In Our Client’s Words
When I found out I needed a long overdue surgery to repair years of damage to my shoulder, the idea of getting through recovery while being a mom of two young kids and working a demanding job sounded impossible. I wasn’t scared to go into surgery itself, because I knew I couldn’t live with a shoulder that dislocated with the slightest breeze. (That might be a slight exaggeration, but you get my point.) It wasn’t necessarily the pain that scared me, either. It was the idea of needing to rely on heavy narcotic medicine and somehow still manage my daily life.
I had been on heavy painkillers a few years back when I got my wisdom teeth out, and it was like someone removed most of my brain. I was confident in the moment that I was a fully functioning adult, but looking back I was far from it. I knew that pain killers weren’t going to be a possibility this time around. So I started looking at options.
A good friend of mine suggested I think about getting a medical marijuana card, and I think my first reaction was to laugh. I hadn’t thought about marijuana since I was in high school, and the idea of getting back into that as a 30-year-old mom sounded ridiculous, whether it was for a good reason or not. The image for the girl from the old “Above the Influence” TV commercial kept running through my mind – you know, the one where she melted into the couch looking completely two-dimensional because she’s so high.
I expressed my reaction and concerns to her and she assured me that it was nothing like that. She had gotten a medical marijuana card last year for anxiety, and she explained that I would probably just start with an edible so it would help me sleep, and if that went all right then I could try using medical marijuana during the daytime to manage my pain after surgery. I told her I’d take it under consideration.
As my surgery date approached, I discussed pain management options with my surgeon, and he suggested the same thing. He told me to look up medical cannabis card clinics and see what I think.
I decided to give it a chance, and when I got home, I opened up an incognito browser (legal or not, googling the word marijuana still felt strange) and looked up cannabis card clinics near me.
I found The Natural Medicine Clinic of Utah (NMC Utah) and after reading through their website, I was intrigued enough to make an appointment.
The beautiful, professional upscale building I walked into when I showed up for my appointment was very different than what I had imagined. I met with their team and discussed the reason I came in, and we chatted casually while they got to know me. I then went back and met with their on staff doc, aka their “qualified medical professional” (QMP for short). She was just as professional and courteous. Throughout this whole process, I never once felt pressured into anything or like I was being sold to. They genuinely cared about my well-being and figuring out what would be best for me.
When the appointment finished up, they gave me some instructions on the next steps in order to get my official medical marijuana card. It wasn’t hard at all. There was a small waiting period while the state of Utah processed my application they had sent in, and afterwards I had to check back on their website and pay a small fee.
Compared to all the pre-surgery insurance authorization paperwork I had to figure out, the whole process with NMC Utah was a piece of cake.
After I got my official card, the team at NMC Utah advised me to stop by the dispensary and pick up some product before surgery so that I wouldn’t have to worry about it afterward. I would have had absolutely no idea where to start, but they had given me all sorts of recommendations on what to start with, what to avoid, what dosages to look for, and more. I felt completely comfortable and prepared when going in.
I purchased some edible gummies, and a little dropper of a THC & CBD blend (a “tincture”). After surgery, these were an absolute lifesaver. When I got home, I was on the painkillers that the doctor prescribed for me for a couple of days, but as soon as I could, I switched over to medical marijuana and never looked back. Because of all the education and knowledge that the team at NMC Utah gave me, I was able to adequately douse myself and know what to expect. At night time, I would take half of a gummy and an hour later, head to bed for a solid night of sleep. During the daytime, I opted for the tincture, at just half the dosage listed on the bottle. After a few weeks, I was mostly healed, and I found myself using the products a lot less.
Throughout this entire time, the team at NMC Utah followed up with me by email and phone, and they even checked on me after surgery to see how I was healing. I couldn’t have asked for a better support team.
I hope I’m done having surgery for a while, but next time I won’t hesitate to start with NMC Utah. They made a world of difference!
