Greetings everyone. I have been asked to share my story with the world and how THC and CBD have changed my life for the better. To understand how I came to this place, it is important to understand my background.
I joined the Army in 1991. I signed up right out of high school on the delayed entry program at age 17. I served several years, until 2003, doing different humanitarian aid missions in countries all around the world including Guatemala, Peru, Korea—nothing crazy or out of the ordinary.
In 2003, I was deployed as part of OIF3 performing convoy security missions in the Suni Triangle. I was stationed at Camp Speicher just outside of Tikrit. I was involved in a total of 121 combat escort missions and, yes, that included many firefights while in-country. I lost close friends and saw many injuries serving as convoy security in a gun truck.
When I came home, I was sent to Walter Reed Medical center in DC to recover from an addiction to Vicodin. While in-country, I was on heavy doses of Vicodin prescribed by the military for pain management. I was addicted to the drug and it consumed me. I suffered from chronic back pain and depression.
Fast forward to the VA medical system: I was diagnosed with PTSD and depression. I was seen by several different doctors for back pain, chronic diarrhea, and a host of other medical conditions, including pain management. They tried several different medications over the years, and I was on seven medications daily, including Zoloft, Wellbutrin, Trazodone for sleep, and some sort of non-narcotic pain pills they had prescribed. They continued to adjust medications after I reported several very negative side effects like increased depression and suicidal thoughts. (It is important to know that I was working full-time as a critical care paramedic during this time frame, as well.) My job and experiences were contributing heavily to my dependence on sleep medications and anti-depressant drugs. My daily life was a fog. I felt disconnected and paranoid all the time. I had a difficult time relating to my family and friends.
In 2012, I started slowly turning to CBD for relief as it was legal in my state. The CBD did offer some relief, but it was not enough to make daily living better in any significant way. I still could not sleep without medication, I had flashbacks constantly, and I lived in a constant state of paranoid fear.
In early 2013, I made a trip to Colorado to visit a recreational dispensary for the first time. It was the most relaxing experience; the staff was very helpful and understood what I was looking for. I started with 10 mg. gummies twice daily and a 500 mg. dose of CBD one additional time daily. After a year of daily medication, I was completely free of medication from the VA. No more daily pills, no more fear, no more paranoia, and no more flashbacks. I reported my experience to my DR at the VA but was told at that time that if I continued to use cannabis, they would report it to my case manager and reduce my benefits.
I made the decision to continue to use but not to report it to the VA. The VA continues to prescribe medication to me, however, I have not taken it since 2013.
With continued use and self-medication, I can safely report that I now sleep through the night with no issues. (I take 20 mg. of an indica before bed and 10 mg. of a hybrid at noon daily.) Occasionally, I smoke a hybrid strain during the afternoon. This has allowed me to live a very full and fulfilling life with zero issues to contend with on a daily basis.
I can continue this blog if there is more interest; I can go more in detail as fans request.