Melissa Etheridge's anthem of hope

Etheridge: I decided instead of signing up for the drugs that— well, there’s the drug that you take for the pain. But that constipates you. So, you have to take the constipation drug. But then that actually gives you diarrhea. So, you need a little diarrhea drug. Instead of taking five or six of the prescriptions, I decided to go a natural route and smoke marijuana.

Phillips: Medicinal marijuana.

Etheridge: Medicinal marijuana. Absolutely. Every doctor I talked to that I asked about it said that’s the best thing to do. The doctors know.

Phillips: You spoke to your doctors about using marijuana?

Etheridge: Oh, yeah. From the surgeons to the oncologists to the radiation. Every single one was, “Oh, yeah. That’s the best help for the effects of chemotherapy.” 

While the medical community remains divided, California is one of 10 states that allows seriously ill people to use marijuana, with a doctor’s recommendation. But federal law prohibits the drug under any circumstances. So, Melissa’s doctors didn’t actually write a prescription.  And Melissa used it, despite the risk of federal prosecution. 

NBC Breast cancer survivor and rock musician, Melissa Etheridge, sits down exclusively with "Dateline's" Stone Phillips to discuss publicly for the first time specifics about her breast cancer treatment, and how her battle with breast cancer inspired many songs on her new album, "The Road Less Traveled."

Etheridge: If they really wanted to come get me really, I mean, there’s so much more going on. And I just—no, I didn’t worry. But it was worth it.

Smoking the marijuana proved too harsh, so early on, she switched to a vaporizer to inhale it. She says it eased her pain, restored her appetite and lifted her depression.

Phillips: How often were you using it?

Etheridge: Oh, every day. I was doing a lot of it at the time, for my pain and for my symptoms. And the minute I didn’t feel it, it I stopped.

Phillips: As a rock star, your position on this does not come as a complete surprise.

Etheridge: I know, I know.

Phillips: Do you worry at all that talking about this from a medicinal standpoint might encourage recreational use? That what somebody hears is, “This takes away pain. This is—this brings comfort.” 

Etheridge: Do I worry that it will be abused? Yeah. I mean, Vicodin is abused.  Everything that brings pain relief is abused. Yeah. But does that mean because Vicodin is abused, do they keep it away from people? No.They prescribe it. Put the laws on it, prescribe it.

Phillips: Have you thought about being more vocal in the medicinal marijuana movement?

Etheridge: Well, I guess I am now. Yes.

Melissa has always followed her truth, no matter where it takes her. And often it’s the road less traveled. In fact, that’s the title of her latest album, released this month. It’s a nod to the Robert Frost poem about diverging roads and the choices that define us.

Phillips: So, for you, the roads that diverged were, were what?

Etheridge:  Well, I think that starts in high school. I saw two roads. I could stay in Kansas. I could take the road that people in my hometown would take. You go to college. You get a husband. You get married. That was one road. Or I’m going to go to L.A. I’m going to, you know, I’m going to go for the craziness. And I took that road.

OK, I met lots of gay people in Hollywood. We were all very, very quiet about it in Hollywood. We didn’t say anything. But you know what? I don’t want to take that road. I wanna be myself. I took that road.

Wow. Oh, I got breast cancer. You know what? I could shrink away and tell everybody to leave me alone and just not say anything about it, say I’m taking a little vacation and go through this myself. Or you know what? I could be open about this. And I could let it change my life, change me for the better. I’m gonna take this road.

This past summer, Melissa traveled a lot of roads in an RV. It was a coast to coast tour of America—a special treat for her two children and for Tammy, who’d kept her vow to be there for Melissa in sickness and in health.    

Phillips: So, let me get this straight, was six weeks in an RV across country with the kids, her way of thanking you for all your love and support?

Michaels: Yes. That was my dream. It was my dream. After she was done, she said, “Let’s go on a vacation. Where do you want to go? Anywhere. Anything.  Let’s go.”

I said, “Baby, get me one of them big ol' RV’s. And you can get me outta here.” You can get me out of this town. And we took off.

Etheridge: We’re from the Midwest and a good RV trip is the goal in your life.

Michaels: It was the best!

They visited their hometowns—Melissa’s in Kansas and Tammy’s in Indiana. They spent a day at Dollywood in the Smoky Mountains, and drove all the way to the Big Apple. 

Etheridge: It was great to feel in control, having been so out of control, of my body, of my life.  Being in control, driving, being in charge of taking care of things: “What’s the next meal? Where are we going? Where are we staying? Getting people there safe.”

Phillips: So, in your case, RV sort of stands for "recovery vehicle"?

Etheridge: Yes. Very much so. 

While on the road, Melissa wrote that anthem of hope for cancer patients and their families. Her message of fierce optimism is delivered the best way she knows how—by singing straight from the gut.

Phillips: Music remains the mission?

Etheridge: Oh yeah. Music and living.

As the lyrics to one of her songs goes: “I run for hope, I run to feel, I run for the truth and all that is real, I run for your mother, your sister, your wife, I run for you and me, my friend... I run for life.”

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