Hi everyone! My name is Jennessa Lea. I am 29 years old and I use cannabis as my choice in medicine to fight Ehlers Danlos Syndrome.
From a young age I suffered from pain and instability in my joints, as well as other weird health issues that were never addressed. As I got older, the pain got worse.
When I had my daughter at 20, things got much worse. My health declined drastically, and my weight increased significantly. These issues led me on my search in modern western medicine to find out what was wrong with me.
I went to many doctors, and had many procedures and tests done. It was at this time they diagnosed me with Lupus, an autoimmune disease. Soon after, the doctors referred me to a pain clinic. I was immediately given a prescription of oxycodone 5 mg to use 6 times a day. Whoa! Was I happy, but boy was I ignorant!
At this point I was 22 years old and a brand new mom. I trusted what the doctors told me and thought that taking the medication was what I should be doing.
After all, it did rid me of my pain and make me feel like superwoman. Why wouldn’t I continue to take a prescription my doctor was telling me to? At this point I had no clue what I was getting myself into.
Here is what the doctors don’t tell you about opiates: your body gets dependent on them. I hate when people ask me,“”Did you get addicted?” As if I had a choice. You don’t have a choice with opiates. Once you start taking opiates (oxycodone, morphine, percocet, vicodin, etc.) on a daily basis, your body becomes dependent on them. No choice had.
They also don’t tell you how fast your tolerance increases. But rest assured, the doctors will be there to increase your dose.
Within a few months, my dose increased, and by the time I was finished at the pain clinic, I was being prescribed 150mg of oxycodone, and 90mg of morphine on a daily basis. I was 25 years old, a single mother, significantly overweight, and in a lot of pain still, even with the prescriptions.
By the end of my 4 year stretch of being prescribed these drugs I would run out of them because it is never enough, thanks to tolerance. I always thought that one more pill would make the pain go away, and I didn’t have the knowledge or strength to stop myself.
Because of this I was going through terrible withdrawal as well. I was exhausted from the opiates, in pain, confused about my health issues and didn’t want to live anymore. This illness and the medication that it subsequently brought into my life made me want to give up and die. And then I tried cannabis.
To read the rest of Jennessa’s story, click here: My journey through illness, opiate dependency, obesity, domestic abuse, and how I fought my way back using cannabis, healthy food and fitness!
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