How CBD changed my life
In 2011 while undergoing chemotherapy a friend introduced me to edibles as a form of medication as a treatment to the side effects. The edibles, marijuana infused baked goods, helped to alleviate the symptoms brought on by the chemo. The vomiting, diarrhea, nausea, pain, loss of appetite and insomnia all stopped within 20 minutes of taking it. Not even the OxyContin or Percocet that had been prescribed had the same effect that one cookie did. It was a miracle.
Fast forward to today and while I am many years removed from chemotherapy, I suffer from crippling migraines and coughing fits that frequently leave my lungs sore from the radiation induced pulmonary fibrosis incurred while being treated for cancer. Add to this my insomnia, bouts of clinical depression and social anxiety disorder and it's a wonder I can function as a regular person most days. Prescription medications have adverse and often troubling side effects from muscle pain, trembling hands, dizziness, drowsiness and nausea. While edibles were a good thing for treating the side effects of chemotherapy, being high is not something I could handle everyday and continue to work and live normal. This has left me in quite the conundrum.
Two years ago I was introduced to CBD. Cannabidiol is the non-psychoactive part of the cannabis plant. In other words, it has many of the same benefits as THC heavy marijuana but with none of the high or euphoric feeling. It is used for treating neurological diseases and epileptic seizures as well as treating cancer, pain, inflammation and mood disorders. The research for the benefits of CBD has been overwhelming and positive. People have seen their lives turned around by the use of CBD. I too have seen the benefit in the use of the drug.
One day while riding a shuttle to a baseball game a friend and I got separated by a large crowd that got on. Even though he was just a few feet away, I couldn't see him and suddenly I felt myself going into a massive panic attack. I'm hyperventilating, crying, shaking, sweating, I feel like I can't breathe and I want desperately to get off the bus. At the next stop the crowd departs and my friend comes and sits next to me. I lean on him and start to cry. This isn't normal and while my friend is incredibly patient and one of two people who can handle the severity of my anxiety, it makes me deeply aware how much the CBD keeps it under control.
CBD also helps with my depression. Taking it along with St. John's Wort has kept me off prescription medication for nearly two years and allows me to feel normal without blunting my emotions or causing insomnia or loss of libido. I also use CBD to treat my insomnia, a chronic issue I've been dealing with since I was 15.
Best of all CBD helps to treat my migraines and while it is not effective in treatment for my pulmonary fibrosis, it does help with the pain often caused by prolonged coughing fits. Because of my lung condition the best way for me to consume CBD is through tinctures under the tongue and gummies. The tinctures work quickly, within a couple minutes, while the gummies take longer to take effect but are long lasting. The combination gives me an entire day to feel calm, at peace and happy.
While the federal government still finds the use of marijuana to be problematic I can attest to the benefits firsthand and am an advocate for its use in helping the lives of many who suffer chronic long term conditions.
Fast forward to today and while I am many years removed from chemotherapy, I suffer from crippling migraines and coughing fits that frequently leave my lungs sore from the radiation induced pulmonary fibrosis incurred while being treated for cancer. Add to this my insomnia, bouts of clinical depression and social anxiety disorder and it's a wonder I can function as a regular person most days. Prescription medications have adverse and often troubling side effects from muscle pain, trembling hands, dizziness, drowsiness and nausea. While edibles were a good thing for treating the side effects of chemotherapy, being high is not something I could handle everyday and continue to work and live normal. This has left me in quite the conundrum.
Two years ago I was introduced to CBD. Cannabidiol is the non-psychoactive part of the cannabis plant. In other words, it has many of the same benefits as THC heavy marijuana but with none of the high or euphoric feeling. It is used for treating neurological diseases and epileptic seizures as well as treating cancer, pain, inflammation and mood disorders. The research for the benefits of CBD has been overwhelming and positive. People have seen their lives turned around by the use of CBD. I too have seen the benefit in the use of the drug.
One day while riding a shuttle to a baseball game a friend and I got separated by a large crowd that got on. Even though he was just a few feet away, I couldn't see him and suddenly I felt myself going into a massive panic attack. I'm hyperventilating, crying, shaking, sweating, I feel like I can't breathe and I want desperately to get off the bus. At the next stop the crowd departs and my friend comes and sits next to me. I lean on him and start to cry. This isn't normal and while my friend is incredibly patient and one of two people who can handle the severity of my anxiety, it makes me deeply aware how much the CBD keeps it under control.
CBD also helps with my depression. Taking it along with St. John's Wort has kept me off prescription medication for nearly two years and allows me to feel normal without blunting my emotions or causing insomnia or loss of libido. I also use CBD to treat my insomnia, a chronic issue I've been dealing with since I was 15.
Best of all CBD helps to treat my migraines and while it is not effective in treatment for my pulmonary fibrosis, it does help with the pain often caused by prolonged coughing fits. Because of my lung condition the best way for me to consume CBD is through tinctures under the tongue and gummies. The tinctures work quickly, within a couple minutes, while the gummies take longer to take effect but are long lasting. The combination gives me an entire day to feel calm, at peace and happy.
While the federal government still finds the use of marijuana to be problematic I can attest to the benefits firsthand and am an advocate for its use in helping the lives of many who suffer chronic long term conditions.
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