A Belfast mum of three says that her life has been turned around as she is able to manage chronic pain better with the use of medical cannabis.
Jocelyn Stewart, who is originally from Derry, suffers with a condition called Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome that causes her to have poor muscle connectivity, resulting in easy dislocations and constant pain.
For a number of years she had been prescribed a series of opioid medications and at one point was taking eight tramadol a day. However she said that while using this medication she had a poor quality of life due to the side effects, and became quite depressed due to her inability to do the things that she wanted to.
Read more: Father of Co Down girl ‘saved by medical cannabis’ launches health clinic to help others
Jocelyn had trained as a hairdresser but was no longer able to work due to her condition as a dislocation could take place while she was working on someone’s hair.
She said: “I left school without any qualifications with the aim of going into hairdressing, but as my condition got worse this was no longer an option, particularly after my second pregnancy which had a huge impact on my body.
“I kept being prescribed more and more opioids to deal with the pain that I was in and the side effects kept getting worse and I felt like I was not able to do anything and I wasn’t able to do the things with my children that I wanted to because I always felt tired or ill.
“I became depressed because I feared that this was going to be the rest of my life, stuck in the house and constantly in pain waiting to take my next painkiller.”
Three years ago Jocelyn was prescribed medical cannabis and said it has turned her life around since. She has been able to significantly reduce her medication and has now returned to work and education.
She continued: “I have always been curious about using cannabis as a medication for my condition, but I would never have risked purchasing it illegally because of my children who are the most important thing in life to me.
“I had taken part in a trial scheme prior to legalisation of medical cannabis and when it was finally allowed I started the process of getting my prescription.
“The process took a little bit of time while I worked with my doctor to make sure I was getting the correct strain, since then it has completely changed my life and I like how my prescription is reviewed every three months to make sure there are no bad side effects, which is something that never happened with my opioid painkillers.
“I now feel like I am able to live my life the way that I have always wanted to. I can go out with my children without being exhausted, I have managed to get a job that I absolutely love and I have even started back at college to get some qualifications.
“While the pain I have has not disappeared, I am able to function with it and the impact that medical cannabis has had on my mental health has been incredible because I no-longer have to deal with the opioid side-effects.
“My family were a bit unsure about it at first, but are now very supportive since they have seen the turnaround that I have made, and I believe that more people need to be made aware of the options that are available to them out there.”
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Emily Foster is a globe-trotting journalist based in the UK. Her articles offer readers a global perspective on international events, exploring complex geopolitical issues and providing a nuanced view of the world’s most pressing challenges.
