| 03 February 2010
My name is Angela and I am a Colorado patient. After a snowboarding accident in 2004, when I broke my leg and ankle, I acquired a form of nerve damage called RSD/CRPS. After several years of opiate use as pain management that started with the really heavy stuff (ie., Dilaudid) three weeks after my accident while I was being treated for bi-lateral pulmonary emobli (blood clots in my lungs), I began to see a pattern in my life
. The pharmaceuticals were impacting my ability to function and sustain any quality of life beyond the slight elimination of my severe chronic pain disorder.
Ultimately, I ended up losing everything I had worked for as an adult. My condo was foreclosed on after my disability insurance was "eliminated" one week before I had part of my ankle removed. I had done everything people tell you to do to prepare for an unexpected event like the one I experienced, yet I ended up homeless for three months.
The one thing that allowed me to maintain some sense of sanity was school. I graduated cum laude with my bachelor's degree with a double major in communication and psychology. I minored in studio art until I was unable to complete this study as a minor given the time restraints to graduate. I bring this up, because art had a lot to do with my recovery. It became my safe place, where I was heard and not judged.
The day I graduated from undergrad was the day I stopped taking opiates. It just felt like the right time. I did this by consuming marijuana to help with the horrible withdrawals from coming off 120+ mg of morphine per day. It worked, and in the process of using the plant to combat the horrible nausea and body funk, I realized how it helped with my chronic, severe pain.
In 2008 I obtained my medical marijuana permit in Colorado. While it was a mere two years ago, things were quite different back then. In fact, there were four or five dispensaries in the state, and fewer compassion clinics.
As soon as I obtained my permit I began taping episodes on YouTube documenting my experiences. I started reviewing strains, and then moved on to the news. In the short time I have been doing The Reefer Report, news has become more abundant.
During this time I have learned things about the way our government works, and the things people will try to get away with continue to jade my perspective of what is going on in our country. I believe if you look closely at any political topic you will see a pattern of behavior among the people "running" this country into the ground. Lack of accountability, lack of information, and lack of research work seem to be at the heart of a lot of problems with bureaucracy. Add on top of this a total lack of awareness for common discriminatory behaviors, and we have the medical marijuana debate.
I hope you enjoy your time on the site.
Angela