In the summer of 2018 (a few months before my medical leave) I enrolled my son in a private school. But I didn’t have an upfront way to pay the 30k a year tuition. Although I was sure that if I made the commitment, I would find a way.

By September, my son started his first days of school. It started off well. I was juggling the 1-hour commute and the requirements of my Sales Director role. Yet again, things were balancing, and the pain was manageable.

Then, my best friend passed away in the 2nd week of my son being at the new school. The most overwhelming parts of it were:

• The cause of my friend’s death, a prescription drug overdose
• Along with the pain and loss I experienced.

I was unable to leave my bed, aside from driving my son to school and making processed dinners. Because I was in the darkest place of my life.

A month after my son’s first day at the new school, my mental and physical pain was unbearable.

This was also the discovery time for my 1st car accident with the defendant’s legal team, which was equally as unbearable. The worst parts were the recaps, grilling, and inquisition into my personal life.

That’s when I decided to listen to my doctor’s recommendations to take medical leave.

Because the medical leave was the only way I could face everything I was going through. By December of 2018, I was no longer looking or feeling like myself.  I switched from an extroverted individual to a reserved woman and gained 30lbs in less than two months.

I wasn’t looking or feeling myself, so I gave Cannabis therapy a try. All this was possible thanks to a team of specialists.

That’s when I knew that it was time to use my medical leave to shake things up. I started Cannabis therapy with a team of specialists who cater to women.

Then, I started Canada’s first ever Cannabis Industry Specialization Certification. This made it possible for me to:

• Learn the ropes
• And align my health journey with a plant-based approach to healing.

Because I wanted to destroy the stigma of single parents, Cannabis users, and people with disabilities.

My traumas were peanuts compared to some, even in the midst of my health scares. I quickly learned this was the case when I met my son’s peers and their parents. Because many of them struggle with navigating the health system.

A month later, my son started his Cannabis Therapy journey….

My son, Jaxon benefited from Cannabis therapy as much as I did.

Thanks to Cannabis Therapy, his meds cut in half. He’s now down to one required ADHD med first thing in the morning, which we aim to be rid of by the summer.

Happy to say that I am also off all prescribed pain meds. The list tallied a total of 8 unique pills for the symptoms I exhibited throughout the year.

Now, I cope with, rather than mask chronic pain. This involves a combination of cannabis, physical therapy, and community involvement.

On a recent trip to the ER…

Last time I visited the ER, I wondered: “how could  going from nothing to Oxy overnight be good for anyone?”

The first solution was to hand over Oxycodone. After telling the doctor I only take cannabis and physical therapy to heal, I found this strange. Not to mention, Oxycodone is something I have never taken. Because it has been privy to so many lives lost from opiates.

How could going from nothing to Oxy overnight be good for anyone, let alone a single mother with pain on her plate? Isn’t this the blanket solution we always hear about? Sure is – and my answer to quick fixes moving forward is NO.

If it was easy – everyone would be doing it!

But the most important thing I want you to get out of my story is this:

So much of what I’ve been through is the foundation of HIP Lives. It’s also what motivates me to fulfil HIP Lives most important goal:

Delivering better access, education, and compassion in Women’s Health, wellness, and parenting.

Now that my dreams of being a radio host and public speaker are in sight, I can focus on connecting others to the medical benefits and resources I have access to.