Sep 6, 2016 | Fibromyalgia
I’m taking a break from work to browse Amazon for cervical collars. I really have no idea whether one of these would actually be helpful, but I feel like I need something to hold my head up for me. My musculoskeletal system is clearly not up to the challenge, and Dan assures me that no doctor would agree to put me in a halo brace.
Rather than re-write the horrors of this weekend, I’ll share a screenshot from a Facebook update to fill you in:
Heading into the long weekend, I was optimistic that four consecutive days off would give me time to recharge. What a fucking disappointment reality turned out to be. Sunday night the pain was so bad I was in tears. That’s when I finally decided to take 20mg of nortriptyline.
Taking 20mg is totally OK, by the way. Dr Gastro™ prescribed 30mg for my IBS and help sleeping, but I usually just take 10mg because more makes me too sleepy to function the next day. However, if I’m suffering and don’t need to brain much the next day, I will let myself take 20mg.
As pain treatments go, it’s not ideal. I mean, it doesn’t relieve the pain so much as make me unaware of it. For 8 to 10 hours I’m drugged and oblivious. I can’t not sleep. That’s why I only take it at night before bed. Daytime pain relief is currently not available to me.
Anyhoo…
Sep 2, 2016 | Medical Cannabis
Just some venting about what people think of medical marijuana users. Don’t mind me.
One week from today will be my three-year anniversary as a technical writer with my employer. It’s significant because at three years my short-term disability insurance pays 100% of my salary if I need to be away from work for a while. Until that day, it only pays 60%.
I don’t think I’ll need to take advantage of that benefit (is it really a benefit if the premiums come out of my paycheck?) since I’m applying to get my medical cannabis card, but knowing I will have that safety net is a huge relief.
I’m lucky to have a job that allows remote work, but some days my symptoms are so bad I can’t pull a sentence together. All I can do is lie in bed and wait for normal brain function to return.
And let me tell you, when you’re that sick and you’re the sole source of income for the household, the last thing you need is a battle with anxiety over what happens if the fibro flare exceeds the number of sick days you have banked.
The second to last thing you need is a judgmental asshole telling you that what you’re really looking for isn’t a way to keep your job, but for the State of Illinois to enable your desire to be a lazy pothead who smokes marijuana.
Dear unnamed person who offers unsolicited advice about medical marijuana,
Don’t you have a bad-day-in-the-carpool-line headache to treat with a bottle of red wine?
Love,
Me
You might also like: How to Make Crock Pot Cannabutter
Update: After I got my card, I stopped caring what other people have to say about it. It helps.
