Welcome to our Patient Focus!
For our first inaugural patient feature, we’ve chosen a loyal patient by the name of Laura Byrd! Laura has been a patient of Oregon’s finest since 2013 and has agreed to share a little bit of her story with you all. Please read along as Laura and I discuss a little bit about how cannabis has helped her!
OF: Hi Laura! Thank you so much for taking the time to speak with me today, we’re really happy to have this opportunity to share your story. I just want to ask you a few questions, about Cannabis and about the reasons you’ve chosen to introduce it into your life! So first we will start with a no brainer…Why Cannabis?
LB: Absolutely, well, it all began a few years ago when I was involved in a terrible horseback riding accident that left me with lifetime muscular and skeletal damage. I was in so much pain. At one point I developed a blood clot and was given an IVC filter to capture the clot, which in turn left me in severe lower extremity pain, neuropathy, lethargy etc. After having spent nearly 2 years in and out of the hospital, and having been on every opiate imaginable, that in early last year, when they tried to put me on Morphine, I finally had had enough. After I refused the Morphine I decided to try Cannabis.
OF: I can definitely understand Laura, why you’d want to get off of those medications…can you tell me what relief you have found and how the use of Cannabis has compared to conventional prescription drugs? Do you feel that you have more relief or less at this point?
LB: Honestly, I’d say about 85% relief. Sometimes the pain is so severe that I have to use Cannabis with a little of my other meds, but that is lessening each day.
OF: What medications have you been able to eliminate from your life, since choosing Cannabis?
LB: All those opiates, morphine etc. I still use Tramadol occasionally to help with pain while sleeping, but that it mostly.
OF: How about side effects? Do you feel that Cannabis has any side effects, and how do they compare to those associated with prescription meds?
LB: Well before I was often foggy headed, lethargic and sometimes nauseous. Some of those meds also caused me to be pretty hostile at times. Not a good feeling. I can Honestly say that there are no side effects associated with Cannabis, for me. I can still be productive these days and manage my pain at the same time.
OF: What are some of your favorite go to cannabis products?
LB: I have 3 top faves actually.
1) Synergy Skin Worx High CBD transdermal skin patch. It Works as a slow release over a 24hr period, and I tell you, I had severe food poisoning one evening and couldn’t keep any of my usual medications down, decided to put one of those patches on, just hoping! I had been retching for hours and my body was in so much pain, I kept my fingers crossed and waited. First 24hr period ive been pain free in years.
2) Luminous Botanicals Cannabis Cure All. They make a really wonderful 1:1 THC:CBD ratio called Meadow, that is very calming as well as great for pain relief.
3) And Lastly, I love the CBD Lolli pops by QiCo. Theyre really tasty and do the trick pretty quickly since a lot of the medicine is absorbed sublingually while sucking on the lolli.
OF: Sounds like you’ve found some really great products to help with your pain. Do you ever find yourself educating others on the benefits of using Cannabis? What kind of responses do you get?
LB: (chuckles) Yes! I do actually! Often! I’ve been pleasantly surprised at how many of my friends are aware and are cannabis users themselves recreationally or otherwise. Its been very eye opening.
OF How would you say your daily life has improved since adding Cannabis? Besides your physical health do you feel that is has helped you mentally as well? Daily stress management etc.
LB: Well besides in every way we just discussed, I do feel better mentally, I no longer have that foggy feeling, zombie headed. I have more mental control and I am generally clear minded and positive.
OF: Thank you Laura again, for taking the time to talk with me today and to share your experience with our readers.
