It has been almost a year since the symptoms of Sjögrens Syndrome started. Christmas seems to have been a high (low) point, and the level of pain has decreased since the new year and remains  at consistent and constant level. It affects me mostly in my hands—twist-off bottle tops have become the bane of my existence, and eyes .Yep, I’m the hipster wearing sunglasses even when it’s cloudy. Sounds less cool when I admit almost any daylight hurts my eyes, but who wants to be Morocco Mole when you can be Joe Cool instead?

                    Nay!

During our initial assessment, the reumatologist asked if I were experiencing much pain. I just told him that I do Crossfit, I’ve always got pain. This pain I had long attributed to being an old bag trying to do Crossfit, but apparently it isn’t normal. In March the ‘grit your teeth and bear it’ approach was no longer working and sleep deprivation was turning me psychotic. I started taking Ibuprofen when I felt the pain start. However, taking 400 mg. Ibuprofen a couple of times a day, every day is, I am told, not normal.                                                                                       Yay!

What to do? My mother, an MS patient, was addicted to painkillers, which she was able to obtain perfectly legitimately by prescription. It changed her. Prescription painkillers are not for me.

                                                                       Just say “No!”

Instead, I’ve learned to choose my activities wisely. Although I am still working out at the Box, I take two to three rest days between workouts. I scale. On the “rest days”, I’ll do a short 1 – 2.5 km. run. Sometimes I don’t bother with the run, for example on days when I have some heavy yard-work to do or when it’s raining. I’ve lost the idea that I have something to prove by running in the rain; it only proves to make me wet and miserable. The rheumatology nurse emphasized the importance of doing the fun things while I have the energy, not just the necessary stuff. Clean the house or work on a painting? These days it is definitely work on a painting. Still, the pain persisted.

A friend, who is also a professional masseuse, recommended that I try some weed for the pain relief. I was a bit taken aback and said that I hadn’t considered it because I don’t smoke and with my asthma, it probably isn’t a good idea to start. Then she told me about CBD oil. I said I’d think about it. On my 6 month check up with the rheumatologist, I flew the idea by him. He said it wouldn’t hurt to try.

A few weeks went by, and even cashier at our local drugstore was questioning the frequency with which I bought my Ibuprofen gel caps. It was then I decided to investigate the possibilities CBD might offer. I’d already decided to recruit one of my alt.hip  friends to accompany me to a local headshop to buy some product. I’m such a dork, I figured I’d never be able to do that on my own, but a quick search online revealed I could order the stuff from the local health food store (where I already have a discount). It is times like this when I realize that living in the Netherlands really does have some interesting benefits.

Two weeks in on a minimal CBD dosage in drops (they taste vile), my use of Ibuprofen has dramatically decreased. Instead of popping a pill before a workout, I rub some CBD into my hands, especially if it is going to involve lifting heavy. I have the idea that my hands are far less stiff and cramped. In the past few days, on more than one occasion, I’ve been called “mellow’. That has never happened before.  Who’d a thunk?