Question about Medical Clinics requirements

First post here on RIU, been a lurker for a while but decided I might as well register.

I'm currently 26, and since my early teens I've experienced excrutiating migraine headaches. I had numerous doctor visits about it at the time, and was put on a few different medications but nothing ever worked. I usually get 4-5 full blown migraines a month if I'm lucky, and it's an all day-ruining event. Between that I usually get smaller headaches that slowly ramp up and ramp down throughout the day, pretty uncomfortable but not nearly as debilitating.

I literally gave up, nothing we tried worked, and as a kid I hated going to the doctor. I just decided to live with it, which I did until I tried cannabis. It works great at keeping the migraines away, and gives me quick relief when they do happen.

I had considered getting a card for awhile, but never had the option to grow, and felt awkward about getting a caregiver when I was physically able to grow myself, just not due to other issues.

Once the shops started opening up here where you can go donate for medicine my interest in getting a medical card grew again, and I began putting actual effort into researching the process. I found my condition is covered, but I've ran into a road block.

I've been very poor my whole life, and I haven't had an actual doctor since my early teens. Only time I've been in since has been either the ER, urgent care, physicals for jobs, or in the back of an ambulance. If I don't have money to go to the doc about blood poisoning (resulting in ambulance ride) I don't have money to go to the doc for migraines.

Evidently most (or all) clinics in Portland that do recommendations discriminate against the poor who don't have a regular doctor, or any RECENT visits about the condition. It seems all the ones I've found require several visits within the last couple years or so. I have looked into the law, and it doesn't appear this has anything to do with the law, but is just a choice made by the clinic.

Am I just screwed? Do I have to save up for a year to go to the doc a few times and complain about my migraines knowing full well they aren't going to be able to do anything about it, in order to fulfill these requirements of the clinics? Or are some of the clinics fairly reasonable and will look at things on a case to case basis?

I can't imagine I'm the only person who is seeking MMJ for a condition they have been "suffering in silence" for. I have a real condition, real solid documentation of it, it's just too old? Because I couldn't afford to go to the doc and rehash the same thing over and over again year after year for the last decade I am not eligible for treatment?

That seems like the opposite of compassion to me. Considering all you patients here have had to go through the process I figured you'd be the best ones to ask. I had thought of calling some of the clinics and asking them, but I was thinking they might be more picky about their rules over the phone, so if some reporter goes around trying to play "gotcha" with the MMJ program they don't look bad.

Sorry for the long read (if you made it!) and thank you so much for any help you can give!

-XRE

As far as I know, the paperwork requires at least one doctor visit for your condition. The visit should be within one year of your Medical Marijuana paperwork/MM doctor recommendation. Others will probably chime in here. The initial dr. visit should be all that is needed to get the paperwork rolling--when renewal time came around, I did not need to have another dr. visit for my qualifying condition. One suggestion would probably be to sell some blood and save the money, then go to an urgent health dr. to be seen for your condition (should be around 100 dollars or so), then ask for a copy of your medical records a few days later, after they are transcribed into their system. The card cost is around 250 dollars, with another 200 or so for the clinic dr. fee. I hope that you can grow for yourself, as it is hard to scratch up enough money to pay street prices for flowers. Seems most clubs in the Portland area are going on a rough average of 220 dollars donation for an oz......

We live in southern oregon and I believe our clinics are fairly similar to those up in Portland. I'll tell you about my personal experience. I suffer from Chronic Pain and needed a Medical Marijuana Card. I am 28, young and can not afford to go to the doctor on a regular basis either. However most clinics just want medical records, period. It doesn't necessarily have to be past visits about your migraines. So... I needed records from the last year, I didn't have any... So I scheduled just a regular check up at my local medical clinic. (La Clinica) They charge you on a sliding scale $30 Not Bad... Just got a regular check up even got my annual pap while I was there lol! Then before I left I just told the lady at the front desk I wanted to fill out a medical release form. You don't even have to tell them who it's for or anything. Then I put all the information of the Marijuana Clinic down and gave it back to them. So that was my "recent visit within the last year" I went a head a week later and scheduled my appointment at the Marijuana Clinic. I went and seen the Doc... For seriously less than a minute, told him what I use Marijuana for. Done! Then at the end of the appointment I ask the girl at the front desk to fill out a medical records request form. Put down all the info from La Clinica (mostly phone numbers and fax, address etc.) And I was done!

I've already saved up some cash for the actual card-related costs so that could be used towards the doc visit, I just find it upsetting that it's basically going to be another year before I can get my card, seeing as most of the places wanted at least two visits, spaced at least 6-9 months apart prior to getting seen at the referral clinics. While the additional cost isn't going to kill me it's just going to make everything else harder like usual.

Going to the doctor twice with the intention of simply building up a record of my issue seems dishonest to me as well, and while I may be forced to do this if the clinics refuse work with me, I'd like to avoid doing so at all costs.

Back in 2006 or 2007 I also had a pretty severe break in my hand requiring surgery and installation of two titanium plates. Since then I have had numbness, pain, swelling, bruising, etc. The surgeon told me it was likely I'd develop issues with my hand regardless, but leaving the plates in supposedly makes it worse, and once again I can't afford to have the plates removed.

Seeing as that's more recent, and more "physical" in the sense that it's actual broken bones and surgery. If anyone is familiar with how clinics run do you think they would be flexible on the timeline, and accept the records of surgery and follow-up care as proof of condition?

That's the most recent medical records I have, so I'm kind of at a loss.

Once again any help would be appreciate, and thanks for your reply metalhead.

Bluekoi777 said:

We live in southern oregon and I believe our clinics are fairly similar to those up in Portland. I'll tell you about my personal experience. I suffer from Chronic Pain and needed a Medical Marijuana Card. I am 28, young and can not afford to go to the doctor on a regular basis either. However most clinics just want medical records, period. It doesn't necessarily have to be past visits about your migraines. So... I needed records from the last year, I didn't have any... So I scheduled just a regular check up at my local medical clinic. (La Clinica) They charge you on a sliding scale $30 Not Bad... Just got a regular check up even got my annual pap while I was there lol! Then before I left I just told the lady at the front desk I wanted to fill out a medical release form. You don't even have to tell them who it's for or anything. Then I put all the information of the Marijuana Clinic down and gave it back to them. So that was my "recent visit within the last year" I went a head a week later and scheduled my appointment at the Marijuana Clinic. I went and seen the Doc... For seriously less than a minute, told him what I use Marijuana for. Done! Then at the end of the appointment I ask the girl at the front desk to fill out a medical records request form. Put down all the info from La Clinica (mostly phone numbers and fax, address etc.) And I was done!

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Thanks for the reply! I must have missed it while writing my other post.

That does sound promising. Most of the ones I looked at said at least 2 visits and they had all sorts of stipulations, no more recent than 3 months, no longer ago than 2 years, and the appointments had to be like 6-9 months apart and for the condition seeking a referral for, just really weird specific rules.

I'm assuming it depends greatly on which place you go, as the law doesn't require what they ask. I might as well start calling around, can't hurt, but if anyone has anything else to add feel free! It might be better to use my hand as the condition instead of the migraines seeing as it's much more recent. Maybe if I just go in for a checkup on my hand that will satisfy them like it did yours.

Thanks!

Have you looked into getting onto the Oregon Health Plan, I think it works on a sliding scale. Also Medicaid may be an option for health care. This would enable you to go to the docs for little to no money.
I feel your Migraine pain, I suffer from them ever since I had a Brain Aneurysm about 4 years ago.

I think you should get ALL your significant medical evidence, and have it faxed to the MMJ clinic, regardless of how old it is. Pain is pain, and it lasts a long time, regardless of your doctor visits.

I had a trifecta of "chronic pain" for my OMMP qualifiers: permanent (very minor) wrist injury with nerve damage, (with a surgery, which did nothing but create more scar tissue and numbness).... plus IBS, and chronic headaches. I, too, did not have health insurance, and hadn't been to a doctor for any of these conditions for at least a year (nothing they prescribed or advised helped me in the slightest, except for the fabulous Vicodin Monkey I hitched to my back, and that made the IBS even worse -- HURRAH!). The clinic doc really didn't care. He was a cool guy, who could see I had qualifying conditions, and that was that.

My boyfriend was qualified with even less documentation. He literally had not seen a doctor in years...In 5 years, he'd been to Urgent Care once for a twisted knee thingie, and once to the chiropractor when he threw his back out, badly, before a gig with his band. That doesn't mean that he hasn't thrown his back out and been crippled for weeks many times previously, it just meant that he didn't go to a doc. He had 2 visits with the OMMP clinic, plus the paperwork from the 2 instances, and boom. Done.

With the new health care in effect, you should qualify for OHP (which will also bring down the price you pay for your OMMP card!). That will help with the process a bit.

And I also feel your, and Zildjian's, migraine pain. Though I can't even imagine the brain aneurysm headache -- I was with my nephew when he had one. Scary and SO painful. You're lucky to be here Zildjian -- my nephew didn't make it.

I wish all of you the best.

XRE said:

Back in 2006 or 2007 I also had a pretty severe break in my hand requiring surgery and installation of two titanium plates. Since then I have had numbness, pain, swelling, bruising, etc. The surgeon told me it was likely I'd develop issues with my hand regardless, but leaving the plates in supposedly makes it worse, and once again I can't afford to have the plates removed.

Seeing as that's more recent, and more "physical" in the sense that it's actual broken bones and surgery. If anyone is familiar with how clinics run do you think they would be flexible on the timeline, and accept the records of surgery and follow-up care as proof of condition?

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You're golden with this. I think it's called "post surgery neuropathy" (nerve pain after surgery, from scar tissue build up, in my case). Doctor told me "I would never get better." (sorry, if this is bad or surprising news for you, and your case might be completely different). Since that was the case for me, I'd better learn to deal and heal, on my own.

Funny anectdote: I always thought lotions/salves were a bunch of shit, but I've been using a homemade Canna Salve on my wrist and hand since last July, and my wrist has been MUCH better. Huh. Go figure? I'll send you the recipe I use, if you want to try it out.

Be well!

Silly String said:

You're golden with this. I think it's called "post surgery neuropathy" (nerve pain after surgery, from scar tissue build up, in my case). Doctor told me "I would never get better." (sorry, if this is bad or surprising news for you, and your case might be completely different). Since that was the case for me, I'd better learn to deal and heal, on my own.

Funny anectdote: I always thought lotions/salves were a bunch of shit, but I've been using a homemade Canna Salve on my wrist and hand since last July, and my wrist has been MUCH better. Huh. Go figure? I'll send you the recipe I use, if you want to try it out.

Be well!

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Your posts were much appreciated, for more than one reason! Makes me feel much more confident I should be able to find someone without too much trouble that will work on the timeline thing.

Also, I had never considered using salvs and lotions, probably because I've never had access, but if I can finally get legal and visit the clubs it's DEFINITELY something I'd love to try. I've been in school for mechanical engineering for about a year now, and as you'd imagine the amount of writing I have to do is crazy, and with my hand I have to constantly stop and rest. Lecture notes are a literal pain lol. The lotions are something I'd really love to try once I get all my stuff taken care of, thank you SO much for the suggestion!

Surgeon made it pretty clear even with surgery my hand was never going to be the same so I'm not under any illusions about getting better. It's a life-long reminder of the repercussions of bad choices made in youth

Thanks again for the reply, we've been snowed in last week and yesterday so hopefully this week I'll be able to go on a medical records hunt!

Silly String said:

And I also feel your, and Zildjian's, migraine pain. Though I can't even imagine the brain aneurysm headache -- I was with my nephew when he had one. Scary and SO painful. You're lucky to be here Zildjian -- my nephew didn't make it.

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Sorry to hear about your Nephew. Funny thing is I have always had migraines since I was a child, but when I had my Brain Aneurysm I started as a Migraine but it never went away. I went to work for 5 days with it; because there was nobody else to do my job, but the last day I just couldn't take it anymore. Left work and went to ER. got as far as starting to give my info, my fiancee told me my eyes rolled into the back of my head and that is the last thing I remember until waking up with tubes and stuff coming out of my head. I did not know where I was and started to pull them out. Took 5 people to restrain me and strap me in. Doc told me if I had been 30 min later I would not have made it. They say 50% don't make it, and 50% of those that do have long term neurological issues. Took me about 3 months to learn how to talk again. I still have numbness on the left side of my leg, and the migraines are more frequent but other than that I came out ok. I really do consider myself very lucky.

Very very lucky. I know we all *try* to live every day like it's our last, but stuff like this really makes me try even harder to be happy (even when the day is threatening to go to shit).

My nephew was not a headache kid, so he'd never had a CT or MRI or anything that would have shown the golf ball size AVM (arterial venous malformation) that was in his brain, which finally just ruptured (while I was babysitting). I had to cajole and threaten that sweet, stubborn kid to get him to the ER, as he didn't want to inconvenience anyone. The aneurysm was so huge, and fast, there was nothing they could do.

I used to refer to any of my super bad migraines as "the headache of death" because the pain was just awful -- but it's taken on new meaning. If it lasts more than 4 hours, and won't clear up with the "Big Pills" (sumatripti-something-something?), I'll hit the ER.

After hearing your story, you must have the pain threshold of a bull! 5 days of it. Holy smokes. I'll say it again, very very lucky. Live big and happy, dude!

XRE said:

Also, I had never considered using salvs and lotions, probably because I've never had access, but if I can finally get legal and visit the clubs it's DEFINITELY something I'd love to try.

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I didn't really think it about it actually working, I just made the salve because I had some leftover scraps (I had a plant that I forgot about outside, and it became Moon Base Alpha for an expeditionary force of spider mites -- no way I was smoking or eating that stuff!), and thought I'd give it a whirl. You can probably find some other sources for it now, Hemp Festivals (not many of those in Winter, but who knows?)? Are there recreational dispensaries/stores in Washington now? The hippie chick in your general ed Psych 101 class?

I know these suggestions are not as legal as having your card and hitting the clubs. I've gotten very blase' in my old age about laws/rules, and especially regarding lotions/salves. My salve smells like margaritas (I added lime extract). "How could anyone get in trouble for hand lotion?" I think. (I'm NOT tempting fate! I'm not!).

I dunno, but I wish you luck on your medical records Easter egg hunt!