The Kenewell's Christmas Contest

[Bisharoo]

not to be a scrooge here, but i am a bit disappointed that more of you have not shared your stories

 

this is a wonderful contest with a HUGE prize. and all you need to do is spend 15 minutes typing us your story?

 

that's the exact purpose of this site. to share with the intention to help.

 

NO OFFENSE to Tarzan's contest, but it's pretty "stereotypical of potheads" that 150 of you will take the 10 seconds to take a guess at how many cookies are in a jar in an attempt to win a $50 bag of pot.......... but nobody wants to spend 15 minutes for a chance to win HUNDREDS of dollars worth of certs??

 

bah humbug

 

You know BubbleGrower, I was thinking that the participation was wondering why more people haven't entered this kind and gracious contest offering from AKenewell. I know in my case I don't need the service, since so far my doctor has been nice enough to sign my paperwork.

But, in the spirit of BobbleGrower and all other individual human beings like him I also will enter (when I get a chance) soon, but if by some miracle I was awarded a prize then I would donate to a worthy patient, of whom there are many here. So, I'll get in too...

[Grow Thread]

Post in your own words (in 1000 word's or less) how medical cannabis has improved your health or benefited your well being and/or peace of mind since starting in the Michigan Medical Marijuana Program.

 

I am 38 years old with chronic lower back pain and a recent back surgery stemming from a 1993 auto accident.

 

how has medical cannabis changed my life in 1000 words or less? haha... it would be easier to state how many ways it HAS NOT affected my life.... that would be a much shorter story.

 

my plants are my children. literally. having 2 "real" children of my own that are now entering the teen years, long gone are the days that i wake to a crying baby. now i wake to my plants and their wants/needs just as i did for my children so many years ago. if a plant gets sick, i will run out in the worst of mother natures elements for medicine.

 

those of you that have children can appreciate the fact that there are times in our life as a parent that we must set everything else aside for our kids. (im so happy for you Mr. & Mrs. Kenewell that you can now share in this as well). there are times when the pain/suffering/cancer/whatever must be put on the back-burner because of your childs needs. your child comes first in all matters. that is still true in my home, but my kids are grown. their needs are much lesser than they used to be back when they were just babies.

 

oh but i still have babies. and toddlers. and teens............. they are just plants now. despite the pain, my plants need me. i woke in the hospital just last week after a pretty major surgery and the first thing my eyes saw were my wife and kids. thats all it took for me to know that they were ok..... and for them to know that i was ok.........

 

the first words out of my mouth were "how the plants honey?"

 

my plants keep me going. they are my life and my passion now that my kids have reached that age that they don't need dad so often. my plants are the last thing on my mind before i sleep, and the first thing on my mind when i wake. what better therapy could there possibly be? my plants keep my mind off the pain, and i give them the light/water/food/wind/rain that they need to live. THANK YOU CANNABIS.

 

---------- oh, my bad. i think i may need another 1000 words to tell how ingesting cannabis has improved my life

[Grow Thread]

but if by some miracle I was awarded a prize then I would donate to a worthy patient,

 

GREAT IDEA. and thats just another reason why there should be 150 entries in this contest as well. what better gift to give to someone this holiday season? literally a gift worth hundreds of dollars that you can get for about 15 minutes of your holiday time.

 

and dont think of it as just typing out some story about yourself either. (directed at everybody now, not you Bish). this is us getting to know each other as a community as well. i like to see your pics and hear your stories just as much as you like to hear mine.

[drtarzanmd]

 

NO OFFENSE to Tarzan's contest, but it's pretty "stereotypical of potheads" that 150 of you will take the 10 seconds to take a guess at how many cookies are in a jar in an attempt to win a $50 bag of pot.......... but nobody wants to spend 15 minutes for a chance to win HUNDREDS of dollars worth of certs??

