Chronic Illness is Unacceptable

The world has lost some cool people in the last few days. First it was David Bowie, then Alan Rickman, Mic Gillette from Tower of Power, and now Glen Frey. Shocking, all of them. But Glen Frey’s death hits close to home for me. I suffered from rheumatoid arthritis for around fifteen years, thirteen of those years it was out of control. Medications prescribed by my doctors did nothing but keep me in the severe range. I would hear commercials on television about medications for moderate to severe RA and dream of the day I would actually be moderate. Because mine went from minor to severe practically overnight.

RA is debilitating

I read that Glen suffered for fifteen years with RA. Fifteen is such an interesting number. My first doctor (I’m on my sixth) told me that most RA patients die fifteen years sooner than other folks. He also was angry that I didn’t get a pneumonia shot before beginning Enbrel, a biologic he prescribed a year into my treatment. Evidently, he couldn’t seem to comprehend that it was his responsibilty to tell me about it and to then have one of his nurses actually give it to me. Instead, he yelled at me. I walked out and never went back. I contacted my primary care doctor and I was able to get the pneumonia shot from her.

My second, third, fifth and sixth doctors are/were nice people. I’m sure they did well in school and know all sorts of things about rheumatic conditions, but they missed the boat with me. Cannabis made the difference, not the drugs they all have prescribed. And it’s sad that it’s taking so much time for the medical community to catch up with what cannabis patients all know. Politically, cannabis legalization doesn’t typically line campaign coffers so to date, it’s not a relevant issue on the campaign trail.

Secondary illnesses are common

Secondary illnesses are common with RA. In my case, fibromyalgia, but for others, excessive inflammation attacks our vital organs and is so destructive. I developed insulin resistance, resulting in Metformin three times a day. My fluid retention that my illustrious doctors NEVER dealt with caused my blood pressure to rise so much that after 10 1/2 years I insisted that the second blood pressure mediation prescribed contain a diuretic. I lost so much fluid in the first two weeks that it triggered a flare that would last two weeks longer than a year.

I developed an infection in my jaw that would result in two dental implants a year later. By then, I was juicing cannabis leaf and including it in my daily smoothies. The flare ended a month before the dental implant surgery. Any surgery is potentially a problem with RA sufferers because we don’t heal well. An autoimmune disease, RA is treated with immunosuppressive drugs. A few days prior to receiving my cannabis card in the mail, my fifth doctor prescribed CellCept which did nothing to end my flare and was a complete nightmare to experience. It’s typically for lupus and to prevent organ transplant rejection. More immune suppression and the side effects were just horrible. So it’s easy to see how we become sick with other issues on top of the RA. How any of us survive this is a miracle.

There must be a better approach

So I’ll end with my premise. Chronic illness is unacceptable. Health is our natural state, but we spend billions each year supporting an industry built on the belief that it is. We become our illness. And it’s easy to see how that happens with RA and conditions like it given their debilitating nature. And it’s not like we’re given a choice in the matter unless we explore other methods of healing.

Anthony William, the Medical Medium, tells us in his new book, Medical Medium that lemon balm kills EBV, the virus that may be the actual cause of RA and other conditions. A article in Science Daily from a study published in 2004 by University of South Florida Health Sciences Center discusses how EBV may be involved in RA’s disease process, and that THC reduces EBV’s effect. Given that I went into clinical remission so quickly after beginning my treatment with concentrates, I have to believe it does more than reduce symptoms.

Last summer I created an herbal formula involving cat’s claw and some other herbs to take daily for my RA. Herbs tone and nourish our bodies, bringing balance and stasis, so that disease finds no purchase. I’ve always been drawn to lemon balm and now I know why. An empath, I naturally gravitate to what heals me. So, I’ve added some lemon balm tincture to my treatment.

I’m lucky to live in a state where cannabis has been legal medicinally since 1998. And last year, we fully legalized. And with all the problems associated with legalization unfolding, at least we all have the ability to choose cannabis in Oregon. I have no idea if other folks can heal the way I did, but why not? Why shouldn’t everyone have that same chance? Instead, those in control appear to want everyone to remain chronically ill. After all, it’s where the money is, and profit rules everything in this country.

And why should any of us run out of time when there’s so much life yet to live?

~ May Goddess bless all on their journey of healing.