Taking My Meds

I take a lot of medicine. I’m on anatacids and anti-nausea medication and anti-anxiety pills as well. And on top of that, sometimes I use medical marijuana. Last night I decided to record the effects and process of smoking a bowl, one hit at a time.

Photo shows an orange transparent medicine bottle on its side with buds of marijuana spilling out.

1. I start to relax in anticipation. It’s been about a week since I smoked, and I’m starting off with some anxiety and nausea, and pain in my shoulders at an 8 on the pain scale.
2. I start to breathe slower. Anxiety makes my heart race and my breathing shallow and rapid. Getting my body back to stasis helps my mind get there too.
3. It’s time to start the first of a series of stretches. Cold weather like we’re having right now can cause my muscles to freeze up, so stretching is more important yet harder to do.
4. As I stretch, I can feel the pain in my shoulders more, but I can also feel blood flowing where it needs to.
5. I’m beginning to feel calm. At this point, I take a ten minute break to sit comfortably while I determine if I need more.
6. The knots in my shoulders begin to loosen. Nausea disappears. Pain level is down to a 7.
7. My heart rate is closer to normal. The muscles I didn’t realize I was clenching in my face begin to relax.
8. It’s starting to become easier to stretch.
9. I feel a sense of calm. When a neighbor’s dog barks, it doesn’t produce a startle response in me.
10. I’m starting to yawn now. My racing thoughts are slowing down. Time for another break.
11. My mood is pleasant, but my pain level is still at a 6. My neck is still too stiff to turn it all the way in either direction.
12. My automatic breathing is deeper and slower. I get a satisfying vertabrae pop while stretching.
13. I laughed at a joke on TV, instead of just thinking “That’s funny” inside my head. Spontaneous laughs and smiles are more common for me when I feel good.
14. I can turn my neck all the way, but it hurts to do so.
15. Pain at 5. Still unpleasant, and neck still feels very stiff. The bowl is empty.

Marijuana isn’t a magic cure, and sometimes it takes more than one bowl to bring pain levels down to acceptable levels. Sometimes one is enough. The particular strain I was using last night, Great White Shark, made me incredibly sleepy. I went to bed at 8 pm, despite the pain, and slept solidly until 6 o’clock this morning. I call that a win.