In 2016, Dad’s neurologist suggested he try medicinal cannabis for his Parkinsons’ symptoms. You can read about the start of that journey HERE and HERE.
Dad thought he was being sneaky and radical and flying under the radar of local law enforcement, even though medical marijuana had been approved here in Florida for personal purchase. We had talked about keeping it on the down-low. The office staff at his ALF knew we were trail-blazing, but the CNAs didn’t need to know there was a mild form of THC in his room.
The secret didn’t last long.
Dad whispered to his therapists and his favorite CNAs about our experiment. The guy cannot keep his mouth shut. It was just too exciting. And he had such high hopes – this would be the medicinal aid that would bring him back to perfect health.
We played with dosing for three months. He felt no change, then had some hallucinations. He wanted to reduce the amount and then increase it. He so badly wanted the stuff to calm his tremors, lift his depression, and make him 25 again.
Alas, it was not to be. After three months, $335, and no significant improvement, Dad’s neurologist decided the termors in Dad’s left arm and hand were not Parkinsons-related, but brain damage from his 2008 stroke. Cannabis does not repair brain damage.
Dad’s mood did improve while taking the treatment – partly, I think because he knew he was contributing to research, and he was the first in his ALF to be trying medicinal cannabis. He was cutting-edge, and it was cool.
I had mixed feelings about the whole thing.
If it worked, great – but almost $100 a month was going to be a problem. If it didn’t work, Dad would be back to square one with no real hope for getting any better. Either way, it would not be an easy, uncomplicated win.
Since Dad’s trial with medical cannabis, I have developed right hip pain, due to bursitis, arthritis, bulging discs in my lower back and God only knows what else. Aging and probably too much chocolate.
I started treating the pain with ice packs and Tylenol, then turmeric pills and Aleve PM on occasion. Some of the pinch eased, but not enough for me to stick with anything. I see a rheumatologist twice a year, and he suggested cortisone injections into the joint.
The first one did nothing; the second one helped, but only for about a week. I don’t know that I’ll take anymore because I read that one can only have so many cortisone shots before the muscle atrophies and the joint deteriorates. I don’t know what to believe, but I don’t want a hip socket that wobbles and folds and increases my fall risk.
Which brings me to cannabis.
Two cousins and a friend swear by it. They have joint pain too. One takes oil, one rubs on a cream. I’m trying a powder that goes under my tongue once a day. It’s the smallest, least expensive form of cannabis to try ($30 for a month’s supply.)
Part of me thinks, this is snake oil. The other part of me hopes, maybe this will be the medicinal aid that will restore my hip and help me lose 20 pounds. I’m as idealistic as Dad.
I’m about 2 1/2 weeks into my month of mystical powder, and so far…it’s helping about as much as the turmeric pills. Or the second cortisone shot that kind of worked. Nothing eases the pain significantly except real medicine, like Aleve. Which I can’t take for the rest of my life, unless I want to forfeit my liver. I don’t really know what the liver does, but God put it in there for some reason, so I’d rather not challenge that. So I’m trying all the outside-the-box, magic potions I can afford.
Pain is the Mother of Exploration.
Dr. Quinn gave her patients tea made from willow bark, which, refined in later years, became aspirin. Who knew.
Hopefully down the road, medicinal cannabis will be refined as well. Currently, it comes in copious forms and is quite expensive. It has some legitimate dispensaries and some shady storefronts. Here’s where I buy mine. The shop is not in a dark alley or underground, so it seems legit, but I’ve been fooled before.
Medicinal cannabis hasn’t yet consistently been proven to resolve the same issue for everyone. At this point, we’re all guinea pigs. Which I don’t mind…if it can knock out my hip pain.
I’ll keep ya’ posted.
Have you tried any CBD products? What’s your story?
Enjoyed your story on your dad’s experiment with CBD. I am one of the cousins that uses a CBD cream on my hips. I was skeptical to use it but a former nurse who was a sorority sister and friend got me to try some a year and a half ago. I had not slept the night before. I had flipped from one side to the other and then on my back trying to find a position that didn’t hurt. No luck! Within 20 minutes after using it, I realized I was pain free! Unbelievable! A miracle! I used the sample she gave me faithfully until it was almost gone and then asked for a jar of my own. My pain was basically gone. I have found that over time with using it that I don’t need to put it on every day. I now only rub it on when I feel some discomfort or when I know I’m going to be very active that day. We went on a river cruise in Germany and France last spring and had a walking tour every day. I used it the entire trip and when I got home I went 2 weeks without using it at all. Now I put it on maybe once a week unless I take another walking tour. It is expensive ($90 a jar I think) but this last jar has lasted a very long time so it’s more reasonable now that I’m under control. Marianne, I will take a picture of the jar when we stop for the night. We are traveling again! I clicked on this link to leave a message about your wonderful mother but I never saw the obit. Loved her, love you! Blessings to all! Linda