heal
heal
Overcoming Pain and Stigma :
Pam Edgar
by David Owen Rama
Despite suffering chronic pain , PTSD , and MS , Pam Edgar hesitated to trade her prescribed cocktail of meds for cannabis due to the stigma associated with it . This is her story of education , acceptance , and relief .
Though small in stature , Pam Edgar is big in personality . “ Don ’ t use my whole name ; no one calls me Pamela .
I still haven ’ t grown into that one yet ,” the Vancouver Island resident says playfully as she offers me a stool in her living room . It ’ s a cozy , womb-like space , intentionally bathed in low light and alive with the trill of her pet birds . Now 56 , Edgar has been managing chronic pain and trauma-related symptoms since she was a teenager . “ I was in a motor vehicle accident in 1975 ,” she says . “ I was on the back of a motorcycle and I got hit by a car . I sustained four compound fractures , a severed femoral artery , and a broken pelvis . My left foot was up around my left ear .” Initial recovery from the accident stole a year from her life . When she reemerged into society to resume her Grade 10 studies , she remained highly medicated on a wide assortment of opioids , analgesics , and anti-inflammatories . Over time , Edgar was diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder ( PTSD ) and prescribed antidepressants . Soon enough , she noticed her perception and ability to think logically had become greatly impeded . Since she had not suffered any brain injuries in the accident , she came to attribute these cognition issues to her highly medicated state . Struggling with her condition and the debilitating side effects of the drug treatments , Edgar shared her concerns with a few people close to her . This is how she was introduced to cannabis as a potential medicine .
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