Gratitude - My First Blog

As many embark on this year’s holiday season, I am reminded that thankfulness and gratitude, while similar, are distinct. Both are essential, life-changing states that foster growth and maturity. Thankfulness is often associated with a feeling or serves as a direct response to a specific catalyst, making it a temporary state. In contrast, gratitude follows thankfulness and represents a more enduring mental state. Those who embrace gratitude generally achieve a level of acceptance; they may not like every challenge life presents, but they find balance and peace, recognizing that their difficulties could be worse.

Today, I want to express my gratitude for my best friend’s health. For many years, she has endured severe, debilitating pain due to several conditions, including Fibromyalgia, Neurofibromatosis, and Arthritis. These conditions are complex, and she also faces additional health concerns that complicate her treatments.

Like many others, she was treated with opioids for pain and GABA analogues for nerve pain for about two decades. Over time, her pain levels increased, leading to higher medication doses, significant weight gain, and a less active lifestyle. This cycle continued until she found herself on multiple opioids and two different GABA medications at very high doses. She was miserable, struggling with breathing, walking, driving, sitting, and even sleeping.

About five years ago, as her pain skyrocketed and her opioid intake was already high, she began occasionally using cannabis to help manage her pain. At that time, I knew very little about how THC and CBD worked in the body or how to effectively substitute cannabis for opioids. All I knew was that my best friend was in a terrible state and needed help.

I immersed myself in research, reading everything I could find about cannabis. I would read during my breaks at work and into the night until I fell asleep with my phone or the pages still in my hands. I was captivated by the potential of this remarkable plant. I discovered its medical benefits, its positive ecological impact, and the astronomical economic predictions surrounding it.

During our discussions about various dosing methods, we came up with the idea of creating a topical product. She often experienced breakthrough pain in specific areas, like her knee or certain parts of her back, even while using cannabis.

Our first topical formulas were made by mixing a full-plant tincture with an over-the-counter muscle or pain rub base, depending on her choice. While some of these worked, we aimed to create a natural option, as many OTC products contained "just more chemicals." With time, and the help of a pharmacist friend who specializes in cannabis, we transitioned the tincture to a full-spectrum CBD mixed with essential oils in a carrier oil base, tailoring it for specific conditions, such as adding valerian root for muscle spasms. With each attempt to refine the topical option, she began to experience relief by using various formulations alongside her cannabis consumption.

Gradually, her rheumatologist started reducing her opioids and GABA medications based on her feedback. With lower pharmaceutical use, she began losing weight, improving her mobility, mood, and self-esteem.

Today, she proudly shares that she no longer uses any opioids or GABAs to manage her pain. Her medical team is thrilled with her progress. She has lost significant weight, is more physically active, and, most importantly, she enjoys a much better relationship with her daughter since she can be present in her daily life without debilitating pain or medications altering her consciousness.

I am thankful for the magic of cannabis. I refer to this as "magic" because, in this case, “science is magic that is real.” The ability to harness the power of cannabinoids has immeasurably changed my best friend’s life. Witnessing this life-altering journey has been one of the most incredible experiences of my life. Every day, I am grateful for the knowledge and research we collectively have regarding the potential of cannabis. This is my state of gratitude.