Kim's story: From sceptical school teacher to medical cannabis advocate

Could you tell us a little bit about yourself and your health conditions?

I'm a retired teacher, I used to teach art to children with special educational needs. Right now, I'm looking to progress my art and mural work. I'm building a portfolio, and I want to have an exhibition at some point. 

I was diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis [an inflammatory disease that, over time, can cause bones in the spine to fuse] when I was 19, and I’m almost 68 now, so almost forty years ago. 

When I was first diagnosed, my doctors at the NHS put me on a codeine-based painkiller, which I took for a few years; it was the only treatment I’ve tried that has brought even a small amount of relief from the pain. Over time, I started to worry that I was becoming addicted, and then I read an alarming article that talked about what that drug does to your body. I learned that it can attach itself to the liver and cause damage, and obviously, I didn't want to continue taking anything like that. I asked my doctors for an alternative, and they switched me to an anti-inflammatory drug, which I have been taking for the last 10 years, even though it gives me almost no pain relief at all. 

I'm classed as a disabled person now. I get pain in the mornings, and I get pain at night. In the past, I always just worked through the pain—I just got used to it because I’d had it for so long. It was difficult, but I just managed it. It was worse at night because I wasn’t moving, so my body tended to just seize up. 

How did you first learn about medical cannabis as a treatment option?

Because I am an ex-teacher, I felt a lot of stigma around medical cannabis. I never really thought of going down this road, until I was talking to one of my ex-teacher friends who said to me, “You're daft! What you need to do is give it a go. Give it a try.” 

I still didn’t want to try it—because of the stigma—but I did get my hands on some, and I was amazed at the result. Immediately, I started looking at a few clinics online and  Releaf seemed the the best by a long shot. 

Did you find the Releaf sign-up process easy or challenging?

I had to get in touch with my GP and ask for my medical records, which took quite a long time to receive. They were actually taking so long about it, I had to complain at one point, but I eventually sorted it out. 

When the records finally arrived, I sent them to Releaf and within two days the team got back to me and said I was an ideal candidate for medical cannabis treatment. Everything happened quickly after that.

The first time I contacted the Releaf team, it went very well: everyone was very warm and very friendly. In my first consultation, I told my doctor that I was kind of stigmatised about medical cannabis, and she listened, then asked me questions about my history of pain releif treatments, when it was at its worst, and about the times when I could manage it. We just went from there.

What were your initial thoughts after your first treatment session?

The first time I tried medical cannabis from Releaf, I couldn't believe the difference. After my first three or four puffs from the vape pen, I thought it wasn't working, but I sat in my chair for about 10 minutes and it hit me. I thought, “Oh, this is fantastic,” and I realised I wasn't feeling any pain. And, it wasn't just the lack of pain: it was a total feeling of relaxation—I just melted into my chair, and the feeling was euphoric. It was really, exceptionally good. 

Of course, the pain didn’t go away forever. I understand I have pain for a reason—there is always going to be some pain—but after forty years it’s nice to experience being relaxed and pain free, even if it’s only for three or four hours.

My sleep has also improved. My condition used to affect all the parts of my body, but over time it settled in my back and shoulders, so sleeping has always been an issue. I trained myself to not sleep on my side and to always sleep on my back so I wasn't putting any pressure on my hip, sides, and shoulders. After I vape the medical cannabis flower, I don't feel any pain when I lay on my side.

The other thing that really surprised me, was the lack of grogginess in the morning. I was expecting a hangover, and was really pleased to find out that there was none at all. I felt great in the morning. Just great. In fact, I haven’t experienced any negative side effects at all from my treatment. None. 

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

I was first prescribed both the medical cannabis flower and the oil, but decided I didn’t like the oil as much and stopped that. Vaping with the first strain of flower my doctor prescribed was fine for the first couple of months but, eventually, I had another consultation and asked if it would be possible to increase the dose to something stronger, which was done immediately. I was incredibly pleased about that. Right now, I’m very happy about the level I’m at, and everything is working beautifully.

Would you recommend Releaf to others in similar situations?

I would highly recommend it to anyone, and because of the stigma I originally had about it, I think I’m the ideal person to talk about it. 

I don't worry about my treatment with medical cannabis at all, because it's a natural process. That's the great thing about it: there are no chemicals involved. I’m quite against taking more chemical treatments, because I'm on enough tablets as it is, so the less medicine I take, the better. I would say to somebody that's suffering with any sort of pain to just go try it. It might not work for everyone but, for the majority, I think it will be beneficial. 

If you were still working as a schoolteacher, do you think you would continue your medical cannabis treatment?

I would, without a doubt. I really don’t think my treatment would have affected my work. If I wasn't retired, I could certainly vape in the evening, and carry on teaching the following day. As I said, I was surprised when I woke up without a ‘hangover’ per say, but I was also surprised that I could function the next day in exactly the same way I always have.

What has stood out to you most about your experiences at Releaf?

Anytime that I need to get in touch with the Releaf team, there's always somebody there who I can speak to about any concerns I might have. 

This morning, for instance, I ran out of my prescription, so I went online to reorder, but there was some kind of glitch and I couldn't complete the order. I sent a message to the Releaf team saying, “I can't manage this,” and within an hour or so, I got an email back saying, “We'll do this all for you.” Then, very quickly, I got another email saying, “It's all been processed, we’re just awaiting payment.” I said, “Oh, that's fantastic!” 

Every time that I’ve needed to speak to somebody, I've been able to, and all the consultations have been very good. The last doctor I spoke to was such a nice fella—I mean, a really nice guy. I mentioned that I was from Crewe, and he said, “Oh, I’ve been to Crewe. I’m a keen footballer and go to see matches there.” Then he was asking me about the fish and chip shop on the corner!

Everyone at Releaf is really friendly and on your level.

For more information about medical cannabis treatments for this condition, please see medical cannabis for ankylosing spondylitis.