 

bah humbug

 

 

F.Y.I. .... This is NOT a $50 bag of pot

 

This is a Very Nice Jar of Quality Medication

that is well worth $100 ....

 

Considering what the dispensaries get for their Meds ...

 

The reason i have Not entered this contest is because

I'm a very Blessed Man and The Kenewell's are My Friends

( Like Family ) and they have done Alot for me Already

and i won't feel it would be right to take away from

someone that could use such a wonderful gift of Love

[Rileymae]

First off let me say what a cool contest this really is...

MM was NOT something I thought I'd ever get in to. Yes I dabbled, but after all of the research, it became a big part of my life. I was diagnosed with Crohns disease and Ulcerative Colitis in 2006. After the first treatment of Meds, (4 pills, 4 times a day) didn't do the trick, my Gastro Doc put me on Steroids, and some other HUGE pill that made me feel like I was going insane, every day. I was still getting sick, and losing weight, and per his request, I went online to find out everything I could about Crohns. After tons of research, I found an article on Medical Marijuana, and the relief people just like me were getting from it. I was skeptical, of course, but willing at that point to do my own experiment. What an awesome decision!!! I have been symptom free, and in remission since 2007, and I am down to just 3 pills a DAY I do have lower back issues now, and all the joint pain that is associated with Crohns, but I'm nausea free, and I owe it all to MM.

 

I have a wonderful, and very understanding Dr, and don't really need the Grand Prize, but I've been a member here for a while, and since I've never gotten personal, I thought it was time to tell my story.

 

Good Luck to All!!!

[Grow Thread]

F.Y.I. .... This is NOT a $50 bag of pot

 

This is a Very Nice Jar of Quality Medication

that is well worth $100 ....

 

Considering what the dispensaries get for their Meds ...

 

The reason i have Not entered this contest is because

I'm a very Blessed Man and The Kenewell's are My Friends

( Like Family ) and they have done Alot for me Already

and i won't feel it would be right to take away from

someone that could use such a wonderful gift of Love

 

 

lol bud.... i wasnt putting down your meds.... nor the value. shyt, that quarter is worth $100 to me and i would gladly give you that amount right now for a 1/4 of it.

 

i was trying to prove a point and unfortunately, your contest had to be the example. truly, i meant no harm nor foul nor disrespect sir. believe that. i meant the $50 as a c.g. to patient thing. roughly a $200 ounce. no offense. seriously.

[Bisharoo]

Well my friends, I don’t have a great story, it is in fact pretty boring I suppose. Some individual human beings probably will think that I am not a severe enough case for medical cannabis.

 

When I was 13 my doctor told me I was developing severe arthritis and it would worsen over time. He was right.

 

When I was 30 I was diagnosed with a severe degenerative disc disease in the lower back and a something else in my upper back. My choice was then to go on disability and live on 40% of my income, or keep working in severe pain, so I chose to feed my family of course.

 

My jobs through the years have all been pretty physical in nature, but that was how I could make a living so I kept going as long as I could, but it was only compounding all those problems and adding some new issues. “A tremendous amount of arthritis in my back, hips, knees, feet, ankles, wrists, shoulders, neck”, I am probably missing something. A partially crushed elbow leads to some swelling and unusable at times. My knee is all torn up, but again, no money for a knee specialist, so permanent swelling and pain and limping is my life. But hey, I am not complaining, I am truly blessed, but this is just the facts. Many, many are suffering far worse than I.

 

 

I had tried cannabis many years ago and thought it might help, and my doctor agreed that it was worth a try.

 

My dad had prostate cancer and my score is high but I can’t afford more tests now so I hope cannabis helps fight that if I have it.

 

Then, after many years of self or no medication, I finally tried to go legit as far as society and began taking prescriptions of all kinds, which led to many other health issues (just from taking those pills), but it was the only way to keep working some and functioning as much as possible. However this only led to a state of “I hope to get the energy to get up and take another pain pill and lay back down” like someone else said. I know it was destroying my organs and systems, and keeping me much more foggy headed, but what choices were there legally? And all those pills messed up some more stuff which required more pills?

