Kelly’s story: from pain and fatigue to rest and routine

Can you tell us a bit more about your day-to-day life, Kelly?

I work full-time, so that takes up a lot of my time. I also have four dogs and a cat, so that takes up a lot of time as well. And three children. They're all adults, but they still take up a lot of time!

I like to go to the gym when I have time. I haven’t been recently very much, but I used to go quite a lot.

And what kind of sleep difficulties have you been facing?

I have a lot of trouble falling asleep and a lot of trouble staying asleep, which then makes me tired in the daytime.

I also have a condition called Hashimoto's thyroiditis, which is an autoimmune disorder that affects the thyroid gland and can cause inflammation, fatigue, and hormone imbalances. That’s treated with levothyroxine for my thyroid, but I do get autoimmune flare-ups from the Hashimoto’s side of it. The thyroid bit is under control with the medication, but because it’s an autoimmune illness that kind of triggers it, I still get flare-ups.

One of the somewhat surprising positive effects of having medical cannabis is that it’s really helped that as well. Although that wasn’t my primary reason for starting with medical cannabis, it’s definitely helped. 

I can have days when I’m absolutely fine, and then I can have another day when everything hurts. I haven’t done anything different. I eat the same, sleep the same. So the sleep is very important for that. It keeps the autoimmune side of things at bay if I get a good night’s sleep. It’s very, very important, especially with work and stuff, because it’s not like I can just take a day off and stay in bed or anything. I have to go and do it.

Has this been a lifelong struggle or something that came on later?

With my thyroid, I put on a lot of weight, and that’s when I really started to notice the sleep problems. I put on over 10 kilos in a very short period of time - my metabolism just kind of tanked. Most of that’s come off now because, thanks to my medical cannabis prescription, I’m able to get sleep, and I’m able to live life.

What kinds of treatments or medications had you tried before medical cannabis?

Before signing up with Releaf, I was under the care of a sleep clinic. I have since discharged myself. They gave me various masks to try, as I was borderline sleep apnoea when they did the overnight finger test at home, but not enough to warrant proper treatment. We did try some things, but they were just a nightmare. Truly awful.

So the treatment journey for my sleep issues has been going on for about three years now, but I think my sleep problems go way back. I used to work as cabin crew for Gulf Air, and I think my sleep patterns from back then just went out the window. Then I had kids, sleepless nights. I did night shifts in mental health too.

So yeah... different factors, I reckon.

I was also prescribed Zopiclone, and one other pharmaceutical option, which name escapes me right now. But they just don’t agree with me, I found the side effects to be too much to handle. They make me very lethargic and foggy the next day, which I found started to affect my ability to perform work-wise.

When did you realise cannabis might be a legal and effective option for you?

I grew up in Canada. I’ve still got a lot of friends over there, and obviously Canada’s way ahead of the UK with this stuff. I’ve been back to Canada and stayed with people and used cannabis there, and I realised it helps me sleep, helps me relax, and takes away the aches and pains.

So when I saw a Releaf advertisement pop-up on my social media, it was a no-brainer. 

I clicked on the ad, did some research into Releaf, and was really impressed. So I started the process of becoming a Releaf patient. 

Did you look into any other clinics before choosing Releaf?

You were the first one I saw. I had it in my head, and I did look at some others. But I just think the way your literature was set out. Releaf seemed to understand the legalities. At the beginning, I didn’t know where I stood, and I didn’t want to get in any trouble.

You never know, do you? What’s okay and what’s not okay. But your site had the best information. It felt more solid. Not just ‘airy-fairy’.

What stood out to you during your first experience with Releaf?

It was just really straightforward and simple.

The first consultation was a bit… different? 

The idea of speaking to a doctor about cannabis was just strange to begin with. I didn’t know what I could say and what I couldn’t. It was like, “Have you tried cannabis before?” and I’m thinking, “Well, I can’t legally say yes, can I? In this country?”

But the doctor was great, so supportive.

And now, do you follow a set dosing routine, or does it vary day by day?

I’ve been prescribed one Indica dominant cultivar for the evenings, and that works great for helping me get to sleep. And then obviously the THC vape cartridge is fairly new, but I use that “as and when”. Like today, I don’t feel too bad. I’ll probably go home, walk the dogs, and I probably won’t need to or bother with it until bedtime. 

But like I said with this autoimmune issue, I never know what’s going to cause it. Sometimes my throat will be sore, my limbs will be sore, my joints... they’ve done all the tests for rheumatoid and all those kinds of things. It’s none of those. It’s just an autoimmune illness.

So I never know when it’s going to strike. But I have to live the same way every day. So the pen is useful for that instant "as and when," you know? Like when you would take paracetamol or ibuprofen or something, but obviously this is much quicker and more natural.

