Submitted by Terese B. from Nelson, BC, Canada

I am 50 years old from Nelson, BC Canada. I took my first puff of Cannabis at age 36.

I have been living with chronic illnesses, including Lyme Disease, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Multiple Chemical Sensitivities for the past 15 years.

I felt like I was hardly keeping it all together

I struggled daily with symptoms like insomnia, fatigue, fuzzy brain, overwhelm, lack of luster and joy. I had anxiety in public situations and often felt uncomfortable in my body. I avoided socializing and adding anything extra to life. I opted out of fun activities to avoid burnout and low mood. I was barely getting by. I’d sleep for hours during the day, as I wasn’t sleeping well at night. I was tired all the time and experienced brain fog and overwhelm with anything extra. I felt like I was hardly keeping it all together.

I grew up outside the norm of society and Cannabis was not even on my radar

I never heard much about it until my late 30's when I moved to the Pot capital of British Columbia, Canada. My dear friend, dedicated to this beautiful plant, entertained many conversations with me about Cannabis. She has since passed. She taught me about connecting to the spirit and consciousness of the Cannabis plant. After being with her, I was able to see Cannabis in a new light, with new healing opportunities and deep respect. She was my inspiration to eventually train as a Certified Cannabis Coach with the Cannabis Coaching Institute.

Cannabis was the first remedy that I reached for at the onset of my illness

But I added many more tools to assist in my healing. Exploring different dietary paths—AIP, Paleo, Raw, Vegan, Carnivore—and engaging in specialized treatments at the Sophia Health Clinic in Seattle, including daily mud baths, BioMat sessions, and Joovv light therapy, became integral aspects of my healing journey. While some tools yielded immediate positive results, like Poly MVA injections and laser therapy, others provided varying outcomes. Tools such as coffee enemas and osteopathy offered temporary relief.

Throughout this process, the key for me was attunement to my body's signals at every stage of healing, recognizing that each element played a unique role in my overall well-being.

Other tools include:
NAET - a natural allergy elimination technique,
thermography,
castor oil packs,
ozone therapy,
kundalini yoga,
meditation,
body scrubbing,
essential oils,
energy medicine,
craniosacral massage,
Chiropractor,
Multiple IV injections: B12, Iron,
laser therapy,
Intramuscular Stimulation (IMS),
Infrared sauna,
Mold testing & radon testing in the house,

These 4 things have been the most beneficial to me:

• Cannabis- reduces my pain, helps me sleep, relieves stress & anxiety, reduces inflammation, manages migraines
• Carnivore diet- energizes my body, reduces food reactions, reduces inflammation, reduces food stress
• Ozone Therapy- stabilizes the cells, restorative
• Biophoton Light Therapy- takes care of bacterial and viral loads, boosts the body

I was a closet Medical Cannabis consumer for about 10 years until legalization!

I would have great pain management at night but would not consume THC during the day lest anyone know that I'm high! I finally realized the dichotomy I was living and began dosing all day at appropriate doses so that I could function during the day AND have my pain managed.

After so many years of being silent about Cannabis with my family, now many of them also experience the incredible benefits of Cannabis too!

My favorite protocol is my nighttime routine

I inhale a homegrown high THC cultivar and on challenging days, I'll add in some CBN as well. This helps me feel tired and ready for sleep. Just before turning out the lights, I'll take 10mg edible of high THC - this ties me through the 2-3 am wakeup, along with 20mg 1:20 THC:CBD oil, 20 mg THCA/CBDA oil - this is my superpower anti-inflammatory protocol that goes to work while I sleep.

Before I tried Medical Cannabis…

I’d sleep for hours during the day, as I wasn’t sleeping well at night, leaving me tired all the time and experiencing brain fog and overwhelm with anything extra. I felt like I was hardly keeping it all together.

After Medical Cannabis, my relationship to my own self-care began to change

Cannabis helped to decrease my unhealthy responses to stress and let go in anxious situations. Cannabis calmed my nerves, quieted my racing thoughts and gave me a sense of well-being and appreciation for life. My pain faded to the background and I could engage in life without the overhanging pain. It deepened my spiritual understanding and offered a deeper connection to nature and my being.

I developed the self-discipline to prioritize my health and developed a peaceful relationship with my self-care routine. It became as important to me as breathing and started to outshine all the other daily, non-stop tasks. 

Consuming Cannabis with intention brought peace to my body and mind. I could sleep at night and wake up more rested. My mind slowed down and the overwhelm lessened so that I could cope with life one breath at a time. 

People always say to put your own oxygen mask on first, and I was finally able to do this!

I started to listen to my body and honour what works for it, what I put in and on it, and what thoughts I allow myself to dwell on.

This is Terese’s personal story and not meant to be medical advice. It is for informational purposes.

To work with a medical Cannabis professional, please visit our directory of coaches, educators, and medical professionals. Everyone's Endocannabinoid System (ECS) is different; good results start with the right approach. You don't have to figure it out on your own.

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