From: Paul J. Soychak [mailto:paul@paulsoychak.com]
Sent: Saturday, December 18, 2010 7:35 PM
To: michael.farber@ahs.state.vt.us
Cc: brian.erickson@vtmednet.edu; paul@soychak.com
Subject: Paul Soychak's Marinol Case
Importance: High
Dear Dr. Farber,
I know you probably know OF me, as you are currently deciding whether my life will continue or not. I have no idea if it is considered ethical for me to contact you, but since you publish your email, I imagine it is okay. I am the patient who, for seven years, lived via the Miracle of THC therapy. Nearly dead in 2003, FAHC, which had just excised two tumors from my GI tract, had made a mistake. Not only did the tumors not turn out to be cancerous, but they left me much worse. I could not eat, the normal 5HT-3 Antagonists just didn't work. In fact, Compazine, which had been given to me for ages, turned out to give me a grand mall seizure in the Chemistry Library while tutoring a would be med student in Organic Chemistry. This seizure broke 5 spinal vertebrae. So you see the miracle of THC for me is, what Dartmouth called, THE THC POSTER BOY. Now we have proven that this THC therapy is necessary for my survival in both legal and medical circles as I am sure you are aware with the mass of data you are no doubt reviewing.
I ask only this, before these colossal medical mistakes (some even criminal), I was well on my way to a career on AstroBioChemistry. FAHC changed all that. Not only did they not have the imagination to even consider Marinol or Dronabinol treatment when I was 88 lbs., puking blood, starving to death. Dartmouth, after saying they had never seen such a massive amount of mistakes, suggested it first. I was of course concerned that a drug of this nature would be tough to get. Not the case, it was approved the first day and that is when the miracle began.
Within one day, the intractable nausea I had was virtually gone for the first time since my surgery 5 months earlier. Within one week, I was eating normally. Within one month, I was back to my normal life and weight. Even tutoring again. But FAHC didn't "like" this drug. Kept giving me 5HT3's. One of those FAHC IV administered Compazine shots gave me the seizure that broke my spine AFTER we had seen the miracle of Marinol for me.
When Medicare took this away due to simple greed (they had argued my condition was not listed on the Compendia, truth told it was, but they used the Judge's ignorance to deny it, after 7 years of approvals.) This hearing was done via phone. The people who nearly killed me for 6 months couldn't even face me as they knew it was necessary for my survival and even conceded that at the hearing. Pure Greed. I think in their mind they knew I was on the registry an could just get THC that way. VT law does not allow their "caregivers" the right to create enough THC as I require, 10 mg every three hours would mean I would have to smoke ounces and ounces and literally be smoking nearly all the time. Even if I HAD a caregiver, which I do not, they are impossible to find, it couldn't and didn't work as the last year should show you . I will not die of simple greed.
I beg you, as you did four months ago, please approve this. I am just out the hospital from a C-Diff infection I got at Cleveland Clinic. I have Cleveland Clinic, FAHC and Dartmouth ALL telling you that without this drug I will die. Is this even something you have to think about? A wound I received the very day I got my Marinol back 4 months ago still heals. Every four months are myself and those who care for me supposed to go through this approval denial approval nightmare? I never sued FAHC, even though I have actual physical evidence Cleveland Clinic and Dartmouth both found against them. If you take this from me I will be forced to sue them to be able to move somewhere where profit never wins over a life and death medical decision.
Dr. Risko, a fellow Slovak and my Dentist who is trying like crazy to get my teeth fixed as from this vomiting my teeth have nearly all gone; tells me you are a good man. He has done so much for me, I hope he is right.
Please, from the depths of my soul, do not deny me this med. It really is a miracle I will be happy to show you myself if you want to see it. I am so weak now that another withdrawal nausea episode probably will do permanent damage or kill me.
Please do what is right here, and approve what I have 4 senators, 550 names on a petition for, and could recruit thousands more if need be, saying enough is enough here. I have been through hell. Please don't make that hell happen again, I am just beginning to finally heal. I offer you a meeting, my records, my videos…anything you need to validate what I say here. I have Anxiety Disorder with PTSD from Clerical Abuse. These refusals are really causing my panic to spin out of control.
Thank you from the bottom of my soul and for your time. I hope whatever happens you and yours have a healthy and happy holiday.
Sincerely,
Paul J. Soychak
