Saturday, May 7, 2016

Cannabis Oil Questions Answered, No. 8

The early days, Sophie aged 5



Do you ever use straight THC as a rescue medication? Do you worry about her getting high?

Yes, I do. And no, I don't. In fact, just this morning I woke to the awful sound of Sophie seizing in her bed. The awful sound includes grunts and thrashing limbs, sometimes a scream. I dashed from my room to hers and was assailed, immediately, by the smell of seizure. A certain type of tonic-clonic seizure induces not just a pungent body odor but nearly slick-with-sweat palms and feet. I don't know what this is other than a response from the autonomic system, but it makes my heart sink because it often stays for days. I actually hate this state more than anything, other than the seizure itself. I have no idea why my reaction to it is so visceral, but I imagine it has to do with powerlessness. Sophie has been doing quite well with the new strain of cannabis. She's going many days and sometimes even more than a week with no big seizures. I also give her THC at night, but only a tiny amount. I'll leave a discussion of that for another post, but suffice it to say that THC is very necessary for most kids with seizures and is the reason why CBD-only laws are often counter-productive. Whole plant medicine, ya'll.

I've gotten off track, as usual.

The answer to the question is, again, YES. I give Sophie extra THC, straight, as a rescue medication and it works. This morning, after that first seizure she had another, and after that, when she was still in a post-ictal state which means there was a bit of jerking and weird posturing, I drew up a small amount of THC oil into a syringe, shot it into the side of her mouth and massaged her cheek. She had already stopped seizing, so I wasn't giving it to her in a status state, but do you know that the clamminess and body odor -- the things that would ordinarily persist for days after such a big seizure -- disappeared? Her palms were dry, no body odor and everything hunky-dory. No more seizures, either.

Put that in your pipe and smoke it.

As for worrying about her getting high, cue the Mrs. Braddock laugh.



















*My cousin Maria sent me the photo above along with the ones below. There's something so sweet and nostalgic about them. I hardly remember those days, but then -- I do.

Henry, 22 months old

Me and Henry, aged 22 months and my father's foot

6 comments:

  1. My heart feels squeezed a bit when you talk of these things that are hard for you. I imagine that yours is squeezed as well when you go through these things. I'm sorry for you.
    The pictures are beautiful - your children are all so beautiful.
    And there you are with your red toenails, pretty.

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  2. PS: HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY tomorrow. I hope you are showered with LOVE xo

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  3. Hard things threading through your family's beauty. Those photos are precious. I am sure you still see these babies in your children now.

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  4. Wee Soph-sweet girl, even then.

    ~Beth

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  5. Wee Soph-sweet girl, even then.

    ~Beth

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  6. There is something about this question that makes me so angry. Has anyone ever asked you whether being high might be better than any of the various and sundry side effects that come as a direct result of benzos? Given a choice, I think most sane people would choose being a little bit high. Jesus.

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