 

After our new law passed I tried cannabis and eliminated all other pharmaceuticals from my body, I was able to get back to a more productive working, tax paying member of society. Now I actually can sometimes go out and buy things we need or want (if there is any $) because I am able to function, which of course helps our economy. Yes, there are still days when I can not walk at all or without great effort, but some days I look normal to other individual human beings I am sure. My mood also has improved since losing the poisons from my body.

 

My wife was very skeptical but now is delighted with the results and would never go back to the old poisons. Even my parents are now full supporters and they are from another generation.

 

But in my mind the main thing that cannabis gave me because of its pain relief was the clarity to dwell upon more important things like helping others, more spiritual development and activity, taking more enjoyable time with family and friends without my severe chronic pain that would otherwise prevent these types of memories from being created.

 

Now, hopefully, my grand kids will remember grandpa as a fun guy who played with them and not some hurting old fart who wasn’t very friendly or nice (because of always being in pain, you know how it affects our moods and behaviors).

 

So, medicinal cannabis has helped me be a better husband, father, son, grandpa, citizen, and friend! I also think that medicinal cannabis may be the linchpin that tips the balance of power towards individual human rights and freedom and away from tyranny because of the high profile focus afforded the subject.

 

 

And, I have met some very nice individual human beings here, thanks to all of you, and good luck to all...

 

Here are some pics of the pharmaceuticals I am off of now.

Doc2.doc

[bobandtorey]

http://michiganmedicalmarijuana.org/topic/25611-medical-pot-users-fight-charges-bob-and-torrey-going-to-the-supreme-court/

this is our only story we have had for all most 2 years hope this helps

[glaucoma1]

This wonderful god given herb has changed my life in several ways.

 

I am legally blind and have glaucoma wich developed after I had dual cornea transplants. Before I started smoking my pressure was in the 30's with prescribed meds. Now with prescribed meds and MMJ my pressure stays in the low teens.

 

I have the worst case of execma that my dermatologist has ever seen, according to her. MMJ helps to calm me making the constant itching more tolerable.

 

I have degenerative joint disease. I can always tell you when it is about to rain. They really should hire me at the weather channel. I am way more accurate than thier fancy computers and satelites as I start to ache severly before a rain. MMJ of course relieves the pain mostly.

 

I have deppression. The use of MMJ has a nice little side effect. When I get buzzed , laugh , and perma smile I am not thinking about my poor health or any of lifes worries. If thats a bad thing I am guilty.

 

I get to help others. Now that I have been self sufficient more than a year. I recently decided to pay it forward and get a patient to help as well. I recently signed that patient and it feels good to help someone get relief medically as well as financially.

 

These are the ways MMJ has impacted my life. Thanks for your time reading and have a great holiday !

[WildBillcowboy]

Well I don't enter to many contest but this one sounds great. I have had 2 back surgerys in the past 12 years, I have been taking Vicidines, Roboxins, Valuems, other pills that I don't even remember the names of and I have even had injections in my back. I have seen so many doctors that I can not remember there names and after seeing Dr Kenewell and him putting me on Marihuana and doing it legal, let me tell everyone. I don't feel all the pain as much, I eat good now, I only ate 1 time aday now 3 times and more, I don't even take Roboxins at all, I'm down to maybe 2 Vic's aday when I use to eat 6 of them aday, I don't even take the Valumes anymore, I sleep great, when I want to go to bed I go right to sleep. I'm on my second year being legal and this has been the best Thing I needed and if Dr Kenewell was'nt there to help me I realy don't know what I would be doing for my back today. I'm not realy sure what you want to here but before I forget I used to train horses for 15 yrs and could'nt do it anymore and had to have help from my son inlaw and now I go out and I'm doing it again, I even get the nerve to get back up there again, I smoke my meds get it even gives me the hope I need to ride again I want to realy thank you and everyone in your office thank you for probley saving my life. B. Murphy

[Bisharoo]

Welcome WildBillcowboy to the site! Thanks for sharing with us. You have been blessed to know a good doctor who has helped you out so well. May you find peace, compassion, and relief from your suffering!

