Vital Signs: Top health stories this week

Three times each day, 19-year-old Katie Solman of Bangor adds drops of a medical marijuana tincture into a cup of juice or tea and swallows it. Diagnosed with epilepsy at age 11, Solman has been prescribed a variety of pharmaceutical prescriptions over the years to ease the symptoms of her epilepsy. Only marijuana helps control her seizures without nasty side effects.

Solman and her mother joined others Tuesday in Falmouth to urge President Barack Obama to remove medical marijuana from the federal government’s list of scheduled drugs.

Maine patients, parents, activists call on Obama to remove medical marijuana from list of scheduled drugs

Other top health stories this week:

Maine Legislature sends to ‘amenable’ LePage a bill to broaden access to overdose antidote

The Maine Legislature sent Gov. Paul LePage a bill that broadens access to a medication meant to counter deadly overdoses of opiate-based drugs, including prescription painkillers and heroin. Slight changes to the bill that originated in the Senate on Wednesday reportedly will make it more acceptable to LePage, who initially expressed opposition.

Doctor wants to build $2 million medical facility on site of former Oronoka restaurant in Orono

Dr. Orville Hartford wants to demolish the landmark restaurant and bar, vacant since its closure in 2003, and construct a 9,600-square foot dermatology facility in its place.

From our bloggers:

Wendy Watkins, Gym Class Dropout

Selfie-confidence, or what bodybuilding taught me

If you do it right, the most important lesson of bodybuilding is that you are NOT your body. You are everything that it took for you to get ready for that show.

Jim LaPierre, Recovery Rocks

When You’re Afraid to Go to Sleep

I talk to trauma survivors every day who pay a very high price for being chronically sleep deprived. I explain the impact that this has on emotion and memory.

 

Jackie Farwell

About Jackie Farwell

I'm the health editor for the Bangor Daily News, a Bangor native, a UMaine grad, and a weekend crossword warrior. I never get sick of writing about Maine people, geeking out over health care data, and finding new ways to help you stay well. I live in Gorham with my husband Nick and our hound dog Riley.