The Blogging Platypus

TW/CW: Sexual assault, drug abuse, suicide Hmmm, where to start? There’s a song that says that the beginning is a very good place to start, so that’s what I’ll do. I was born and grew up. The end. Lol. I am still growing. I came into this world in this current form during the Summer of 1977 in the San Francisco Bay Area. So, that makes me...carry the 8...42! I thought that my early 40s would be different, but, alas, the Universe had other plans. Image via Pexels By the time I was 16, I had graduated from high school, was enrolled in community college (which would be the first of three degrees I would go on to earn), held a job as the Assistant Printer for the school district, had been through drug and alcohol rehab, and experienced my first sexual assault. What can I say, I like to get in as many experiences as possible. I obtained my AA Degree and my Emergency Medical Technician certification by the time I was 18. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do for a living at that ...

Some days are easier than others and, boy, today was a doozy. The day before was too. Sometimes it just feels as if the rough days keep piling up, back to back. Monday was full of annoyances, some little, others more significant. One of the more challenging aspects was that I found out just how much my doctors and VA clinic here in town think I matter to the world. See, they sat on repeated requests from the cardiologist for more information and notes to why I needed an echocardiogram. Since the requests were ignored, the referral for services that were started by my geneticist were rescinded, but the insurance company failed to inform the cardiologist or myself that the appointment was not going to be covered. That also means that the echocardiogram that I was to have this week will not be happening. I was also lied to and gaslighted by the VA nurse who called me to let me know that both sides of my body didn’t need to be tested during the nerve conduction test I had done earl...

Living with chronic pain that is not adequately addressed by traditional pharmaceutical medications means that we often look to alternative treatments for relief. Aside from gentle stretching, doing the best I can with stress management (a perpetual struggle), and warm Epsom salt baths, I use cannabis to help me to have some semblance of life. For those who have not ventured into the world of cannabis, there are several different strains that can be helpful in mitigating the often debilitating pain that chronic pain patients experience, often on a daily basis. I like having a variety, as I use cannabis as my medicine cabinet, in a sense. Here in Colorado, where recreational cannabis is legal, there are several dispensaries in our area. Just avoid the touristy areas, because those often have higher prices, which do not necessarily mean that you are getting a better product. We typically pick up $5 grams, along with 10 pre-rolls, which typically lasts us two weeks or so. Medicine tha...