cannabisnews.com: True Love Strikes When You Least Expect It





True Love Strikes When You Least Expect It
Posted by FoM on August 07, 1999 at 17:26:28 PT
Shared By Kay Lee
Source: The Truth As I See It
Thank you, Thank you all.......For all of you who called, sent cards and emailed, I know you'll be glad to see that Love and prayers do work. JOE'S HOME..... 
The following article was written by journalist, Katha Sheenan, from Key West: The Newspaper. In fact, Ms Sheenan is the same one who wrote the wonderful article "Don't Tell Joe Hart..." This story was written as a nomination of Joe Hart to Heroic Stories. I guess it is true love - Nothing mushy, just common respect and unconditional friendship. Love really is what makes it all happen. As you can see from the story, Joe's battle frightened me. That's not so good. But the storywriter sees Joe as a hero and that's as it should be. Best of all, the writer portrays marijuana as medicine and that's just the simple truth. Love to you all,Kay LeeJoe Hart's BattleFrom:KATHADS AOL.COMTo:SUBMIT HEROICSTORIES.COM Sent: Friday, August 06, 1999 7:33 PM Subject: True love strikes when you least expect itTrue Love Strikes When You Least Expect It Joe Hart, a nationally-known medical cannabis advocate and 16-year survivor of the AIDS virus, was on his deathbed at the Miami VA Hospital. Or so they told Kay Lee last Monday (7-26-99). She was in tears when she told me on the phone that doctors didn't expect him to survive 'til Friday with the fast-growing myeloma, or bone cancer, gnawing into his heart. I grabbed a couple of video cameras and made the 3 hour drive from Key West to Miami on Tuesday. I knew that if there was one thing that would cheer him up, it was the chance to give medical marijuana testimony one more time. Joe, a former Army man who came away from Vietnam with two purple hearts, five bronze starts and an air medal, is not the kind of guy who whines about the government "discriminating against gays" by not providing more AIDS funding than the funding they provide for, say, diabetes or breast cancer. All he has ever asked from the government is the opportunity to treat himself with the substance of his choice: marijuana. Joe received the HIV virus from a 1984 transfusion in a VA hospital where he received an operation for an old shrapnel injury. How does he know? They sent him a letter, telling him to contact them about "questions" regarding the blood products used in his surgery. Back then they called it "GRIDS," for "Gay Related Immune Deficiency Syndrome." He described on tape once again, with great precision and in great detail, how other AIDS medicines have side effects, are difficult to ingest when one has severe nausea, and how pot dosage is much easier to regulate than marinol (the government's Tetrahydracannabinol substitute, a pill), since you can't "untake" a pill but you can lay down a joint when you get the desired result. He said pot was a valuable stress reducer. "When you have AIDS, stress kills." He pointed out that not a single person has ever died of marijuana overdose. Children die every year from using aspirin, he said, and the government doesn't make aspirin a controlled substance. And now, against his wishes, he was forced to push morphine in ever-larger doses to fend off the pain. "Are you afraid?" I asked him. "No," he said immediately, "I got used to death a long time ago, in Vietnam." Then, with sudden regret: "But Kay Lee is taking this awful hard." Joe kept it together for Kay Lee. He defied the odds last week. He became 51 on Aug. 3, five days after he was supposed to die. Joe is gay, but he has no "significant other"-- just his cause, medical cannabis-- and his roommate, Kay Lee, a delicate middle-aged woman who adores him and shares his house and his crusade. They say true love strikes when you least expect it. He is leaving everything he owns to her, he says. But not any time soon, perhaps. I just (evening, 8-6-99) called Kay to ask about Joe . "He's home!" she rejoiced. He just got back." She put him on the phone. "Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated," he said. He is taking morphine and chemo and AIDS medicine, and it is laying hell on his appetite, he said, but he expects to make it to the Unitarian Universalist church this Sunday. He has a million cards and letters from all over the country to open. And he would very much like a new fax machine to continue his work, he said. Sixteen years with HIV. Ain't nobody can tell Joe Hart he's going to die. He has outlived Princess Di and JFK Jr., and many other healthy, wealthy young people who had the world at their feet. He can't give up now. He says it's not a question of "if" cannabis is legalized, just a question of "when." Besides, Kay Lee would take it real hard. By Katha Sheehan, a reporter in Key West, FL KathaDS aol.comHis and Kay's e-mail: MrJah FlaKeySol.Kay Lee AKA GrandmaLee The Truth As I See Ithttp://www.zyworld.com/kay~lee/home.htm A Smuggler's Tales From Jailshttp://www.zyworld.com/kay~lee/garywaid.htm Freedom has a thousand charms to show, That slaves, howe'er contented, never know. Welcome Home Joe!!!Don't Tell Joe Hart Shhhh - It's His Birthday - 8/03/99http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread2316.shtml
Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help




Comment #2 posted by Rob on August 17, 1999 at 16:41:44 PT:
The above
I am a new internet user and have recently lost someone very important under simular circumstaces. I may lose my own job (small fry but big in my life) as a result of using for medicinal as well as recrational purposes. I just would like to empathise with all those in the same boat and espessially wish luck, love, joy and positive hope to Joe/family and friends. I like to think we all have time and that time is only a concept but it sems to be a fact that with so many other things (like water in Scotland where I live) that just when it appears you have so much, you realise that it is not a God given right and can be taken away or recieved only at a price. Anyway, all we can do is try to be possitive and make the best effort we can manage to improve the situation for those that come after us. As stated at the start of this message I am just trying to learn how to use the internet so if this message is recieved I hope my message is understandable and wish love and hope to to all.Love & Peace to all (whether they want it or not) and espessially to Joe, friends, family etc.kindest regardsRob PS please forgive my spelling/gramer etc - its the thought that counts.pps My email as quoted above may not be correct, sorry if this os a prob but I am still finding my way (and notjust technologically speaking).
[ Post Comment ]

Comment #1 posted by Richard Lake on August 10, 1999 at 18:03:27 PT:
Thanks for sharing this story
I guess it is unpublished at this point, but I hope it will be.Kay and Joe are real heros in my book!Richard
Drug News service from MAP
[ Post Comment ]

Post Comment


Name: Optional Password: 
E-Mail: 
Subject: 
Comment: [Please refrain from using profanity in your message]
Link URL: 
Link Title: