Episode 423: Cannabis Saved Her From The Pain Of Numerous Genetic Medical Conditions

Welcome to Cannabis Health Radio, a podcast where we share stories from people around the world who are using cannabis as medicine. The information is meant to raise awareness about the health benefits of cannabis, which should not be taken as medical advice. Now, here are your hosts, Ian Jessup and Corey Yelland.

Welcome to the Cannabis Health Radio podcast. I'm Ian Jessup.

And I'm Corey Yelland.

Today we have a truly extraordinary story to share with you. A story of unimaginable pain, resilience, and the transformative power of cannabis. Our guest has faced a series of excruciating health challenges over the years, and her journey has been marked by relentless pain and an overwhelming dependence on painkillers. Ten years ago, she had 14 of her top teeth pulled in one go. And the pain was beyond words. And the medication she was prescribed turned her into a shadow of herself. And she described those days as living like a zombie. And here to tell her story from Washington State is Lisa Fragozo. Lisa, thanks for doing this. We very much appreciate you.

Thank you for having me.

Lisa, can you tell me what was the problem with your teeth that required them all to be pulled?

It stems from a few of my medical disorders, which is Ehlers Danlos syndrome, as my body doesn't produce collagen as well. And also autonomic nervous system disorder, along with a lot of the medication I was on. I was on 30 plus pills a day and my teeth just started to crumble.

30 pills a day?

Yes.

Yeah. When you sent us some information on some of your issues, I couldn't even pronounce some of them.

It took me a while to learn how to pronounce them as well.

Yeah. I had to look them up on the Internet and I thought, how the hell do you pronounce that? Are these all genetic issues?

Yes, they are. My children have them as well.

Oh, no. Wow. So take us back to the day you went in to get your teeth pulled and tell us what that was like.

It was very scary. The trip down there to. I had to go to Seattle and I had to go to the university. Being in the area I live in, there wasn't providers who could do it. Also, I needed to be under safe watch because of the anesthesia. They did put me out to extract the 14 teeth on top. Two of them were fused to the bone, and I was concerned. I was worried, especially with the disorders I've had that I have with.

And when you. When you had them pulled and. And you woke up, tell us about that.

Well, you're pretty loopy when you wake up out of that. So in at least the drive home, I was numb. It was once I got home, that was not once the numbing started wearing off. It was such excruciating pain that even the medication the doctors prescribed to me did not touch it. I could not lay my head down. I couldn't sleep. Of course, eating was out of the question at the time, other than anything liquid. Luckily, in Washington state, it was legal for cannabis at the time. And I was able to get a cookie that was from the dispensary, and I had to soak it in milk to be able to consume it. That was what turned my life around on cannabis, because that was the only thing that allowed me to lay my head down on a pillow to be able to close my eyes and get rest. And we all know after surgery, you need to have rest to be able to heal. And cannabis helped me get there.

Now, when they sent you home, did they give you a bunch of painkillers?

Oh, yes. They gave me oxycodone, Tylenol, the strong Tylenol prescribed. And I am unable to take any NSAIDs because I've had gastric bypass and I have a small pouch as a stomach. So there are certain medications I'm unable to take when it comes to narcotics. They mess my internal system up pretty badly, and the cannabis does not do that.

Now, when you. How many pharmaceuticals in total were you taking every day?

30 pills a day.

30 pills a day? For how long? How long were you taking 30 pills a day?

Five years.

And what. What were these pills for, Lisa? Like, what were they to treat specifically?

Please, they were to treat it. I never was one who wanted to take medication, prescription medication. It wasn't until I had lost my spouse and I went into a very bad depression. And that is when a psychiatrist started to prescribe me depression medication. And that's when that. The whole pill process started. I was also on medication for my bladder to be able to empty, for my bowels, for neuropathy, my heart, my blood pressure, thyroid, and the list just went on. I had a travel bag that you would take on an airplane full of pills that I had to take everywhere with me just in case anything happened. They had me on Adderall as well. Gabapentin was another one. Lamictal was another one. So many different ones that it would help one issue and then it would cause another issue. It was to the point, you know.

Lisa, listening to you, I think, was there anything in your body that was working properly?

No, not at all. It Affected my kidneys. I had bowel obstructions from all of this. It was relentless, the constant battle with my health through that time. Being on all that medication, one party, my body would fail, and then the other, and then the other. And it was very scary. And when you read the. When I first learned my diagnosis and started reading upon them, it was scary as could be, thinking I could pass as a young mother because of all these illnesses. But when they started compiling all the medication on top of it to help, it made things even worse. It wasn't to help. It was a hindrance.

Lisa, in the notes that you sent, let me go through some of them so people get an idea of some of the issues that were impacting you negatively. Eds. What is eds?

It is Ehlers Danlos syndrome, which is a connectivity disorder. Your. My body does not produce collagen like it should, so I am extremely flexible. My joints can pop out of their position. Air, the. The humidity in the air, the wetness in the air all affects my joints. We go. And I can go into flares where it can anywhere from a day to weeks to months at a time.

Wow. The other one is. I'm going to mispronounce this. Probably dis. Dis. Autonomia.

Correct. Which is also. They call it autonomic nervous system disorder. Whereas we have two nervous systems. The central, you can tell your body what to do. The autonomic you cannot, which is all your organs. They all malfunction within me, which is pretty scary.

And the next one is POTS P O, T S. Yes. What is that?

That is postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome. So I would. What it would do to me when I would stand up from a sitting position or a lying position, I would get very dizzy. I could be walking through a hallway and all of a sudden get this dizzy spell where I would need to grab onto the wall and stop in my tracks. Or I could pass out. Things would start to spin and start to go black. And that was a very scary situation. It took the doctors five years to finally diagnose me with that. Then get it under control.

The other one is neuropathy.

Yes.

Which you mentioned earlier.

Yes. I have neuropathy through my hands and my feet and up into my knees. From my feet to my knees. And I also have it within my neck.

And what does that cause?

A lot of tingling, numbness, burning sensations. I can drop things easily, especially if I'm weak. If my hands are weak, I tend to drop things. Wait, so what's the neuropathy from the neuropathy is from. That is part of my doing. When I had the gastric bypass, I did not take the vitamins and B12 and vitamin D like the doctors had prescribed for four years. And the impact on that was the neuropathy.

Okay, in those. In those four diseases, ailments that isn't. If that isn't enough, you say in the notes and the list goes on, do you have lots more?

I have migraines, I have arthritis, I have osteoarthritis. I have issues with my eyes. The autonomic stuff affects the eyes as well. Cannabis, however, has slowed down that the process. In my eyes, it used to be where I needed checkups every six months and a change in prescription. But since starting cannabis, I've only had to change the prescription one time in 10 years.

That is amazing. When did all of these ailments start to affect you? Were you a child at the time?

They did affect me as a child, but as my parents thought it was just growing pains or my parents thought I was being a hypochondriac at times. But as we look back on it, it's genetic, and it didn't actually come out until after the gastric bypass. Sometimes with these genetic disorders, such as autonomic nervous system disorder, the doctors explained to me that it can be dormant within your system, but until you go through a traumatizing issue such as the gastric bypass, it can make it come out. And that is what they explained to me that happened.

Boy, it must have been tough for you just to go on from day to day with all of these issues popping up.

It most certainly was. It put me in a very big depression for five years. Being on the medication, it affects your mood. And I lost out on five years of my life with my kids. All I wanted to do was sleep and pretty much hide from everyone.

And you say your kids have the same thing?

Yes, they do. Both my daughters and they are both adults now. One is almost 30 and the other one is 24.

Do they have a lot of symptoms?

Yes, they do. My youngest is pregnant currently, and her first pregnancy, she had a very hard delivery and she is due at the end of next month. And she's having issues with the baby right now, so we're hoping they can get it fixed and she'll have an easier delivery this time.

Do either of them use cannabis?

My oldest lives in a state where she is unable to, and my youngest lives here and she used to use cannabis, but she no longer does. She had a very Bad reaction at one point in time and now she has anxiety over it.

Lisa, let's go back to the day you had your teeth removed and you were in excruciating pain. And then you got this cannabis cookie dipped in milk to soften it. And tell us exactly what happened to you as a result of consuming that.

After consuming. Well, I was happy because cannabis is definitely a mood elevator. But the relief of the pain was incredible. It amazed me and blew my mind that in a few bites of a cookie compared to a pill of many milligrams, that cookie took the pain away. I was able to sleep. I was able to put my head on a pillow and actually rest. It also helped with the inflammation within my gums. And in the healing process, I continued on with the cookie because it was a bigger one and I only took a small portion, not knowing how it would affect me. And then after that I was. I knew cannabis had to be within my life on an everyday basis, and it has been since then.

Do you recall how strong this, your first cookie was?

Well, in this state it would have had to. I. We only have the strongest as 100 milligrams a piece. I don't recall exactly how much it was as it was many 10 years ago.

Right. Did you eat the entire cookie or just a piece?

No, just a small piece. About an eighth of the cookie was all I ate for the first time. I did not want to green myself out, not knowing exactly what it was going to do to me.

Right. When you use cannabis now, what way, in what way do you use it and do you have a particular regime or does that change with your day?

Or depending. There's two different forms that I like to consume. THC would be one that I typically use at nighttime in an edible form. I make my own. And if it's during the day, I prefer CBD and CBG combination one to one. And I normally put those in an edible of some sort, whether it be gummy or hard candy or a nougat, something of that nature. And just all I need is one at night and I sleep wonderfully and wake up refreshed. And I wouldn't say pain free, but I am able to get through a very long day without being in excruciating pain.

It's remarkable what this has done for you. I guess you could title this that's the way the cookie crumbles.

Exactly.

Have you noticed that your tolerance level over the years has increased?

Yes, most definitely. I typically consume about 100 milligrams at night. When I started out at very small, probably 10 milligrams at a time, I don't see it as a bad thing. I see it as my body just needs a little bit more to get through each and every night and each and every day.

Corey, she's becoming hardcore.

Hardcore all the way. That's Lisa.

That's right.

I really like that CBD CBG combination, too, Lisa. I use it every day.

It's wonderful. And if I really need it to pair it together at night with the thc, I get a night of sleep where I don't toss and turn for nothing. And so refreshed when I wake up.

Nice.

Well, that's interesting, Corey. Tell us more about that, because I didn't know that you took that.

The cbd, cbg. I take it every night. I also, more often than not, probably 99.9% of the time, are suggesting it with cancer patients as well, if they're able to do it as sort of an adjunct to suppositories. So that combination of cbd, CBG can be a bit of a mood elevator, too, because it's good. Not in a THC kind of way, but it's good at reducing anxiety. And I don't have anything to be anxious about in my life right now.

Absolutely not.

And that combination could be really good at reducing inflammation, which of course then reduces pain. But I love the combination. There's just something about it. I really, really love it. I can. I can give you some to try if you want.

Yeah, sure. At least try to do bbg, but.

Yeah, I'm all over that, Lisa. I can get why you like that. That's for sure.

I had not heard of CBG until about two years ago, and then once a friend had told me about it, so I figured I'd give it a try. And I found a company out of Oregon that is fabulous and has a really good program, too, for people who need assistance. They have an assistance program. So if you're low income, there is help through their company to be able to afford their products.

What a great idea.

So how much of that do you do a day? The CBD, CBG a day.

It is typically 100 milligrams of each.

Okay. So that's. Yeah. All right. I'm doing 2000. Just.

We all have our different levels that we need.

That's right. Exactly. And everybody's different. You're so right about that, Lisa.

Correct.

Lisa, do the doctors who prescribe the pharmaceuticals to you, are they aware of your cannabis consumption?

Yes, they are. I make them all aware, and they just get. They don't necessarily encourage, but they just say, keep doing what you're doing because something's going right.

Yeah. Now, you were on 30 pills a day for five years. How many are you on today?

Four. Four pills. Four.

Okay. Yeah, we just had a little break in network. Did you say four?

Four. Yes.

Four pills a day.

Okay.

Now, with your. With your children having the same issues that you do, are. Are they on pharmaceuticals as well?

My oldest is. Yes. She is on a plethora of pharmaceuticals. And honestly, it makes me sad to see her, to see even pictures of her, because I see it in her face of how medicated she is. And it's on a. To me, because of the path I'm on. I see it as an unhealthy way for her, but she is in a state where it's illegal, and she also has special needs, so she lives in a group home, and she wouldn't be able to probably consume it there anyway. It's very hard. She was out here visiting two years ago, and it was even hard to see, you know, to watch her every day and how the medication slows her down completely.

Yeah. It's one thing to talk about other people, but when it's. When it's your children, that's. And you see them deteriorating, that's really, really tough.

Yes, it is. It's heartbreaking. And I see a lot of my old self in her because she hides in her room as I once did.

Now, when you say she hides in the room as you once did, when did you start hiding in your room? At what age were you?

I was 32, 33.

Well, pretty close to her age.

Yes.

Is any of the genetic issues that you face and you've talked about how you've reduced your pills from 30 a day to only 4, is there any way that the cannabis can. I don't want to say eliminate, because there are genetic issues, but relieve the issues so they don't crop up ever again. Because in the first part of your life, you didn't have them. Right. Until you had the gastric bypass.

Correct. The cannabis has. It alleviated them, but it keeps the issues under control. I no longer have the problems with my bowels that I once did. They used to not function correctly. I could go two weeks without having a bowel movement. I no longer have that issue because I'm off of all the pharmaceuticals except for the four. And cannabis keeps me on a regulated system with it. The last four pills I'm on, unfortunately Cannabis doesn't help with those issues as it's. I have tachycardia and I have low blood pressure and those two pills that I'm on, two of them help with that issue. The other pill I'm on is one that helps with excessive sweating because my body does not control its temperature, so I sweat excessively. Cannabis doesn't help with that either.

What's the lowest point that you, you had in your, your health journey?

Not wanting to be here, not wanting to continue on. I always told myself I've had suicide within my life through family members and I always told myself I could not do that to my kids or my siblings. But the thought does cross your mind when you're at a very low stage in life with your health.

Did you ever come close?

I had it planned out, thought wise, just never took it to another step.

Yeah, we had an interview last week with a woman who was in Vegas and she thought of taking her life because of some serious health issues and cannabis turned her life around. And it looks like cannabis has really turned your life around. So do you ever get those dark thoughts now?

No, not at all. I live every day being grateful. Grateful to be here, grateful to be able to help others. Grateful for what I have and my health now because it is so much better than what it used to be.

You've got a great attitude.

Thank you. It took a lot of work to get here.

Yeah. A lot of pharmaceuticals and I mean, you have to go through hell to get to the other side, right?

Yes, you do. And I most certainly did.

I think it was Winston Churchill said that if you're going through hell, keep going.

Yeah. There's a light at the end of the tunnel. Yeah.

Yeah. No, I think you. I mean, I don't. Corey, I can't recall us interviewing anyone who's had as many ailments as Lisa. Can you?

No, I don't know that we have. Not ones as impactful as that. Holy crow. Lisa, did you say that you have a grandchild already?

I do, I do. I have a 2 year old granddaughter. She'll be 3 in October.

Can I ask if she's got this as well? Like, will this continue to be passed down? Is this kind of like Huntington's that way where you've got to stop, literally stop producing to break that chain? Or is this not necessarily a genetic thing?

It can. It more than likely she'll have. Can be passed down. They haven't tested my grandbaby yet as she's still very young. But yes, it can be passed down, hoping it's not, but through time will tell.

Yeah, Lisa, what in conclusion, what would you like to say to folks who, you know, are somewhat skeptical about the benefits of cannabis, but I think you are really a testament to how cannabis has really turned your life around. What? Any thoughts? In conclusion?

My my suggestion is for anyone who hasn't ever tried cannabis or who maybe thinks of it as a bad drug, do your research, read upon it, talk to people who have actually used it for beneficial purposes. It's not a bad thing. It really truly isn't. And getting off of pharmaceuticals can help your body heal. Cannabis is a plant that was put here for us to be able to use and given to us by our creator. If you start and you want to try it, start out slow, start out at a very low dose and increase it as time goes on, that would be my suggestion. But definitely do your research.

Yeah. Well said Lisa. Thanks for doing this and we wish you all the best in the future.

Thank you so much for having me.

Thank you Lisa.

Thank you Corey.

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