Quadriplegia and Pain by Kevin McHugh

 

My name is Kevin, and I am a 53 year old quadriplegic who has been in a wheelchair for 35 years. I first started using pot and other drugs when I was about 14, in 1963. I broke my neck at 18.  I still used until I met my wife in 1989. Before that I never had pain in my body except for occasional UTI. 

 

I stopped using pot and other drugs for about 15 years. I started having terrible back pain and joint pain which I never had in all the years. I couldn't feel anything under my shoulders until this pain. I had tests at MGH for everything; I started taking pain medicine but never pot. I was miserable. I couldn't even take my dog out, the pain was so bad. A friend came back from India and brought back some hash that I tried. I never told my wife; she is a nurse and she said she would leave me if I took illegal drugs.

 

The hash was like a miracle. My pain was gone for t an hour or two, and I was shocked. I finally broke down and told my wife.  She was just happy that something worked. I ran out of hash, but I know pot works the same. I have been smoking for about two years.  My wife can see my body relax instantly, and of course I can feel the difference. I now take 100 ml of methadone every day and smoke five times a day. I live in Massachusetts, and I'm scared of getting busted and my wife getting in trouble.