hours only to ditch their cars and trek home on foot dominated the news. However, there was a front-page story about the bill in the Atlanta Journal & Constitution that continued to page A9 featuring none other than the little man himself.

I also ask that you please watch and share this video about why this bill is so important.

Current Events, Medical Marijuana, Parenting

The fight for medical cannabis in Georgia continues…

January 23, 2014 Rebecca Gaunt 6 Comments

I am but a mere soul in the mud trying to help push the truck, but credit for the amazing momentum of the last few weeks goes to a group of parents at the steering wheel. I have had the pleasure of getting to know some of them if only online. For every e-mail I send or person I try to persuade, they have done 100x that with face-to-face meetings, contacts to the media and bringing legislators that were once wary over the line to full support.

Rep. Peake is working on legislation right now, convinced after meeting Haleigh Cox face-to-face in the hospital after she stopped breathing and had to be admitted.

Please also check out Kason Jiles’ story. Connor was once in that position, stuck in the NICU with dozens of seizures every day.

All of this has made realize how lucky we are. Connor’s seizures are not good and are certainly a factor in his physical and speech delays — and there is always the fear of SUDEP or status seizures, but some of these parents are literally trying to save their kids’ lives. Not long-term — I mean NOW. As in they face very immediate life and death issues–each day they wait is a life time. Where we have managed to get Connor down to roughly three clinical seizures a day, their kids are seizing constantly. They have exhausted traditional options. FDA-approved meds have FAILED, the ketogenic diet has FAILED, the VNS implant has FAILED, brain surgery has FAILED or is not an option. Next month we start Connor on the ketogenic diet. In many ways I feel like that is our last option. Sure there are more meds we could try, but we’ve already tried seven.

“Yet less than 1% of patients who failed to respond to three anti-seizure drug regimens achieved adequate seizure control on subsequent drug treatments even though some were treated with as many as nine different drugs or drug combinations.”

I am very optimistic about the diet. I’ve done some tweaking to his diet in preparation for the real thing and I really think it has helped. His seizures are mostly 30 seconds and under and now only seem to happen upon waking in the morning and at nap time. But keto may not stop them 100 percent or it may not work forever — not to mention the incredible difficulty and lack of nutrition on the diet. Connor deserves every possible option on the table. All of these kids do.

Many people remain locked in an image of bongs and rolling joints. This is not how children would take this medication. It is an oil that they would take under their tongue and with food. They don’t stumble around high. There are other forms as well, but that is the one I am most familiar with. No child is going to be smoking.

President Jerry Luquire of the Georgia Christian Coalition has spoken against us with the media and to his followers. A number of parents began to e-mail and comment on their Facebook page pleading to be heard. All of our (polite) comments were deleted from the page and several people were blocked from commenting further. This was one of his responses to a parent. I have in no way altered it other than to remove the mom and child’s name:

Ms [name removed to protect her privacy], thank you for writing me on behalf of [child].

As a husnad, father and grandfather of children who are free of medical problems,
I feel guilty somehow that I have been so blessed when you and others face such
unspeakable pain. I am truly sorry. Our prayers join yours and others that those
who can change the course of medical treatment will do so.

[Mom] if the law were changed in Georgia tomorrow, there would be no
relief to situations where cannabis is required. The change that will help your son
must be made at the federal level. There is no action we can take to bring about
that change by enacting a permissive law in Georgia.

I was offered this observation Monday by a parent who said his son was doing
fine with a marijuana treatment, using his term, and he felt he no more broke the
law by buying it illegally than if Georgia make it ok, but the feds did not and he bought it
then.

You make a compelling case for federal law change…please do not give up.

In Christian compassion

Jerry Luquire 706 366 8298 You are free to share this

response as you see fit.Co, thank you for writing me on behalf of [child].

Interesting. So his argument is the conflict of state laws and federal laws. This to him is more important than saving lives. Not to mention, we have already seen that the feds are making the choice not to interfere in other states. So does this mean he would support us if the feds wanted to make a change? I can’t help but suspect he would not. But this is a great way to oppose a potentially life-saving/changing medication and try not to look like a bad guy. Luquire made quite a name for himself battling Sunday alcohol sales and trying to prevent it from going to a vote by citizens, even though this was a local county and city issue. So I find this quote from a 2011 news article very interesting:

“I hate government control of people, their business and thoughts — most of all their thoughts.” -Jerry Luquire

To my readers that haven’t yet done so, please contact your legislators and Governor Deal letting them know that you want sick people to have access to medical cannabis. This is being done at the state level, so we’re not asking you to contact your representatives in D.C., but the ones right here making Georgia law.

Contact Governor Deal here.

If you aren’t sure who your local legislators are, find out here.

At the end of my previous post, I included an open letter written by one of the parents leading this cause. He includes hard data on how his son has been helped since they were left with no choice but to leave their family and go to Colorado. If you missed it, please check it out.

Living in Atlanta, loving travel and watching my son kick tuberous sclerosis complex's butt.