This past weekend I had many reasons to smile and celebrate.  First my son flew out to spend some quality time with us.  We went to the beach on Saturday and continued celebrating by spending Sunday at Disneyland.  But there was something else that made this weekend special.  It hit me as we were heading to the airport to pick up our son that it was exactly two years ago that I began medicating with MMJ (medical marijuana).  Celebrating this fabulous date with the three people (husband, son, and daughter) that had encouraged and supported my decision to medicate with MMJ was absolutely fabulous.

Now that I have been medicating for two years, I can honestly and without any doubt state that MMJ has changed my life.  Wondering how MMJ has improved the quality of my life?  Two years ago I began treating my conditions with MMJ only in hopes of being able to experience a lower pain level and to achieve a restorative night’s sleep now and again.  Well I received that and so much more!  Here is how MMJ has improved or changed different areas of my life:

Back when I was medicating with pharmaceutical medications I was always tired or in a fog.  I couldn’t concentrate on anything.  Forget blogging, writing, drawing, or even playing  games with my kids, it was like looking through an unfocused lens.  The year that I went med free, the fog lifted some and that is when I was able to begin blogging.  But it still wasn’t enough for me to write as often as I do now.  Since I began medicating with MMJ, fog only fills my head now and then.  Compared to the daily and weekly basis that I used to suffer from severe brain fog, I’d say this is a huge win for me!  Pharmaceutical medications were also the cause of my weight gain. frequent urinary tract infections, irritability, inability to sleep more than four hours at a time, anxiety, and depression.  I quickly lost 30lbs after ditching my prescriptions and maintained that weight loss without trying after I began medicating with MMJ for a year and a half.  Since then by learning to listen to my body and only eating if I am truly hungry I have lost an additional 15lbs!! Marijuana has helped curb my appetite when needed and helps me eat when my nausea flares up.  I never suffered from urinary tract infections prior to medicating with pharmaceutical meds.  But throughout my twelve pill popping years I had one after another.  I haven’t had any urinary tract infections in the past two years!!! Thanks MMJ!!!!! MMJ doesn’t make me irritable or anxious, and I no longer suffer from depression or have suicidal thoughts!!!

I am always annoyed by doctors who are against medicating with marijuana by saying that there hasn’t been enough test studies to see what it can do.  The reason this pisses me off is that they don’t have to wait for a test study.  We, their patients, are here, we are medicating with marijuana!!!  If they would just accept it and monitor our progress they would see just how fabulous this medication is!!!!!  As for me, most of my doctors agree that MMJ is best because of my allergies and reactions to most prescription and over the counter meds.  BUT, they won’t enter how I medicate into my charts!!!!!  My Rheumatologist refuses to see me unless I want him to write a prescription for the same poisons that made my life hell in the past.  Yet if he would see me, he would witness some pretty amazing results.  Two years ago I was unable to drive myself anywhere!!!  Now I am able to drive myself to the grocery store or run an errand once or twice a week!!!!!!  Two years ago I couldn’t stand, sit, or walk for more than five minutes!  Two years later and I can stand, walk, and sit for up to fifteen minutes!!! Now that’s improvement!!!!   Instead of flipping between painsomnia and a pain coma every day/week, I only suffer from a handful of nights/days per YEAR! Most nights I am able to sleep between 6-8 hours!  And I am talking about a good night’s sleep, not just lying in bed praying that I will eventually fall asleep.  I awake refreshed with a clear mind.  No I don’t jump out of bed, it takes me some time to stretch, but most days I eventually leave my bed.

MMJ has not cured my conditions, nor did I expect it to.  I still live in constant pain, but the levels are different because I am no longer suffering from reactionary pain, you know the additional pain caused by your body’s reaction from your main source of pain.  My flares have decreased in frequency and length.  All of this has allowed me to live life again!!  I smile everyday!  I would have never been able to do anything that I have in the past two years if it hadn’t been for MMJ!

(Some of my favorite forms of MMJ)

Cheeba Chews

Soothing Sues

SensiChew

Baked Lollipops

Because MMJ has improved my life in so many ways I will never move to an area in which MMJ isn’t legal.  Of course I hope I never have to leave Southern California.  I have everything I could ever want here, MMJ, Disneyland, and the Pacific Ocean.  My life isn’t perfect and for those who think that my quality of life isn’t what they would consider to be wonderful, I just ask them to look at where I was and tell me that they wouldn’t be shouting  from the rooftop if they were me.

Wishing you a day filled with smiles and a night filled with zzzzzz’s,

The Disabled Diva

Tagged: arthritis, California, cheeba chews, chronic illness, chronic pain, degenerative disc disease, disabled diva, dlfamilypodcast, edibles, fibro, fibromyalgia, health, improvements, invisible disabilities, marijuana, medical marijuana, medicinal marijuana, mental-health, MMJ, MS, pain, pain pals, psoriatic arthritis, sensi chews, soothing sues, spoonie, spoonies, topical, weight loss, wheelchair