Meg Lewellyn is a mom of three and was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2007. At the time of her diagnosis, she was a self proclaimed “super mom” and with kids aged 9, 7, and 5, she was extremely active – as any mom of kids that age have to be. As the disease took hold, she came to terms with the fact that her daily 6-8 mile run was no longer an option, she was also faced with the use of a cane anytime she left the house. She continued to attempt to go to the gym, rationalizing that the pain was only temporary.
Four years later, after some intermittent improvements in mobility, the pain was no longer temporary or only after exercise. Doctors prescribed a cocktail of multiple pharmaceutical solutions including, but not limited to methadone and clonazepam and she started to self medicate with alcohol. Desperate as she found herself with few options that could be considered effective, she considered using the medical marijuana card she had obtained 4 years earlier, but never utilized.
Like many others, she was apprehensive for a multitude of reasons, including the perception of her children, friends, and family; the fear of dispensary personnel not understanding her ailment, and self doubt. She began a 6 month journey to determine if medical cannabis could make a positive impact. After the initial few months, she made some realizations about her earlier fears. Her kids wanted her to feel better, no matter the method; friends and family felt the same way, they wanted her to be free from the excruciating pain and supported her decisions. Fortunately, the dispensary staff was more than helpful, they were kind and happy to help.
At this point in her life and her journey with medical cannabis, she is optimistic about the results thus far and has been working with her dispensary staff to learn more about the strains available and has continued to try different versions to bring her relief. She emphatically mentions that unlike so many of the pharmaceutical “solutions” she’d tried in the past, her only side effects from cannabis have been “smiling, laughing, and the return of her sex life. Her side effects with the prescription medications brought her the “gifts” of dizziness, diarrhea, constipation, cramping, dry eyes, dry mouth, drowsiness, restlessness, anxiety, and decreased sex drive.
This particular mom has determined that the quality of her life is worth any perceived stigma from strangers and is now living with MS, but not living as MS would prefer.
Click the link below to learn more about the treatment of MS with cannabis.