Imagine you are 21 years old and your left thumb begins to tingle. Like me, you will ignore the feeling - even if it continues. Especially if you are currently preparing for your final exam at the Hotelachschule Lucerne. That's how it happened to me. When the tingling and deafness then spread towards the elbow and onto the left abdominal wall, I went to the doctor. This immediately referred me to a neuro login . After several examinations, she diagnosed me with multiple sclerosis (MS) - chronic inflammation of the central nervous system in the brain and spinal cord.
No improvement in sight for a long time
The diagnosis was a big shock for me. At first I tried not to give the illness too much space and to concentrate on work and friends. But that didn't work out for long: the severe attacks of MS meant that the disease left me in bed and I had to stop my training.
None of the tried and tested therapies worked for me. On the contrary, my MS was more active than ever. In addition, there were the severe side effects of the medication: I constantly had body aches like a bad case of the flu. In addition, my optic nerves were at times so inflamed that I could barely see.
Constantly dizzy and 60 kilos heavier
I was prescribed numerous medications to combat the symptoms of MS such as nerve pain, sleep disorders, depression, panic attacks and exhaustion. At first I was happy because the medication alleviated the symptoms. However, that didn't last long: the medication greatly dampened my sensations and I constantly felt like I was in a daze. And I gained a lot of weight - I ended up weighing 140 kilos. During this time I was often close to despair. Looking back, I can say that cannabis saved me - no other drug helped so well with the pain and hopelessness. Because my situation seemed hopeless at the time.
My treating doctor sent me to Dresden for a second opinion and further neurological examinations. Accompanied by my mother, I traveled to Germany - because I would not have been able to make the train journey alone due to the pain and constant exhaustion. After numerous further tests, the specialists there prescribed that I would receive an infusion every six months from now on.
Since I had already undergone so many therapy changes, I had little hope. Contrary to expectations, the new therapy worked well. Although I was still in pain at the beginning and was often exhausted, my condition stabilized and the inflammation in my nervous system slowly healed.
Things are slowly looking up
I finally had enough energy again to find out about other treatment methods that can help against MS. Writing down everything I tried would fill an entire book. Ultimately, three measures in particular helped:
- I completely changed my diet. Today I completely avoid foods that contain industrially processed sugar. So I lost over 60 kilos in one year.
- I did an intestinal flora repopulation. In people with MS, altered intestinal flora is often found and this in turn has an impact on the immune system.
- I successfully replaced all medications with cannabis except for the six-month infusion for MS. The result: no more side effects, a clearer head and a better quality of life again.
Today I am optimistic about my future. I'm doing sports again as much as I can, working a 20 percent workload and hope that my condition remains stable for as long as possible.
My wish: better access to cannabis
I had a special permit from the BAG for the medical use of cannabis, but my health insurance company did not want to cover the costs of the medication: one gram of the active ingredient THC legally costs up to 1,800 francs. If you buy it illegally it costs around 50 francs, if you grow it yourself it costs around 20 francs. The legally available medications such as Sativex also had a bad effect on me, so they are not an alternative treatment for me. In the long term, I had no choice but to self-medicate with cannabis. My quality of life has improved enormously thanks to cannabis. And yet it still feels wrong to have to behave illegally as a “good citizen” – just to stop feeling pain. This is also why I am involved in MEDCAN
