Helping Others & Being Appreciated For It A Caregivers Wish

[truecare]

Hello MMMA family I just wanted to put a topic out there for caregivers statewide.  I have been a caregiver for several years and I just had the most amazing thing happen to me a patient asked me "why do you care so much it is strange?".  When I heard this I looked at my wife with a blank face and did not know what to say, because he was not saying this to be positive he actually was critical of me for driving three hours from northern michigan to give my patient medication that he needed asap.  It was an emotional awakening moment, because I began to reflect on my years of servicing the medical marijuana family and I must say that I have always had a high standard of care for all my patients.  I have donated to compassion clubs, I have medicated until patients got their finances in order, I have done the free ounces, I must say I have done it all over the last few years to better serve the part of our community that needs marijuana to naturally treat their ailments.  Saying all that to say this,  the best patients in my opinion are those that go through the grow process with you.  Do I mean going to the secret garden no not necessarily, but those you send pics to and show the progress. I have even showed dte bills so patients can be clear on the cost of electricity alone.  For every story that I hear of a bad caregiver I have a line of bad patients.  Let me clarify not bad people bad patients individuals that lack the knowledge of the grow process and what it takes to have a successful harvest.  We, as a collective of caregivers have to do a better job overall of educating patients on the process and my patient that questioned why I cared was one of those patients that don't care about the details, but the patient I drove home for does and is one of the best a cg could ask for. I think this knowledge would enable patients to make more informed decisions on who to choose for a caregiver.  Their are so many patients out their that need quality caregivers.  This year I am greenhousing it I have three master growers each with their own greenhouse on private land is very secure.  We will be allowing patients to view via emails and pics the day to day of greenhouse growing it is my way of showing patients the whole process.  I hope this inspires patients & caregivers to communicate and understand this medicine is not simply made on a assembly line it is a living part of nature and it takes time so be patient and the rewards will be healing.  Peace Truecare

[ozzrokk]

You sound like a good caregiver and I think your patients are lucky to have you. Keep up the good work my friend.

[thecannabiskid]

I agree you sound like a great Cg, May karma forever be on your side.

[dherzog79]

Wow. Nice post. I would have been speechless at first as you were truecare. I probably wouldn't had been able to gauge whether or not they were asking "why you care so much" for a negative or positive reason at first. But, to me, being a CG is a labor of love. It's started with my Wife and all that medical marijuana has done good for her, and it's continued as I've helped others that truly live a better quality of life now since the day I started to help them. I recently put an add up here on MMMA seeking a new patient, as even with just my Wife as my primary patient, and growing only half of the plants allowed, I still consistantly have overages that I would like to donate to a needing patient. But as undersood by most CG's, not so much Patients, this stuff isn't free for all. It's a lengthty process to finish a grow with a good, clean, potent product. And as I'm a very understanding person when it comes to a patient being able to pay or afford a set donation price. For years I never often spent more than $150.00 to $180.00 per ounce. But since the MMMA took effect in 2008, the prices of both medical and recreational smoke have become unpredicable. Most of the time, before my Wife became ligitamate with her hard card, we could rarely find anything that was quality without it being as high as $300.00 per ounce! Too much! Sometimes, and rarely IMO, it is worth it to pay that. But I would also find regular brick weed, or some commercial bud that cost $25.00 a 1/4. And, as anything else, you get what you pay for. My personal standard is this: If a patient wants something for free (especially when you're first starting out a CG/Patient relationship) I need to see an initial donation for no less than a half ounce ($100.00). And then they would see say a free 1/8. A free 1/4 for the donation of $200.00 for an ounce. I could only do this say once a month or every so many ounces. What I really wanted to do, is give a donation of free meds based on the full amout I've harvested. Now, this truly means a honest relationship between yourself as a CG, and your patient.

I would be willing to do whatever it takes to give a patient of my own the medicine they need and prefer. Medibles, extracts, buds, and so forth. I can't help but think to myself however, that there are lots of legal patients that are simply legal, with no intentions of ever having a caregiver or growing their twelve plants, simply to be legal in the event that they get caught with bud on em! In the end, I think the sooner the Government stops this 'war on drugs' charade, and just allow citizens to be responsible for their own health and drug choices, the better! It can't happen fast enough. I can't even take my Wife to the hospital for complications arising from her hiatal hernia without the Doctors thinking she's drug seeking for pain pills. It's f'n ridiculous! God forbid you mention you're a medical marijuana patient! You will NOT get the proper attention you need if you let em know!

I'm proud of my status as a CG, but it's a real difficult position when you're an honest individual and most people just think you're purely in it for the $. But you keep on keepin' on, and I'll never give up on this cause, for both the medical aspect of our countries use, and the end of marijuana prohibition. I want to see my children grow up to be adults that live in a society that accepts it citizens being responsible for their own substance use and choices.

[jointedone]

My CG is the best.