Until I was 34, I never gave my health a second thought. I was perfectly healthy and living life to the fullest. I worked at an advertising agency, was in a relationship, and had a vibrant social life. All opportunities were open to me. In my free time, I was adventurous. I loved traveling the world and trying everything that was fun. Until May 17, 2009. On that day, I misjudged the situation and made a mistake. While launching my paraglider, I tripped and crashed headfirst into the grass. I was instantly and completely paralyzed.
Many people, seeing me, think I'd rather not be alive anymore. Paralyzed from the neck down, that's a horrifying thought. It was for me back then, too. But in Switzerland, you can't just die like that. Our rescue and healthcare system saved my life in an exemplary way. The doctors who repaired my shattered cervical spine really knew their stuff! For two weeks, the nurses and caregivers in the intensive care unit fought for my life.
When I woke up from the medically induced coma, my "old life" was over. But I couldn't die anymore. My body had stabilized. I would have had to actively take control of my own death. That's difficult when you're paralyzed in bed. It's an illusion to believe you have a choice.
If you survive, you truly live. The world collapses, and the fight back to life is incredibly tough. I spent a year and a half in the hospital. Everything is exhausting. You train like a top athlete, even if it's just the smallest movements. You're constantly utterly exhausted. And mentally coping with this limitation is incredibly difficult! These seven minutes aren't enough for that.
And then came the pain and the spastic cramps. Being paralyzed suddenly became the least of my problems. My whole body burns like fire every day. My hands are the worst. And when someone touches me, my body contorts in spastic spasms. The combination with the neuropathic pain is hell. I'm in constant pain at a level a healthy person can't even imagine. The pharmaceutical drugs didn't help. They only made everything worse. I couldn't eat anything anymore. I was constantly vomiting and getting thinner and thinner. I ended up in the hospital several times with life-threatening complications. I knew I had to change something, or I'd die from this cocktail of medications.
I chose life. I never gave up and always tried to find a solution. And I actually found that solution very early on: cannabis. My painkiller of choice. Many paraplegic patients in the hospital were smoking it. I saw that immediately outside the hospital. That didn't deter me. I'd used cannabis Recreational Consumption before. So I tried it, and it worked right away. I told all the doctors this, but nobody cared.
Cannabis is illegal in Switzerland. There are a few legal options for medical use, but they are too expensive and don't help me. I really wanted to go the legal route, but what I need isn't available.
So I chose the rebellious path and help myself. Of course, I can't say exactly how I do it. But I'm not doing anything wrong. For me, I'm doing the only right thing. Thanks to cannabis, I was able to stop taking almost all my medications. I replenished my body with vitamins and trace elements. Now I alleviate my pain and spastic cramps almost exclusively with high doses of cannabis. My life is worth living again. But I couldn't stand a day without cannabis. That's why I don't follow the law.
There are 100,000 cannabis patients in Switzerland, according to estimates from the Federal Office of Public Health. I am not alone. There are many of us. And we are no longer willing to hide and remain silent. It cannot be that sick people have to resort to crime to alleviate their pain. As president of the Medical Cannabis Association Switzerland, I am fighting to finally bring about change. We know exactly what we are doing! That is why we are demanding that Parliament legalize the cultivation of cannabis for medical purposes – ideally in partnership with other patients.
Cannabis is not a miracle cure. Despite using cannabis, I still experience pain and spasticity. However, these symptoms are lessened, and I can tolerate them better. Cannabis allows me to want to live despite the pain. Many other patients feel the same way. For us, self-medication with cannabis is the only way to alleviate our suffering and maintain our quality of life. Cannabis can be taken as a long-term medication without poisoning the body or damaging organs. This is a blessing for many people with chronic illnesses.
Cannabis could also be a way to counteract the exploding costs in healthcare. However, politicians are choosing the strictly pharmaceutical route. This creates the risk that this medicinal plant will be turned into an unaffordable drug. That's what I'm afraid of!
If you also believe that we should be able to use cannabis as medicine immediately, then support me and the Association . We will not stop fighting for our right. Everyone should be able to decide for themselves how they want to be treated. It's their health! If you would like more information, visit our website or come to our patient meetings.
Many thanks to Tsüri on behalf of all Swiss cannabis patients for allowing me to tell my story.