[AKenewell]

The contest ends in 3 day's, it is surprising to see only 9 entries! The original thought was having some positive stories to deflect the negativity surrounding the program, also to get to know one another better...and finally to have a little fun and have you all vote for the winner.

 

We will now be choosing the 1st place winner as I do not think we will have more than 25 entries by the 21st, and even if we did, participation has been so low that we can not see a vote going well.

 

BG..will you please choose the 2nd place winner and award them with your kind and generous prize for us??

 

Thank you to everyone who has entered for sharing your stories, and a special thank you to BG for your support and your kindness.

[Brandan]

I have no idea how i missed this, but none the less i am going to share my story

 

Well my name is Brandan, I am 27 and i get lovely vascular Migrains. I still can remember my first one from when i was 13. It was a very scary thing because i had no idea what exactly it was. For those of you that don't know what a migraine does to you let me quickly explain what mine do for me. I can always tell when i am about to have one, my hearing gets a little bit more sensitive, then i get what are called "auras", basically it is a blurry spot in your vision. Mine start in the middle of my vision making everything directly in my line of view blurry. I feel numbness in my finger tips and hands. I get intantly nauseated, and usually can not help throwing up approx 5 time during the diration of the headache (2-8 hours). My vision get consideably worse, i end up with zero use of any periphial vision ,plus the auras in the actual field of vision. The pressure in my head is crazy, hard to explain. Like someone poured broken glass in my head and is shaking it up. everyone who knows me knows about these. And the wonderful part is, they get a little worse everytime I have one. The last few I was scared that i was dying. When i feel one coming there isnt alot i can do, but cannabis does help them, and sometimes if i can catch it soon enough i dont have to go through all the trowing up and pressure.

 

They are not really sure what causes them, i believe my stress level has a huge part in them. They have suggested a MRi and CAT scan in the past but im broke and cant afford it. But I do remember as a kid that when i was smoking cannabis alot my headaches were actually far less frequent. well when the law came into effect I actually spent alot of time researching about migrains and cannabis. Migrains actually cost me alot, i lost a job years ago because i was in a cycle of about 6 in one month, and when i have them i and in the fetal position in my bed because anything and everything is painful and will make me sick to stomache. Its pretty horrible. Im a grown man and ill cry when i have one comming on because i kn ow what im about to go to. Not scared of anything really, except for when these are comming.

 

Cannabis has allowed me to get rid of some of this fear. It lets me deal with these headaches like those so called pills are supposed to do. Not one of the pills the docs tried did anything for me. And you know they want you to try all of them before they will look at anything else. Cannabis has taken a huge chip off my shoulder. The ability to grow my own meds is a feeling i can not put into words. Every single day i look forward to entering my garden and tending to these ladies. Plus on top of all the things that cannabis has done for me, one of the greatest things it has done has given me the ability to help other sick people get the help they need. Im just a regular dude, yet i have the ability to help hundreds if not thousands of people. So Cannabis has actually helped all those around me as well as let me go around not in fear of a sporatic headache affecting my quality of living . I know that I will prolly have these forever, but now i am not as scared.

[Sledge]

First off I want to thank the Kennewells, they are some carrinng beautiful people, for offering such a great prize! Just shows the compassion they have!

Not to mention one of the cuttiest babies I've seen in a while!!

Man where do I start, Married for ever (38 this July) to a wonderful woman (has to be to put up with all my !@#$ for all these years) Have 2 great kids, now adults, a son and daughter. I have one grandchild and she's my entire world!!

