Fibro, Marijuana and Me

I feel that it is time for me to write about my experience with fibro and cannabis. First I'll give you a little run down on what I have. I have fibromyalgia. I also have osteoarthritis in most of my joints. The worst being in my fingers and hands. Everything I list has been diagnosed by a medical professional. Along with the fibro I have major depression, PTSD, anxiety problems, IBS, a minor case of Reynaulds  syndrome, loss of appetite, a little hypoglycemia, boy that ones fun. I have tinnitus (ringing in the ears) that simply will not stop. That is the worst. I can deal with most of the other crap but the ringing is the worst. That is a 24-7 thing. But then so is everything else. And my cholesterol is out of control unless I take statins.
   Ok on to the weed. I have been smoking most of my life. There were periods of time when I didn't smoke at all. Most of the time I smoked was mostly to get high and help me sleep. That has changed somewhat since I started having problems. It didn't take long for me to realize that smoking some weed seemed to help with a lot of these problems. It helps calm down the constant ache of arthritis. It helps with the fibro. I sleep better and it really does help with my anxiety. Smoking weed makes the IBS a little easier to live with. It does nothing for the Reynaulds. Nor does it do anything for the hypoglycemia, except when it helps my appetite. Kinda goes hand in hand with the hypoglycemia. Weed really helps a lot in helping me deal with the tinnitus. That shit gets really loud sometimes. Or theres a pressure change in my ears and that usually hurts like hell. My brother said once that the only reason I smoke weed for pain is it makes me forget about the pain. Well now, no shit? I don't care how it works, I just care that it does work. I'm sure that smoking weed does not make me forget about the pain. It's almost always there. What weed does do is make it so much easier to deal with it all. It does lessen the pain in my fingers and hands. Somewhat. I am not going to sit here and say that smoking weed takes all my pain and mental problems away. It does not do that. It does calm down the fibro, but when I'm in a serious flare it only makes it easier to deal with. I can suck it up a little better. The sensitivity to sound is much less when I smoke. The light sensitivity not so much, but I've always been a little sensitive to bright light. I have to wear really dark polarized sunglasses when I'm outside in any weather or I simply can not see well at all.I suppose that could have it's dangers but what can I do? stay inside all the time? Sorry not my cup of wine. I like being outside and I like being in touch with nature as much as I can anyway.
   Back to the weed. I'm pretty much an old school smoker. I smoke then I stop then I smoke some more and so and such forth. I don't get into all the different strains out there, way too confusing. I don't get into all the way cool stuff thats out there for weed connoisseurs. I just want for the pain to be gone, or liveable.  See I don't know anymore than anyone else as to why cannabis works for me and not other folks. If I knew the answer to that one, well you know how it goes. There is absolutely no way anyone will ever convince me that weed is bad for you. I have lived it, I have heard all the bad stuff that "they" want us to believe. You all know too. Gateway drug, It causes cancer and leg cramps. Not to mention murderous thoughts that wander through a potheads brain along with laziness and all that other bullshit. I say crap. It is all just a huge load of crap. I spent half a life time working my skinny little ass off. Not lazy. No cancer. I have never thought about killing or raping anyone. I have never thought about beating up drunks and wiggers either. I have never had thoughts of cheating on my wife or beating my kids. I love nature and all that it is. Well maybe except for the vampire bugs. Am I a hippie? Maybe so. But I take regular showers so that may disqualify me. Am I a redneck? Most definitely. My long hair does not cover my redneck. Ha. I am also very patriotic. I believe in my country but I doubt my government. I also do not trust or respect my government. Way too many lies over my lifetime from those folks.  I am a free spirit, my spirituality and my Constitution guarantees that. If I want to smoke weed then I am going to. I really don't care what the government says.
    I smoke weed. Does that make me a bad person. Probably not. Does that make me lazy. Sometimes. Does it make me forget to pay the light bill. No. I feel that I do better work when I have a slight buzz on. Helps keep me focused. I smoked weed while I was in the Navy. I smoked on an aircraft carriers at sea many times. I have smoked while driving a semi down the mountain. I wrecked one semi. Stone cold sober at the time I hit the black ice. That was a hell of a ride. I have never been arrested for anything after I got out of the Navy. I did take a couple of busts while in the Navy. Simple possession. I paid my fines and made some good friends while I was in the brig. Most of those were Marines. Great bunch of guys. Semper Fi Marines.
    So look around. See that guy in the suit? Yep he smokes weed at home and nobody knows. Come out of the closet and speak up. See that Doctor over there? Yea he smokes too. And that Judge. Weeds smokers are not all hippy looking hoodlums. Folks that smoke weed are all around you. Your childs teacher goes home after a hard day and gets a little buzz before bedtime. Problem? Nope. We own our own homes and have nice cars. I just bought a newer pick up. Really new but not brand new. I can't afford two brand new cars. Not all smokers live in the getto or a trailer park or the barrio. Yea I know there are some people who really should stay away from mind altering substances. That would include booze.  If you can't handle your high then you probably should not be getting high. Doesn't matter what the substance is.
   Well I think I should end this one. It is getting a tad long. And there's that thing with my hands that make this difficult. So in closing, I will say this. If your a friend or someone who knows me, but didn't know I smoke, well now it is out there and I feel better for it. Know me for what I am and not what I do. Have a great day and help some one today for free, you'll feel better for it. Thank you and good night.