It really is my go-to. It’s so nice. So nice to finally have something that you can administer and feel the effects instantly, and then can carry on with my day.

Do you stick to the same routine at weekends?

I’ve used the pen a couple of times in the day, again just to give me that little bit of a boost when I’m having a bad day at the weekend. But the night dose is about the same. I’m not really someone who goes out in the evening now. That’s just part of my evening routine to get settled. That’s the same every night.

I try and stick to the same kind of thing so that I have that good seven or eight hours of sleep, because I know that makes such a difference to me.

Have you ever experienced any side effects from your medication through Releaf?

No, no, I’ve not.

I didn’t find the oils very helpful for me, because I found I had to take quite a lot, and I didn’t like the texture in my mouth. So that was more about that. 

But the dry herb vapouriser that I use for my prescribed medical cannabis flower is very good, and I was prescribed one of the THC vape pens last month, which is just so great. 

When I come home from work, and I’m tired and everything hurts, but I still have to walk the dogs, make dinner, live my life... just using that is such a lifesaver. The THC vape pen doesn't put me to sleep, it actually gives me the energy boost I need to get through my evening or my weekend or really whenever I feel the need.

And then I use the medical cannabis flower through the dry herb vapouriser to go to sleep. It’s amazing. It’s a natural plant, and I feel it working in a natural way. I think it really should be the most accessible treatment option, especially with the overprescription of heavy painkillers and how bad I have found the side effects of such drugs to be. 

Are you finding it easier to fall asleep, stay asleep, or both?

Both. 

I don’t wake up as much. I used to wake up a lot in the night. I probably wake up only about once now, and that’s to go to the loo, usually about three or four o’clock, and then I go back to sleep for a couple of hours. 

And when I do wake up, I now have no issues with getting back to sleep, which definitely did not used to be the case. 

If one of my friends or family were going through similar health issues as I have faced, I would definitely tell them to book a consultation with Releaf and to discuss it with one of your doctors. 

Has your day-to-day energy, focus, and general wellbeing changed since starting treatment with Releaf?

Yes. It’s very different. At work, they’ve been aware of my illnesses and how I’m doing. 

But I would come in, and they would joke with me, like, “What is it today?” And I would say, oh, it’s about a six, or the very lowest would be like a four. Four was an awful day, on four days I am really struggling. A six day would be like, okay, and life goes on.

And now a lot of my days are a seven or an eight. I don’t really have many of those four days now. It’s definitely all improving.

Have the people close to you seen a change?

Oh, very much. My oldest daughter took me to Vigo in Spain a few weeks back. She was watching a friend of hers doing a triathlon in the hills. 

We went, but I didn’t take anything with me because I was concerned about letters and legalities and borders and all that stuff. And I had a couple of really bad days. 

Even she was saying, “I wish you could get some cannabis, you’d be so much better.” We were only there for five days, and it was a lovely holiday, but there were a couple of days where I just couldn’t do anything. Everything ached. My sleep was off. I was up in the middle of the night looking at lovely views in the city...

I wish I’d had a bit more energy and a bit more of me to do all the stuff. We still had a nice time, but even my daughter was saying that she wished I had been able to bring my medical cannabis with me would next time investigate bringing it with me.

Off the back of your recent travel experience, do you think you’ll look into Releaf’s Travel Certificates for your next trip?

Definitely, definitely, yeah. You do so much more on holiday. Even if you're not feeling great, you try and push yourself to go and walk around, look at all the churches, go to the cafés, all that stuff my daughter loves to do as much as I do. 

I wish I’d had a bit more energy and a bit more of me to do that. We still had a lovely time, but I’ll definitely investigate it next time.

Does your Releaf medical cannabis card made you feel more confident using or carrying your medication?

Yeah, it does. 

I don’t tend to take it out with me, as I live kind of out in the sticks, but it does help me feel more confident carrying my prescription with me. I’m going to Goldstone with family for a few days in August, and I’ll bring it then. If someone did say anything, I know I’m covered.

Lastly, is there anything else you’d like to mention that might help someone else reading your story?

Just to reassure people that there’s a lot of support. You’re not just left to get on with it. 

There’s the consultation, but there’s also all the help and literature and being able to get in touch.

I had a one issue a few months back with one of my deliveries. When I got in touch, the woman I spoke to was really helpful and sorted it out quickly. That’s so rare these days. Most things don’t get sorted quickly. And it’s really nice to speak to a human at the other end of the phone.

If you would like to learn more about medical cannabis treatment options for the conditions mentioned in this Patient Story, please see medical cannabis for sleep.