I've been involved with cannabis for almost 45 years now, mostly as recreational until recently. Since the mid 90's I have been depending on cannabis to potentiate the other posions being prescribed to me by other docotrs. I have osteoarthritus all over. I've had 11 sugeries on my left foot/ankle resulting in 3 different joints in the foot being fused. Right foot I've had 4 operations on failing joints of that foot.The list goes on, carpel tunnel, rotator cuff, bones removed from thumbs, L5S1 degenertive disk they want to do sugery on, Left knee and hip are candidates for replacement surgeries that I'm not willing to go through!

Here this past summer I had gall bladder removal surgery as I was sick for months prior to finding out the GB was useless. I was prescribed everything under the sun for the nausea and the only thing that actually worked for the upset stomach and the unreal dry heaving associated with it was Cannabis. It would stop the sourness/sickness in a matter of a few seconds/minutes!

I've been prescribed every pain pill you can think of and currently still taking Mscontin and Norco daily. Without the daily use of cannabis these drugs that are prescribed to me would be useless. As I've been on them forever. Neither really works 100% on their own but together cannabis has drastically reduced the need for opiates. With cannabis use I actually have cut my opiate intake by over 1/2. Unfortunatly Cannabis and or opiates by themselves don't give me enough relief, but combined I can live an almost pain free days!!

Cannabis does wonders for the nerve pain I have in my foot, it seems to sooth all those painful pin prick burning sensations.

I'm sure there is a lot more that I'm missing, but I'm already boring myself so you all must be also.

All I can say for sure is without Cannabis life would be a lot more complicated!

 

Again Thank You Kennwells! You are a breath of fresh air in this movement!!

[Zombiefied]

Well I guess I will start with what I think was the start of my problems. I fell down some steps when I was young, maybe 10-12 years old. I bounced off the steps on my back, the same spot that hurts now. Although it only hurt for a few days and life went on. Well later on in school in 10th grade doing push-ups and sit ups would really hurt my lower back. I went to the Doctor to try to find out what was wrong with it. They suggested it was “growing pains” and told me to stop the push-ups and sit-ups for the rest of the year. Everything was fine as long as I was not putting lots of pressure on my lower back (push-ups) or rolling on it (sit-ups). I have always been active in sports and physical activity so it was a big letdown that I could not do these things but it seemed to get better. I just didn’t do the things that hurt my back and I was ok. Well out of school, working, getting married, having 3 kids, and 7 years later I had a good job that paid 11.00 an hour. It was a mix of driving, working a small crane, and some heavy lifting and digging. I was working there for a little over a year and a half. I had just got off a long day, but an easy one. It was a windy night and we had a gust that blew out our pilot light. So I went to relight it, nothing to bad, just lay on my back, hold the button, light it… Well I did that, went to get up and felt this VERY sharp pain in my back, same spot as when I was young and same spot as when I was in school. It hurt just like I had slammed down on it on the stairs again. I called out for my wife to help me get up. I ended up going to the emergency room the next morning because the pain was so intense I could barely walk. They said it was probably a pulled muscle in my back, gave me some Vicoden told me if it was not better to set up an appt. with my primary dr. So I took time off work to get better, or so I hoped at the time. My back did not start to feel better and I could hardly do anything even on the Vic’s. I set up an appt. with my primary Dr. I went in and explained what had happened the past week. They told me that I probably had a pulled muscle. I told them that is what the E-room Dr. said and that I have had a pulled muscle before and it hurt like hell, but not all the time, only when I moved that muscle. I asked if there was like an X-ray I could take or something like that. So they set me up with a MRI. BTW, I had no insurance at the time and was not working at all. I called the place that does the MRI’s and they said it was 500$ down and it would be 2500$ total. I ended up borrowing the money from my Mom’s husband and got the test, I had to know why my back was why it was. Well the test came in and found 2 mild herniated disks and 1 moderate herniated disk that was pushing on my nerve and a Conjoined nerve. The spots were L-3 to L-4, L-4 to L-5, and L-5 to S-1 and the conjoined nerve was somewhere in there. I was then ordered not to work by my Dr and was started on Vicodens but increased, I think 4-6 a day. Well a few months of struggling I was finally put on Medicaid and they covered the E-room visit and the MRI and my Dr. appointments and that helped SO much. I then started aquatic theropy because it was low contact. I was doing good and it felt like it was helping but about the end of it my back started to hurt SO much more than it ever had. I set up a dr. appt. and talked to my dr. She ordered another MRI. This one came back with 2 moderate herniated disks and 1 large herniated disk that was pushing on my nerve really bad. This is where my story can get long…lol They put me on all kinds of things, norco, muscle relaxers, lyrica, anti-depressants, and a whole host of things and most made me feel sick, to tired to function, or didn’t work. The only thing that really worked was pain pills. So at the height of my pain I was on 1 50mg Kadian (Morphine Sulfate) 2x a day and 1 10/325mg Norco 4x a day for breakthrough pain. In April of 2009 I talked to my Dr. about Medical Marijuana. That is when I found out that that office “Will not participate in the program” but said that I could go to a different Dr. to get certified. I did that, although it took a long time. I was able to get a friend of mine to be my CG and everything got started. Then I started to drop my pain meds when I was getting a supply. I now do NOT take Kadian or Norco! The only pills I take now are 1 Tramadol/Ultram 50mg 2-4 times a day and use about 1-2 grams of Cannabis a day. The last MRI that I had done before I lost my insurance it showed that 1 of the disks has recessed back to normal, 1 disk went back to mild, and the large went back to moderate with no pressure on the nerve but with osteoarthritis all around the 3 disks. I still go thru pain, just not as much as I used to. I feel a heck of a lot better now that I can do more things with my kids and wife. Eeek, I guess I went a little over the word limit and I am sorry about that.

