2018-08-18 – Spending some time with a friend.

Today we are spending some time with a friend of ours who has had bowel cancer and, following surgery and chemotherapy, is now left with Crohn’s Disease, peripheral neuropathy, depression, anxiety and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD).  Her consultant recently told her that cancer markers in her blood were slightly elevated, and predicted that her cancer would return within 12 months.  Understandably, she freaked out – she’s a young thirty-something woman, married with two young children, and the thought of not being there for her husband and her boys is unthinkable.   I recently gave her some high potency CBD oil that really helped with her anxiety and OCD, and she has since tried whole cannabis and been astounded at the positive effects on her Crohn’s and neuropathy, especially since she was very much against using an illegal substance, and sceptical of the claims of medicinal value.  In the few weeks that she has been using cannabis, she has managed to wean herself off tramadol, diazepam, morphine, sleeping tablets and anti-sickness pills, and feels a whole lot better.   I managed to get her to talk to a contact of mine in Canada (an advocate for medicinal cannabis) who has recommended a course of full extract cannabis oil, the only drawback being the cost – £3,000 for three months treatment, a sum that is completely out of their reach at the moment.  I have suggested trying to raise the cash through an appeal on GoFundMe.com and, despite some initial resistance, we agreed that I will launch an appeal on their behalf (they really couldn’t cope with “coming out” about her cannabis use – the stigma is too great, and they have to consider their children).