Fibromyalgia
Lisa Robertson: Fibromyalgia Patient Journey
Fibromyalgia pain relief in the form of medical cannabis has changed Lisa Robertson’s life. Increasing awareness of medical cannabis and its immense potential to help millions of people suffering from the notoriously hard-to-treat illness is now her primary goal.
Lisa, 50, was diagnosed with fibromyalgia 24 years ago. There is widespread musculoskeletal pain, fatigue, sleep disturbances, and memory issues associated with the long-term condition. It is common for symptoms to flare up and then disappear.
Even grocery shopping left her fatigued and in discomfort as she lifted her arms above her head. At her worst moments, Lisa was just able to manage to work and clean her house.
“I did that for years and years. You don’t really have a quality of life at all; you’re just surviving,” she said.
“It affects your relationships, too because you can’t go and do the things that they want to do.”
There were hundreds of symptoms for Lisa, but the worst part was the pain and fatigue that made even the simplest tasks difficult.
A fibromyalgia symptom known as ‘fibro fog’ causes the senses to become dull and sluggish, impairing memory, alertness, and concentration. Patients often compare it to having a bad hangover, but all the time.
“It affects your mind, your body, everything. It’s just pain all the time,” Lisa said.
Her first daughter Abby is now 26, but she has only known her mum living with the difficult condition, as symptoms began after she was pregnant.
“She has grown up with it, so she’s seen me through the bad flare-ups for years, but it’s made her the person she is. She’s a very compassionate person,” she said.
Throughout the years of agony, Lisa’s daughter and the children she worked with daily in her job as a childminder kept her going.
“The doctors told me to give up work,” she said. “But I’ve always been in childcare and actually, the kids are the thing that kept me going. It was my only joy in life even though it could be horrendous to do it.”
"Excruciating pain"
Lisa has been prescribed a long list of prescription painkillers to help ease her symptoms of fibromyalgia. She has tried anticonvulsants like pregabalin and gabapentin, antidepressants like amitriptyline, and opioids like tramadol and codeine over the past two decades.
“I was on so many painkillers at once but they would literally just stop working,” she said. “It does get you through the day, but it doesn’t give you a quality of life because as soon as you sit down, that’s it, you’re done. You’re exhausted and still in excruciating pain.”
As a result, Lisa’s doctors wanted to prescribe her morphine, a highly addictive opiate that treats severe pain and is the basis for heroin.
Lisa came to an end to all of her painkillers after this turning point.
She made lifestyle changes such as doing yoga and taking short walks, which gradually helped her regain strength. Her friend introduced her to a new doctor who helped her reduce the number of pills she was taking.
Unfortunately, Lisa’s pain levels rose again during the Coronavirus lockdown.
“Doctors started prescribing me tablets but I didn’t want to go down that route again.” she said.
She kept researching until she found medical cannabis after being scared to return to taking strong painkillers.
Fibromyalgia pain relief: "A product that suits you"
Lisa eventually came across a private clinic that prescribed medical cannabis.
To access a prescription, she had to pass the screening process and meet all the requirements.
“The process was really easy,” Lisa said. “I had a Teams meeting with the doctor and once they had my medical reports and the questionnaire I had filled in online, that was it.”
“They determined what medication I should be on, and you’re prescribed a product that suits you and your worst issues.”
“Mine was fatigue and my muscles would seize up which meant I had to see an osteopath each week. So [my doctor] tailored it to me to help give me energy.”
Lisa took the week off work in case her medication “got her high” after her first dose of medical cannabis. Contrary to her expectations, Lisa spent the first day ticking off job after job from her to-do list.
She said: “I cleaned my loft, I organised the childminders, I built shelf units in my shed outside; usually 10 minutes would be me done, but I was at it for five hours. It was crazy.”
“It doesn’t do what you think cannabis is going to do; I literally just get energy from it.”
The positive impact on her life was immediate, says Lisa: “I’ve only had a prescription since the end of last year and I’ve not had pain since the day I started it.”
"I've got my life back"
After 24 years of her life being defined by a debilitating condition, Lisa has had a new lease on life. She has even taken her daughter on holiday abroad for the first time.
“I’ve been living day by day, so I didn’t really have a personality. You’re just trying to survive because every day is such a struggle,” said Lisa.
“I’m finding myself again and my personality. It’s really scary but exciting at the same time.”
She added: “I’ve got my life back. I’ve been on holiday with my daughter, something I’ve never been able to do before.”
“I’m currently 50 now, so I thought at what point do I do what’s right for me? If people aren’t happy with it, that’s okay,” Lisa said.
“I’ll look after the kids until they find someone else, I thought, but nobody did. Everybody was really amazing, but I know other people have not had the same response.”
She added: “People need this, it’s changed my life completely. If I had been given this 10 years ago I could’ve done so many things with my life.”
