For 30 years I did a lot of sports: swimming, jogging, and weight training. Later I switched to cycling and inline skating. It was good for my body and soul. It helped me cope better with some difficult life situations. Until one day in January 2007, I had a nasty fall while inline skating.
The orthopedic surgeon at the hospital recommended a hip replacement. According to his assessment, my hip joint was severely worn, but nothing was broken. Shortly afterward, on Valentine's Day, I received a new hip joint as a "gift." Then followed months of pain, numerous medications, another stay in a rehabilitation clinic, and a search for relief. In April 2008, I had to undergo an additional operation. Another doctor performed a revision of the prosthesis. However, an unexpected finding led to complications and an unplanned outcome. For the next three years, I could only walk with crutches and was in constant physical therapy.
Unexplained pain
Two more stays in the rehabilitation clinic followed. I began to doubt myself more and more. No one could understand why I was in so much pain. Only later, after an assessment by a neutral expert and another orthopedic surgeon, did I learn what had gone wrong during the operation. It was a shock. The consequences are still devastating for me today. Another operation is no longer possible without the risk of severely damaging my hip joint. Furthermore, the experts concluded that the first operation hadn't been strictly necessary, as the wear and tear on my hip joint wasn't yet significant. So the surgeon got a lot of money, and I got the crutches.
During those painful years, I was treated with many medications, from muscle relaxants and painkillers with added stomach protection to morphine, which I couldn't tolerate at all. The pain kept me from sleeping, and I regularly needed sleeping pills. None of these medications were good for my body. I vomited frequently, had stomach cramps, lost a lot of weight, but the pain remained. Then one day I was given a joint, and the pain lessened for many hours. What a relief! I knew from before about the recreational effects of this herb, but since I hadn't experienced pain back then, I knew nothing about its pain-relieving properties.
Cannabis oil with a special permit from the BAG (Federal Office of Public Health)
I told my family doctor, who then prescribed cannabis oil as medication and also submitted the application to the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH). It was approved. However, my health insurance company refused to cover the costs for a year. Only after my orthopedic doctor intervened did I receive approval. A higher dose for more severe pain in winter was not approved. This isn't surprising, though. Legally available cannabis medications are extremely overpriced compared to the illegal market. This is incomprehensible to us patients.
The oil can't eliminate all pain, but it alleviates it. The acute pain is less intense, and it helps me cope with it better. I haven't had a pain-free day since February 2007, but I feel better now, and I can laugh again. My digestion and sleep have also improved. I no longer take painkillers, and I only resort to sleeping pills in exceptional circumstances. I need nothing else but my cannabis oil.
The required cannabis flowers are still prohibited
However, there are also days when the oil's effect is too weak. On those days, vaporizing cannabis flowers helps. Inhaling it through the lungs provides better and faster relief from acute pain. But on those days, I'm breaking the law again, since in Switzerland, pharmacies only sell cannabis oil, not cannabis flowers. I have to obtain the flowers illegally. So, I'm faced with a choice between pain and illegality.
In winter, I find the weather in Switzerland unbearable because of the cold and damp. That's why I visited the Canary Islands some time ago, hoping the warmer climate would ease the pain. It did me good. I was able to walk better and cover longer distances than in Switzerland. Both times I went, I visited a cannabis social club in Spain. There, I was able to buy cannabis oil and flowers at an affordable price. We can only dream of that in Switzerland! I wish such a social club concept would be legalized in Switzerland as well.
The MEDCAN patient meeting means a lot to me
I've been a member of the MEDCAN Association for a few years now. There's a patient meeting every month in Zurich and Bern. These meetings and the exchange with other patients mean a lot to me. They're very valuable, and I receive a lot of useful information. I'm very grateful that MEDCAN exists. Many thanks to those who founded the Association and to everyone who helps raise Association . If we stand together, we will one day achieve the legalization of cannabis as medicine. Only together are we strong.
