Ethan’s story: Reclaiming mobility after a work-related back injury

Can you tell us about yourself, your health history and the conditions you’ve been diagnosed with?

I suffer from chronic back pain and stomach issues. Before my health problems started, I used to be quite into hiking and mountain biking. I did a lot of big hikes in Wales and Scotland, including Ben Nevis and Snowdon. 

Originally, I worked in IT, I moved further up the ladder to customer support; then I went on to do more hardware based work, like computer engineering and printer engineering. One day, I was lifting a very heavy printer and I felt something clicking in my back. After a couple scans, my doctors told me that the muscle in my back was deteriorating, and they couldn’t understand why. They’re still investigating, and they say that it might be genetic, or possibly an underlying condition that flared up due to my work injury.

For four months, I saw my GP regularly about my back, and that didn't provide any help for my pain. I paid to see a private GP, and didn't get anywhere with that either. I went back to my doctors and, thankfully, I found a doctor who listened properly. 

I was prescribed a lot of different pain medications, including some very strong, morphine-based drugs. Sadly, even though I was taking quite high doses, none of them had any effect—all they did was cause drowsiness. I didn't feel any pain relief at all.

Because of my injury, I lost my job, and from that point on, I couldn’t continue to work. I haven't had a job for about a year-and-a-half. I could barely walk around the flat or do day-to-day tasks, let alone hike or ride my bike. It's been difficult.

And, how did your journey with medical cannabis start? 

I'd tried cannabis recreationally in the past, just with my friends, and I did notice that it seemed to help with the pain. I got to talking with a few friends from America about the medical cannabis clinics they have there, and it sounded like they were helping a lot of people. That’s when I first thought, “Maybe that could work for me.” 

At that time, I wasn’t even sure if medical cannabis was available in the UK, so I searched online, and found Releaf right away. I thought, “Might as well give it a go. I could get lucky!” 

I was initially a bit scared of the price, but once I had my first consultation, I immediately saw it was worth every single penny. It is absolutely worth it, and there isn’t any risk. I knew that if I wasn’t eligible for medical cannabis treatment, so be it, I’d get my money back. 

But I was immediately approved, and received my first prescription. It worked wonders—suddenly, I could actually move around my flat properly again.

I've been in treatment for about three months now, and I've seen two different doctors so far. In each appointment I get all the information I need. They’ve been extremely helpful and every question I ask is answered perfectly.

Can you tell us a bit more about the products you’ve been prescribed? 

So far, I’ve been prescribed two different strains of the flower. 

I'll have one vape in the morning, mainly the more THC-heavy strain, because that will mellow me out while at the same time waking me up a bit. Around midday, I use the other strain with more CBD, because that is where I get the pain relief. After that, I'm able to do day-to-day tasks without issues. Before bed, I will mainly use the CBD strain, so I won't experience any back pains while I'm sleeping. 

My sleep has improved massively since I started the treatment. Before I had Releaf, I averaged about four to five hours a night of pretty rough sleep. Now, I probably get about seven or eight hours of perfect sleep, and I always feel wide awake when I get up. There's no drowsiness in the morning or anything like that. None at all.

Have you made any adjustments to your treatment plan over time?

Recently, my doctor and I changed the dosage, and I’ve got a new prescription with increased the CBG content, I’m hoping that will not only decrease my pain, but help with my stomach issues as well. 

On top of my back pain, I have a small stomach tear caused by excessive vomiting. At my job, I worked in an environment with large amounts of chemicals; that’s when my stomach issues began. The CBG seems to help with my metabolism, so it reduces the negative effects I feel after eating. I don't feel like I’m going to be sick any more—I can keep my food down—so that gives me way more energy. 

I haven't tried the medical cannabis oil from Releaf yet. I’ve tried over-the-counter CBD oils before, but they didn't seem to help very much. I am curious about the oil though, because for me the flower is working so well. At some point, I think I’ll give it a try. 

How have your friends and family reacted to your treatment?

When I first started with medical cannabis, I began feeling a lot better, right away. I told a couple of my friends about the treatment, but they were sceptical. They said, “Okay, but it's not that effective, is it?” 

Soon after, for the first time in over a year, my friends and I went on a proper trip to a nearby city. My friends were completely amazed when they saw my improvement, and they just kept looking at me in shock. The fact I was walking freely around the city with no issue, no need to hold on to anything, they thought it was incredible. 

My fiancée was quite surprised with how much and how quickly Releaf helped me. At first, he was a bit concerned because he doesn’t like the smell of cannabis, but when I started using the vaporiser, he was shocked. There really is very little smell. 

My parents were also surprised when I told them about the treatment because, obviously, being from a bit of an older generation, they have a bit of a stigma around cannabis. But, when they saw with their own eyes how much it was helping me, they started to fully support me. Since then, it's just been 100 percent positive support.

What are your hopes for the future with medical cannabis treatment?

I do have physiotherapy planned and with Releaf, and my prescription, it should make the physio more manageable. If that’s the case, I should be able to work within the next year, which I’m hopeful about.

Before I started with Releaf, our plan was to go to Scotland this year to celebrate Christmas, but we kind of threw it in the back burner because of my pain. Now that I have medical cannabis, it's definitely back on the to-do list. 

My fiancée and I are quite excited for that, because Scotland was very important to my life when I was younger, and I want to show him around. My family used to live in an area called St. Andrews, near the highlands, and there's a beautiful old castle there and I’d love to go there with him. 

And finally, what advice would you give to someone considering medical cannabis?

I'm really happy with everything I've experienced with at Releaf. If I had one piece of advice for someone thinking about medical cannabis, it’s this: go for it. It's definitely worth taking the chance, because if you get approved and the treatment works for you, it can dramatically change your life for the better.