 

Hope all is well with everyone and Merry Chrismahanaquanzaka and a Happy New Year to all!

 

PS. Thank you Bob and Alyscia for all that you have done, all that you are doing now, and all that I know you will do in the future. You two are truly compassionate. (Not sucking up…lol)

[Irishgreen]

Ok,

 

Here's my story;

 

I was in a car accident in 1993. I went from the front seat to the back seat, ( no seat belt) back strain at that time. I hit the back of my head on the rear window so hard the window broke and I had glass embedded in my head.

 

1996 I am at work (I work with adults that have developmental disabilities) I was assisting a gentleman into the shower. He could walk but he would sometimes "refuse" and would fall to the floor. I tried to catch him from falling, and.......you guessed it, injured my lower back.

 

1997.........I unfortunately found my self in a terribly abusive relationship with a very LARGE man. I was thrown up against......I don't know how many walls, and my lower back was smashed into the knob of any miscellaneous door I happened to be by, a few times. I'm sure my head hit the floor, walls etc. I know I passed out at least 2 times.

I got out of that relationship in 1999..............2 years was way to long!

 

Time goes on, life goes by, and it's 2004. I am now in daily pain. And, get horrible migraine headaches. I go to doctor after doctor, some pushing pills, some thinking I'm looking for pills, most not willing to find out what is even wrong with me. Until I finally get a doctor to give me an MRI. And, Lo and Behold.......Bulging disks l-4, l-5, S-1. Degenerative disk diseases, Spondylosis, etc............reasons for the daily sciatica. Reasons I can't sleep. Reasons I am miserable and crabby.

 

I began using Marijuana around 1997. I didn't realize it was for medicinal purposes, I just knew I felt better. I could move. I could get up and clean my house. I could go to work, or go and visit family. But, it is still hidden and very taboo. I notice when I would use marijuana my headaches would go away, or at least the nausea associated with them.

 

Now, 2006....I believe. I am asked to sign a petition to make Marijuana legal for people whom need it for medical purposes. I immediately sign it.

