Pain by C.M. Dicks

          I was very glad to stumble across this site and find so many other people who have used marijuana for the same reasons as myself. I am a 37-year-old woman, single with no children. I graduated from high school and have worked in a variety of jobs.  Currently I am employed in a call centre by a major hotel chain to take reservations for their hotels around the world.

          By the time I was 29 I had stopped smoking any pot, thinking it was bad for me. It had never occurred to me that it might help with anything that was wrong with me. I was diagnosed "severely depressed" in my mid twenties and had been so for as long as I could remember. In 2001 I was diagnosed with PCOS and had to have two emergency surgeries in 18 months. Three years ago I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue. (Ever feel like it just never ends?!)

          My boyfriend at the time of the surgeries was a pot smoker so I was exposed to it more and more. I started to notice that when I was nauseous or had a migraine or a bad toothache the fastest and most effective remedy was to smoke a joint. I have trouble controlling my temper sometimes, and tended to fly off the handle. I found that smoking a joint was very calming and steadied me quite well. In the past five years or so my personality has become more settled, I rarely lose my temper any more (as my knuckles and apartment. walls will attest) and I also don't have the problem with being around people/strangers/crowds that I used to have.

          I assumed that since the marijuana helped with migraines and dental pain, it might help with the pain associated with fibromyalgia. I was correct. I tried an experiment recently, once for two days and once for four days, times separated by approximately six weeks. I did not smoke anything and tried to remain objective and pay attention to my body. After two days without smoking, the pain grew and grew, almost like the incoming tides. Horrible if you have never experienced it. My stress levels went through the roof, my patience was gone, and the pain prevented me from sleeping, something I hardly do well as it is with the chronic fatigue.  Lying in bed crying from the pain or pacing the floor to try and distract myself from it was just not going to work.

          I smoke it every day. About the amount you would find in an average sized joint will do me the evening, as I only smoke after I come home from work. I use a pipe and find this works the best for me as I can control the amount very well. I also find I cough less with it and you don't get that "cigarette butt" taste you get when you chip a joint. I do like a water pipe and it is much smoother, but for me I find just the plain aluminum pipe works best and is less complicated.

          I have luckily never had any legal problems involving marijuana. I live in Canada and thankfully it is legal to poses medical marijuana here. I do not have my ID to purchase it through the Canadian government yet, but the forms are on the way. Luckily my best friend is my supplier so I usually have a good quality product. It costs me about $60 every two weeks and when you compare that to the cost of meds, it is worth it. I tried anti-inflammatory drugs and hated myself on them.  The side effects were rotten and they did not even help. NOTHING else, I repeat NOTHING else, does anything to help my fibromyalgia pain. To the day I die I will recommend medical marijuana use to anyone who will listen. If you have ever suffered from chronic pain you will understand just how wonderful it is to put the cane away and walk down the street without worry your leg will collapse underneath you. Or to be able to hang up laundry on the clothesline without it leaving you unable to lift your arms for two days.

          Now I am not saying it takes the pain away completely, but what it does is relieve it enough that I can relax a little and get to sleep, walk the cat, weed the garden and whatever else I can think of and not feel like the crippled up old woman I was feeling like. You can publish my story, ask me questions and use my name. When the only thing that helps with chronic pain is illegal in a lot of places it is just not fair.