Marcel

Marcel was seven when he was admitted to hospital because of blood in his stool and suspected appendicitis. Unfortunately, the suspicion is not confirmed: everything is fine with Marcel's appendix. At first no one knows what Marcel has. For the boy that means four weeks in hospital, alone in an eight-bed room. « I still remember the first time in the hospital. I felt so lonely, sad and also afraid. And because it was just before Christmas, I didn't know whether I would be able to celebrate Christmas Eve at home with my family." After numerous tests, it turns out that Marcel suffers from Crohn's disease (see box) - a chronic inflammation of the intestines. Because research into Crohn's disease was still in its infancy at the beginning of the noughties, it was "... pumped full of cortisone. At the time, the drug was considered a 'panacea'. “I became as round as a ball and was really puffy from the water retention ,” says the slim young man. After all, cortisone keeps Crohn's disease at bay for a few years.

Learning in the hospital

When Marcel is eleven, the illness strikes again with full force. At that time he had to spend nine months at a time in the St. Gallen Children's Hospital - and also had classes there. “Doing tasks and learning undisturbed in the hospital is almost impossible. There was a lot of distraction because e.g. B. someone from nursing kept coming into the room.” Despite his repeated, long stays in hospital, he sticks with his school material until secondary school and does not have to repeat a class.

Because the anti-inflammatory cortisone no longer helps at some point, he is quickly considered to be “out of treatment”. That's why doctors recommend surgical removal of the large intestine and half of the small intestine. “I wasn’t asked back then. My mother had to decide and she trusted the doctors. I don’t blame anyone – they just didn’t know any different.” Unfortunately, the surgery only postpones his problem. Instead of the intestine, Marcel's stomach and esophagus become inflamed and a fistula forms from the rectum to the bladder. As a result, urine and stool mix and Marcel constantly suffers from bladder and kidney infections. “The surgeon told me that the fistula could be removed surgically. But there was only a fifty-fifty chance that the operation would be successful. That wasn't enough for me. I could have become impotent or possibly needed an artificial bladder outlet.” Marcel's kidney and bladder problems remained until he received an artificial anus (stoma) at the age of 12.

One low point after another

From now on Marcel always has to carry the stoma bag with him. He is ashamed of this - especially in front of girls. Some classmates also bully me: “The stoma bags back then were very bad compared to today. The bag leaked a few times at school and made a huge mess. I was teased and even beaten,” he says, surprisingly calmly. Marcel then lies to his doctors and tells them that the bladder fistula is no longer a problem - just so that his artificial anus can be reversed. «I hated my illness and wanted to appear healthy. Of course, without the artificial anus, the problems with the fistula and therefore the bladder and kidney infections returned. He then struggled for a few years by taking painkillers and antibiotics.

Despite his many absences due to illness, Marcel successfully completes secondary school and begins an apprenticeship as a electrician. However, he has to cancel this - partly because there are often no toilets on construction sites. He switched to a commercial apprenticeship, successfully completed it and then worked part-time in a municipal administration.

However, at the age of 22, his condition deteriorated so much that he decided to have a stoma put in again. He gets detailed advice from a manufacturer and finds that stoma technology has improved. With the new artificial anus, the inflammation in the bladder and kidneys finally disappears.

Marcel “dries out”.

Unfortunately, Crohn's disease is still there. Marcel is plagued by severe periods of diarrhea, during which he loses several liters of fluid. «I couldn't keep up with drinking anymore. At first I received infusions once a week in the hospital, later daily. Without it I would have died of thirst. In addition, due to the constant dehydration, I was constantly tired and dizzy ," he says of this terrible time. At home, alone in his apartment, he often barely has the strength to get something to drink or cook.

Sudden improvement with cannabis

When Marcel, in his late 20s, had another heart palpitations as a result of dehydration and therefore couldn't sleep, he took a joint for the first time. He immediately notices how good it is for him: he can fall asleep, his intestines “calm down” and his symptoms decrease. Marcel had already found out about the positive effects of cannabis on Crohn's disease on the Internet. At first he only smoked in the evening before going to sleep, then two to three joints a day: "But only when I had checked off all my to-dos and definitely didn't have to drive the car anymore." The anti-inflammatory effect of cannabis slows down Marcel's intestinal activity: the organ can finally better utilize the liquid and food it receives. Marcel has a lot more energy. And he has to take less medication.

A lot of trouble about the ticket

This goes well for a few years to a traffic control in 2016, in which the police officer demands a urine drug test. Marcel explains his medical history to the man and "... that he couldn't pee in a tube like a healthy person" . The policeman then makes a smear that is negative and lets him drive. Unfortunately, the police officer Marcel's medical history reports to the road traffic office, whereupon Marcel is forced to a traffic test - cost 1400 francs. Marcel openly tells the traffic psycho login his medical history and explains that he uses cannabis for self -therapy. Of course, the mandatory drug test is positive. Marcel emphasizes: «I am a responsible person and I would never deliberately put someone in danger. I didn't have to drive after a joint car. Nobody is interested in this or it is even legal to drive with pain medication like morphine car. What was often the case with me when I had to go to the hospital. » The road traffic office deprives Marcel the ticket. He defends himself with a lawyer and the letter from his doctor - unfortunately unsuccessful.

A long, immobile time

For Marcel, driving a car means a bit of freedom for several reasons: “The car offers me a protected space. If I have to go to the toilet, I can just stop without any stress. I can get to my many doctor and hospital appointments quickly by car. It also means I can visit my seriously ill mother in the nursing home 20 minutes away at any time. If I took public transport I would have to change four times and it would take me well over an hour.”

From now on, Marcel has to go for a urine test every month for a year and also for drug counseling. He looks back: “I even had suicidal thoughts because of the ticket revocation. I could hardly visit my mother anymore, I had anxiety attacks and my health was deteriorating again. I kept asking myself the question: Why am I being punished like this? I didn't do anything wrong." Marcel tells his confidant at the hospital about his thoughts and she reacts immediately. A psychologist is called in and Marcel is given emergency antidepressants. Marcel reduces his cannabis consumption and finally stops it completely. Unfortunately, with the reduced consumption of cannabis, his health problems also return.

A year later: He passes the traffic test and the final drug test, which cost him another 1,400 francs - also because the traffic psychologist is not a declared opponent of cannabis. Marcel is ordered to do monthly urine tests for another year and to continue to attend drug counseling. The latter is unexpectedly good for Marcel - because he is received without prejudice, has good conversations and feels understood. “Finally someone told me that I hadn’t done anything wrong. And it was confirmed to me that I have my life well under control – despite the suspension of my ticket.”

Marcel stopped his cannabis self-therapy in order to be mobile. Thanks to many professional discussions, his partner and a stable circle of friends, he is doing much better today. He has now also learned to accept his illness, which makes it easier for him psychologically.

He has been working part-time in an inclusion position for the canton since February 2021 and has a good chance of being taken on permanently. He would also like to increase his workload. When it comes to cannabis, he has one wish: “I hope that the prejudice against people who treat themselves with cannabis will soon stop. That doctors and authorities understand that there are people like me who only cannabis can help. And that doesn't mean we're criminals."

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