 

2008, I vote for the proposal to become a law.

 

Then, I am talking to a friend that tells me he qualifies as a patient. I ask him how he found it out. He tells me about the law, and being the manager now of 3 group homes, I have to read State laws all the time! I go to the State site and realize...........OMG! I qualify!

 

I submit my doctor records to THCF, they call me back and inform me that I qualify for not only my chronic back issues, I also will benefit from MM use with my Asthma.

 

The more I learn, the hungrier I get. I read everything I can find. I talk to anyone that will talk back with me about it. I order books, and make lists.

 

I learn about, and make medibles, tincture, topical oil, I try to use as many forms other than just smoking that I can learn about.

 

For me, it has been the difference of being in total pain, or addicted to opiates. I can't, even if I wanted to take pills, most make me sick. I throw them right up. So, even if I choose them, at least 50% of the time they would be useless. MM always works. It takes away any nausea I have Immediately. I can sleep at night, which enables me to be productive during the day.

 

I still have daily pain. But, Medical Marijuana helps me to manage it. I am grateful for the ability to freely choose Marijuana as a medicine. I am grateful that the voters in MI, were willing to give me that right!

[Beartek2]

The contest isn't going to be cancled is it, just awarded different?

[AKenewell]

The contest isn't going to be cancled is it, just awarded different?

 

The contest will not be canceled, it ends Dec 21st, instead of the vote we will be choosing the 1st place winner, and bubblegrower will choose the 2nd place winner. AK

[Croppled1]

As with many fellow patients there was a state of injury that lead to chronic illness , at times disease and more injury from treatment . Car accidents to pills for pain , ulcers , surgery ,infection ,loss of bowel function , etc.. There was rarely relief ; spent many nites gasping for air in a state of respiratory suppression , screaming in pain from intestinal: bleeding , spasm and loss of function from medications . No sleep for days due to suffering that wouldn't quell into the night , often , for 4-5 days at a time , like clockwork in rotations from just trying to care for oneself . Doctors often expressed suspsicion and dismay . I felt insulted and accused . I knew Cannabis was a viable alternative or supplement.. I read , verified but I denounced Cannabis due to DOT drug testing , pain contracts ,public perception , and the laws the State was insanely passing . Laws whose penalties went way past any possible harm of the activity itself ; doing great injury to persons , freedoms , right to work and opportunities to be " all they could be ". I had grown up in liberal Cannabis Ann Arbor but I was like Peter denying Jesus when it came to Medicinal Cannabis . I excluded it from my life in this period , and hid alone . I easily accepted my prescribed legal medical routine that included everything available for my main malady severe chronic pain . Nsiads , psychotropics , codeins and opiates , there's not really that much available for pain just flavors of the same - all dangerous long term . Yes I did surgery , electro therapy , visualization , physical therapy and more .

 

Quickly I found my personality very negatively affected by the pain management routine and pain . Medications did help the first few years but the physical and mental cost was horrendous . I literally lost my soul ! I couldn't laugh , smile or even cry ! It's year 15 now . I knew by year 3 I could never quit a med program alone . After naturally being what some recalled as always a carefree happy guy I was suffering severe mental pain from my drug regimen . I had never known this form of pain . Nobody could see anything but my reaction to it . I asked for help but couldn't get through to those who were paid to help me . I doubt that state of mind or personally dealing with mental and physical pain so long and severe had ever been any of the Doctor's realities . I was in total mental and physical deterioration . By year 5 after finding out how the medical system had no answers , the Michigan Court System was only punitive and did not support proper care by insurance law , nor was there anyone ,anywhere to find support or a " proper diagnosis to justify the ends ." One day , in a State of terrible pain after laying in my home for weeks screaming from intestinal non function confused : I crawled into my bathtub with a shotgun . I really was in that much pain , exaughsted and felt no hope .

