I was diagnosed with photosensitive epilepsy in 6th grade following a few minor absence seizures noticed by my mom. Absence seizures can be as small as a blank stare or severe confusion for a small period of time. In my case in instances of bright sunlight I would stop in my tracks and flinch or have a small twitch.
I had my first grand mal seizure during my first year of college while working parking at an event for a local ski and snowboard area. While making small talk with an elderly retired police officer I turned around to look at the mountain and the reflection of the sun on the snow sent me back about 10-15 feet down the hill into the parking lot. I woke up in the ambulance without the knowledge of who I was, where I was or where I came from. Terrified.
I know it’s kind of an intense start to a cannabis/ concentrates story. Context is necessary right?
From the start I was told that getting involved with cannabis could and would probably lead to more seizures by my doctors and medical professionals. Instinctively I believed the doctors because they are professionals and spent a very long time in school and in training to amass the medical knowledge they carry.
It wasn’t until my freshman year of college in 2012-2013 that I really became intrigued by the idea that cannabis might not only help with seizure control but also some of the side effects that come with anti seizure medications. Side effects I dealt with personally with these meds was usually increased anxiety paired with extreme swings from super irritable to I’ll be best friends with just about anyone as well as extreme weight loss due to loss of appetite.
I started smoking out of water pipes, bowls, joints and blunts shortly after the first grand mal seizure. I started to see positive results in almost all of my side effects but wasn’t really enjoying the feeling in my lungs and throat.
I started to look into other methods of delivery like vaping or edibles but they didn’t hold the same longevity of symptom relief and I don’t get the same immediate relief like from smoking. This is when I found out about BHO Shatter and c02 concentrates. I really enjoyed the immediate symptom relief but still didn’t really enjoy the taste or the feeling left in my lungs and throat. The taste was better than burnt charred weed but It had a leftover chemical-ish taste that doesn’t really fly with me 100%. With a little looking around and further digging I found out there are solvent-less concentrates that are extracted using usually a mixture of heat and pressure.
Finally! I found what I’d been looking for! A direct method of high dose THC and CBD that has almost immediate effects and some serious longevity to the symptom relief with no horrible taste or bad left over feeling in my lungs or throat.
With the additional terpenes and additional CBD found in solvent-less concentrates I’ve seen a significant decrease in side effect prevalence. Mood has evened out significantly and I’m at a healthier weight and maintaining a healthier weight.
All in all concentrates have been a lifesaver to me when it comes to maintaining a sense of normalcy in a life that in a lot of cases isn’t the norm.
Respectfully submitted by C.C.
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