Remember Nancy Reagan and her Just Say No campaign?
Well, when all of the other kids in high school were saying, Just say Whoa, I said no.
I was proud to say no to drugs. Believe me when I tell you, I said no for a long, long time.
As an adult, I remained a clean bean who bragged about her pink lungs that had never smoked a thing.
When dealers were dealing drugs on my front lawn, I'd turn on the sprinklers.
So why would a 44 year old woman who had never smoked pot start now?
A year ago, I was exhausted, sleeping 17 hours a day and in excruciating pain.
My body was covered in a rash, systemically swollen, joints were hot to the touch and I had a fever that lasted a month.
The endometrial tumors that two surgeries to attempted to remove had spread throughout my body.
Some tumors were breaking and bleeding through the surface in the bikini area.
The nerve pain was too great to walk, open and close my hands or even move my jaw.
Glands were hard and swollen and both liver and kidneys ached.
In the past I had been diagnosed and hospitalized for Henoch Schoenlein Purpura, endometriosis, severe allergies and asthma.
No stranger to this kind of pain, I knew what I was up against.
I was in autoimmune agony.
After 40 years of visiting doctors, I learned that there isn't much that can be done to stop a body from attacking itself.
Pain relievers, muscle relaxants, and steroids only served to mask the symptoms.
Always, it seemed after the last pill was taken, a flare up was right around the corner.
This recent flare up came after taking antibiotics for a dental procedure 18 months ago.
It's stupid, yet true.
For those of us struggling with autoimmune disease, we know it does not take much to tip the scales from health to misery.
What most don't realize is just how much money and time it takes to return to health.
We have spent over $100,000 in my healthcare in 20 years.
Sit with that a minute. One hundred thousand dollars.
Not only was this health crisis stealing my time, It was stealing my family's bank account and I was no better for it.
On my 44th birthday, I decided to go for a medical marijuana license.
In one decision I said goodbye to the girl who just said no and hello to the woman who says, YES please.
Happy birthday to me.