 

To this day I really don't know why I didn't pull the trigger . I do have a innate desire to live as I believe in state of " grace " a long time after death - if we respect life . I didn't want someone to clean up my mess .I believe in a kind God ,as long as ,we try to make the world a better place through our actions . I hadn't been what many would consider " successful " in life but I didn't want to make a final statement that I was a quitter . I became very angry more then frustrated that I was in this situation. Surely , I wasn't the only one ? Like hell would this insane world have the satisfaction of beating me ! I dreamt of patients being somehow united to fight injustice ! I would be damned if I let it end this way as surely it would vindicate what the system would imply .... that I was just a worthless, weak, addictive, defective personality . It sure wouldn't point out the inflexibility of the system to treat " individuals " as having unique and separate needs in certain disease or injury states . Nor , that there were things humans still didn't understand !

 

With new resolve I focused minute by minute to get through the pain and in time the blockage passed . I learned to understand that as uncomfortable as it was I had to reduce my medications to survive , eat better ,get comprehensive blood panels and Doctors should be questioned not followed blindly . Doctors practise to assist patients not order them in compliance . In 2008 after relapsing back again into very dire depths and receiving help from individuals who cared but whose understanding of reality was not mine I heard about Proposition 1 . I heard of people that had never denied Cannabis . They stood hard and fast against unjust law , survived and Championed a way to attempt to protect as best as possible Medical Patients out of time and or options .

 

I was in a substance abuse based foster care community then . I voted for Prop 1 and soon left the intolerant Foster Care facility to find my truth .I joined the Medicinal Cannabis program . I could barely write a few coherant sentances in a row at that time . I was dysfunctional on methadone the Cannabis helped balance me out . I was having terrible heart problems often collapsing when dosing methadone so I weaned successfully with Cannabis . I found new strength and eventually using two ounces of Cannabis a week I kicked methadone a year later . I won't lie the Cannabis doesn't touch the breakthrough's of pain and I am confused on what to do next , but I laugh and cry again..often for the lost time when Cannabis could of helped me .However more surprising every once in a while I smile , and my Mother always told me ; "if you smile at someone you live in their heart forever ." hope were in eachother's soon . Happy Holidays !

[AKenewell]

Wow it is already the 21st...time just seems to fly by anymore!! Thanks to everyone who has shared a story, there are truly some great stories here. We will announce the winner around 10 tonight. MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

[AKenewell]

Thanks to all who have shared their stories. I am really impressed with the thoughtfulness and care with which each of you put these together. I know it's not easy writing about something so close and personal. Each poster should be applauded for their tale.

 

It is with great honor that I hereby announce our winner. Bob and I selected this winner, not based on grammar or prose, but more on the close personal nature of his story, which I think is especially compelling and memorable to anyone who has read it. It's vivid. I should note that there were several similarly gripping stories. We do hear them frequently during the course of our medical practice, but I think it's good to see them shared publicly here. At the end of the day, this is what the program is truly all about. This is what we fight for. And speaking for ourselves, this is why we do what we do. So without further ado, congratulations to Croppled1!

 

Croppled1, I realize that this may be a small consolation for what you've been through, but maybe by sharing this story and calling it to greater attention in this way, your tale can help provide some hope or inspiration to another in a similar situation.

 

Merry Christmas to all!

 

Bob & Alyscia Kenewell

[Guest thequietone]

Congratulations Croppled1! :goodjob:

[Grow Thread]

CONGRATS CROPPLED1 !!

 

and PLEASE everybody help me vote for the runner-up... PLEASE!!

 

http://michiganmedicalmarijuana.org/topic/26787-vote-for-runner-up-in-the-kenewells-christmas-contest-please/page__gopid__245062#entry245062

 

[Croppled1]

Congratulations Croppled1! :goodjob:

 

 

Thank you very much I will write you a personal note also .

[Retta]

Congratulations Croppled1, you're in my heart. No matter how bad it seems you don't ever want to miss tomorrow.