2017-03-15 – The phone keeps ringing!

It’s been quite an exciting day, and nerve-wracking at the same time.   Every time I try to work through my list of tasks, the phone keeps ringing!

The first call I received was from Vice.com, who wanted to know if I would be interested in taking art in a documentary that they are filming about cannabis and Parkinson’s Disease.  It will involve flying to their studio in Amsterdam, and showing how cannabis affects my Parkinson’s symptoms during a day of filming.  They probably want to meet me in London beforehand, too.  Of course, I said “Yes!” – I’m keen to promote awareness of Parkinson’s, and awareness of medicinal cannabis, too.

I receive an email from the media office that Baroness Meacher referred me to, saying that there is to be a press release tomorrow about medicinal cannabis, and that they were hoping to get me an interview offer to discuss my use of cannabis to treat my tremor.  Good news!

The phone rings again, and it’s the Today programme from BBC Radio 4, wanting to know if I would be interested in being interviewed tomorrow about cannabis.  Is the Pope Catholic?  We have a long chat about my Parkinson’s Disease, DBS and cannabis.  The lady from the BBC seems very keen to use me, and says she will call me back to discuss the location of the interview and transport arrangements.

I have hardly had time to sit down, when the phone rings again.  This time it’s the World Tonight programme from BBC Radio 4 – very keen to interview me, but only if the Today programme decide not to use me.   She sends me an email so that I can contact her directly once I know whether or not the Today interview is going ahead.  Blimey!  My head’s spinning!

Next on the media hotline is a young lady from LBC wanting to interview me over the telephone at 8.20 tomorrow morning for their breakfast show.  Naturally I agree to the interview, with the proviso that it doesn’t clash with the Today interview (in the event that that does go ahead).  She is calling back later this evening to confirm details.

I somehow manage to slot in 2 dog walks around all of this activity.  Even the dog manages to get in on the media circus – I have received an email from a company in America called Thundershirt, wanting permission to use a portion of one of my dog videos for use in promoting a new product.  I don’t see why not, but I have printed off the release form that they emailed to me so that I can show it to my wife and get her approval – it is really her dog, after all!