The bottle of Cannabis oil has been on my bedside table for a while. I’d been plucking up the courage to try it. A week of debilitating nausea and the thought of driving to Pinelands the next morning for a pampering session, tipped the scales.
I prepared for bed, and only once I was under my duvet and ready to switch off the light, did I reach for the golden bottle. One drop. That couldn’t do me much harm. Or could it? I’d never really embraced the student days of smoking weed. Yes, I’d inhaled passively – it was difficult not to, but I’d never tried it myself. Okay, so I did once eat half a piece of green fudge. All I remember of that occasion, was that my housemate and I giggled uncontrollably for a while. I closed my eyes and allowed a drop to settle on my tongue. Then I switched off the light and hoped for the best. Nothing much happened. I slept well, dreamt of flying across the sky and woke with Archie kneading my stomach in the early hours. The cannabis didn’t seem to have done terribly much. But wait. Something felt different. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it at first. And then it hit me between the eyes. Bingo! I wasn’t feeling nauseous.
The windy road to Pinelands didn’t feel like a mission and I was curious to experience a Look Good, Feel Better morning. One of the Oncology nurses gathered us up and led us to the Vincent Pallotti boardroom. The Look Good team of earth angels welcomed us and we were ushered to our seats, where bulging make up bags awaited. Face washes, creams, gels and lotions were unpacked and set before us, followed by mascaras, blushers, foundations, eye shadows, pencils and lipsticks. All by wellknown beauty brands. All donated. Aneesa, the team leader, led us through a full make up routine and we followed her expert hand as she demonstrated on one of the group. My scarf kept getting in the way and one of my fellow travellers waved her hand at me. “Just take it off!” She whipped her own away to encourage me and a few more women followed suit. Amazing volunteers were at hand to offer advice, massage necks and pour fresh apple juice on request. The flamboyant Betty showed us how to wrap scarfs in various ways and my one regret was not filming her in action. My attempts have not come up to her standard.
Once our group were all beautified, we were offered tea or coffee and delicious snacks to enjoy in the lounge. And guess what. I could actually eat some. After a morning of spoiling and sharing stories with women on similar journeys, I made my way to the carpark, where my husband was waiting to pick me up. The drive back home was a breeze and after a catnap with Archie, I was ready to face the evening. The magic bottle has pride of place on my table now and it’s to be a nightly routine. I must just make sure the top is securely closed though, as it’s not something I’m prepared to share with the silent hunter.
