Ever since I fractured my humerus in two places (#1
halfway between the elbow and shoulder straight across. #2 The ball
portion of the shoulder straight down which was tiny but more serious.)
I've had issues with pain management. At first, the medication (50mg of
Tramadol every 8 hours) kept my pain level to a 3, but also put me to
sleep most of the time. When it hit the two week mark, my pain was at
an 8 with the Tramadol, so I added 500mg of naprosyn every 8 hours as
well. That meant I was up every 4 hours, taking either one or the other.
That kept me at 5 for about a week, but then it shot back up to an 8.
When my pain is at an 8, I can't concentrate, I'm irritable, and I cry.
(probably due to depression) Horrible thoughts go through my head as
well.
Several years ago, a dear (vanilla) friend got injured, and to cope
with the pain, she turned to alcohol and drugs. My mind went there many
times. "Take a shot or two of brandy, it won't hurt." I wasn't able to
drive (I'm still not) so I would invent ways in my head to get some, but
I never followed through. Still, my pain was at an 8, so I stopped
taking the medication altogether for about 10 days, knowing my tolerance
for the medication would decrease and it would work better. I went
10-14 days with the medication and 10 days off. Nobody should have to
live like that!
Getting a frozen shoulder as a complication due to my diabetes only made things worse. I'd cry at PT, and spend the next 48 hours in my recliner, only getting up to use the bathroom. I used Ben Gay, heating pads, and take the pain meds. It was ineffective at best. My entire life revolves around my pain and how it affects everyone around me. I'm rarely pleasant, and it's difficult to be polite when I can't take a shower without assistance. I understand. I know it's a horrible chore to bathe me and wash my hair. I used to do that as a job in a rehab center, and later, at an AIDS hospice. I was required to bathe my patients daily, and I'm lucky if it gets done to me 3 times a week. (YUCK!!!)
Misery loves company, so I sometimes vent on my status update. I guess it was a month ago, a friend suggested I try CBD for pain management. This requires a prescription for medical marijuana in California. I haven't smoked/used marijuana in about 35 years. I sat on this and debated until about a week ago. I had a long detailed discussion with Shilo and Stitch about what this would mean, and risks associated with it for me. We agreed that the benefits outweighed the risks. My next step was to google doctors who prescribed medical marijuana. I found one that was semi-local to me, and he had good ratings. The price for a visit wasn't horribly bad, so I made plans to go on Friday. (12-16)
There were 2 other people in the waiting room when I signed in. I sat and waited about 30 minutes. I had my most recent lab work with me along with questions. Whenever I see a doctor, I expect a short exam followed by questions. I also expect to see a live person who is concerned with my well-being. Imagine my surprise when I was sat in front of a computer and talked to a doctor via Skype! I was even more shocked (appalled!) when he asked me how much pot I was currently smoking! This guy was off to bad start already. His laughing and jokes made me even more uncomfortable. He was even more surprised when I asked him about edibles ("Don't worry, the people at the dispensary will answer all your questions." WTF???!!!) I felt cheated. Is this how it's really done? He told me I'd get my blood pressure taken and that I was approved. All I could think was Well, THAT was different! Then the receptionist told me that she didn't need my blood pressure and I paid her and got my prescription that was good for one year. Honestly, I'm surprised that there aren't stricter laws for getting a prescription. Maybe I'm old school, but this was definitely hinky.
I was kind of relieved that when we got to the dispensary a few miles away it was tightly controlled. Still, she tried to sell me "flower" (fancy term for the green stuff) Again, I discussed edibles, and she showed me what they had. I bought something called Cheeba Chews on her recommendation and 2 salted caramels because it looked good. I know I only needed a little, so that was enough to last me a week.
Seeing a doctor via Skype is just a little too weird for me. He was unprofessional, and I doubt I would ever return.
The Cheeba Chews is just nasty tasting, but it's effective. I won't buy it anymore.
I like the salted caramel, and I only need half of one to be pain free for most of the day.
I think I'd rather stick to buying small edibles vs. the large ones (cookies, brownies, crispy bars)
The dispensary is almost too overwhelming for me.
I really think I need someone who is more experienced to assist me in picking out edibles that isn't an employee of the dispensary because there are too many choices.
Getting a frozen shoulder as a complication due to my diabetes only made things worse. I'd cry at PT, and spend the next 48 hours in my recliner, only getting up to use the bathroom. I used Ben Gay, heating pads, and take the pain meds. It was ineffective at best. My entire life revolves around my pain and how it affects everyone around me. I'm rarely pleasant, and it's difficult to be polite when I can't take a shower without assistance. I understand. I know it's a horrible chore to bathe me and wash my hair. I used to do that as a job in a rehab center, and later, at an AIDS hospice. I was required to bathe my patients daily, and I'm lucky if it gets done to me 3 times a week. (YUCK!!!)
Misery loves company, so I sometimes vent on my status update. I guess it was a month ago, a friend suggested I try CBD for pain management. This requires a prescription for medical marijuana in California. I haven't smoked/used marijuana in about 35 years. I sat on this and debated until about a week ago. I had a long detailed discussion with Shilo and Stitch about what this would mean, and risks associated with it for me. We agreed that the benefits outweighed the risks. My next step was to google doctors who prescribed medical marijuana. I found one that was semi-local to me, and he had good ratings. The price for a visit wasn't horribly bad, so I made plans to go on Friday. (12-16)
There were 2 other people in the waiting room when I signed in. I sat and waited about 30 minutes. I had my most recent lab work with me along with questions. Whenever I see a doctor, I expect a short exam followed by questions. I also expect to see a live person who is concerned with my well-being. Imagine my surprise when I was sat in front of a computer and talked to a doctor via Skype! I was even more shocked (appalled!) when he asked me how much pot I was currently smoking! This guy was off to bad start already. His laughing and jokes made me even more uncomfortable. He was even more surprised when I asked him about edibles ("Don't worry, the people at the dispensary will answer all your questions." WTF???!!!) I felt cheated. Is this how it's really done? He told me I'd get my blood pressure taken and that I was approved. All I could think was Well, THAT was different! Then the receptionist told me that she didn't need my blood pressure and I paid her and got my prescription that was good for one year. Honestly, I'm surprised that there aren't stricter laws for getting a prescription. Maybe I'm old school, but this was definitely hinky.
I was kind of relieved that when we got to the dispensary a few miles away it was tightly controlled. Still, she tried to sell me "flower" (fancy term for the green stuff) Again, I discussed edibles, and she showed me what they had. I bought something called Cheeba Chews on her recommendation and 2 salted caramels because it looked good. I know I only needed a little, so that was enough to last me a week.
My Assessment:
Seeing a doctor via Skype is just a little too weird for me. He was unprofessional, and I doubt I would ever return.
The Cheeba Chews is just nasty tasting, but it's effective. I won't buy it anymore.
I like the salted caramel, and I only need half of one to be pain free for most of the day.
I think I'd rather stick to buying small edibles vs. the large ones (cookies, brownies, crispy bars)
The dispensary is almost too overwhelming for me.
I really think I need someone who is more experienced to assist me in picking out edibles that isn't an employee of the dispensary because there are too many choices.
I think you should focus on the fact that you are able to get something that works for you. You don't seem interested in marijuana recreationally so for you it's "just medicine" and medicine rarely tastes good. Focus on the upside of being pain free for a bit.
ReplyDeleteAll the best!
I'm happy to see you here! I'm working on the pain free part. It just takes time.
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