The journey begins
I’d like to start this blog off by introducing myself and giving a brief overview of my journey through chronic pain to a destination with a far better quality of life all while trying to honor God and Jesus. My name is Jonathon and several years ago I received an injury to my right eye that to this day causes me a great deal of pain. I’m a software engineer so being able to use my eyes is a huge part of my daily life with most of my daily tasks revolving around reading and writing code. For several years I believed that the only solution was pain pills prescribed by a doctor which I had a general aversion to due to their long term effects, and due to the fact that I’m still rather young (23 at the time of writing this). I did not want to be dependent on pain drugs nor deal with their addictive nature.
So begins my adventure to find a remedy to my issue. At first I tried things like Tylenol and ibuprofen to ease my day to day pain, but these things had little to no effect on the issue. I tried using hot water on towels to ease the muscles but again this had little impact; not to mention that I can’t very well take constant breaks to do this. So for a few years I simply dealt with the pain. I was depressed, anxious, and overall not in the best of moods most days. Even on a good day I knew that I wasn’t fully myself as I had been prior to the injury. Soon after I met my wife and I knew that I needed to do something to change my disposition on life because I feared that the constant pain would interfere with our life together. This was about the time I began looking at alternatives to manage my pain.
So where to begin…her father was in a very similar situation as me, having to deal with constant chronic pain. He suggested I try CBD. Now at this time I was well aware of what it was but I had apprehension using it due to having been brought up in a fairly anti-drug home. I had heard the stories of people who abused cannabis and had little interest in using anything associated with it. However, as I continued to deal with the pain my opinion started to change. I needed relief from the pain and was willing to try something new. So I decided to visit a local CBD and wellness shop in my local area that came highly recommended by my father in law, Humanity Health CBD.
Prior to visiting I did some research and found that CBD was non-intoxicating, so I felt slightly better about using it to start. When I walked through the doors I was greeted with a myriad of different products derived from the hemp plant as well as other supplements and wellness supplies. I was nervous beyond belief and completely unsure what was right for me. Thankfully the guy behind the register, Thad, knew exactly how to address my concerns. I explained my situation to him and he listened intently before recommending a CBD gummy that he believed would help. I left the store hopeful that this would help. Little did I know how much it would.
After returning home I took the first gummy and waited. Then as the effects started I noticed that while my pain wasn’t gone it was as if the sharpness of it had dulled. I was amazed. Up till now nothing had even touched the pain so to have such relief was completely foreign to me. For the first time in years an over the counter option was helping my pain. And after doing more research I was amazed to find that there weren’t any adverse effects to taking CBD regularly. In fact I found a decent amount of evidence suggesting that continual use was actually beneficial to the body!
Branching out
After trying several CBD products and finding one I liked best I then began to look into what else was being offered in the store, and to my surprise I saw that THC (both D8 and D9) were available. Now as I mentioned I was raised in a fairly anti-drug home so my views on THC were fairly negative. I knew this was the intoxicating chemical in the hemp plant that many people used to get high. However, once again I found myself wondering if maybe my preconceived views were skewed. Once again I talked with Thad and decided to try a low dose of both D8 and D9 THC to see how it would effect me, and once again I was shocked by the results.
I started by taking half of a D8 gummy (around 10mg I believe) and once more I waited. And to my surprise the pain began to disappear completely. This wasn’t like the CBD that simply took the edge off but rather this seemed to negate the pain entirely. I also noticed that I seemed to be in a better mood overall, laughing and having a general good time. Not once did I feel “high” as I had expected and been told I would by people around me.
Now before I continue it is important to note that THC does effect people differently. Some people experience little to no effect from low doses while others can have a much bigger reaction. Now back to the story.
A similar story occurred with the D9 THC. Once again I didn’t feel any form of high but simply felt my pain completely dissipate and a good mood creep in. It was nothing like I had been told by those around me.
closing thoughts
After having these experiences and using these new natural remedies for a while I decided to begin keeping a digital journal of sorts (that’s what you’re reading now!) to share my experiences with others who may be in a similar spot as me. Above all else this is meant to serve as a light of hope to those who are in pain and a place of positivity while simultaneously keeping true to my Christian beliefs.
The Painful Pilgrimage 