In the fall of 2016 after a routine annual exam and ordered blood tests by my physician, I was referred to a urologist to follow up on an extremely elevated PSA blood level. As most of us experience with medical appointments, it can take an inordinate amount of time to be seen by a specialist. Following the return from an absolutely transformational trip my wife and I took to Israel in January of 2017, I was finally able to get into see the Urologist a month later. A biopsy was scheduled and subsequently performed. Within a couple of weeks, my wife and I were sitting in the Urologist’s office to hear the news, which we both quite honestly had suspected, although were doing our best to not fixate on.
Although we both knew intellectually that prostate cancer is one of the more curable of the cancers, hearing the diagnosis spoken aloud felt like a physical blow to the chest that took our breath away. The treatment options were well articulated and in light of the numeric rating of the cancer, surgery was determined to be the best treatment option.
I am so thankful to share that my surgery approximately a month after the diagnosis resulted in a “cancer free” declaration! In addition to a number of the predictable postoperative side effects from surgery, I was quite surprised at how much my sleep was negatively impacted and the resulting low energy levels throughout my day. So what does all of this have to do with CBD you’re probably asking? Approximately six months after my surgery a good friend of mine, Dr. Gary Gettlefinger, a pain management physician and interventional anesthesiologist here in Bloomington, Indiana, introduced me to the CBD product.
I can honestly say that the morning he pulled me aside in one of the hallways at our church and began sharing with me how incorporating the CBD into his practice had been making a significant impact in the lives of many of his patients, I was initially skeptical. He elaborated on how many of his patients who were dealing with multiple issues including chronic pain, spinal disorders, fibromyalgia, and excessive opioid use, were reporting significant benefits. My reaction, as has been the case of many of the people I have shared with over the last year and a half, was not only one of skepticism but one of a clear misunderstanding between the CBD originating from the hemp plant versus what many mistakenly think of as medical marijuana. I was certainly operating from a misunderstanding of the two distinctive species of cannabis and needed to be educated myself on the distinctive differences.
Once I understood that the CBD derived from the hemp plant had virtually no measurable THC in it (the primary psychoactive component of marijuana) I felt comfortable in exploring the potential medical and health related benefits associated with this remarkable plant. Needless to say having a trusted friend such as Gary who is also highly skilled and knowledgeable in his medical practice was of great benefit in helping me to embrace the Hemp derived CBD oil as a viable nutritional supplement with proven health supportive benefits. For this I will be forever grateful to my good friend!
When I started using the Hemp derived CBD oil, I experienced a radical transformation in my restorative sleep and consequently a dramatic increase in my energy level throughout the day! I have also personally experienced a decrease in some of the spine related radicular pain I’ve had as well as some lowering of my blood pressure. While I certainly make no claims that the Hemp derived CBD oil can cure, heal, or diagnose disease, I can without question say I have appreciated very significant health supportive benefits from taking this supplement on a daily basis for the last 17 months. So much so in fact that soon after experiencing for myself it’s benefits, I decided to become a brand ambassador enabling me to distribute the CBD oil. This has opened up the opportunity for me to share this supplement with numerous friends, family members, colleagues, and patients. While I remain delighted when I hear positive feedback of how the CBD has helped so many people, I am no longer surprised as this has become the norm.
You may be asking yourself with so many different brands and varieties of CBD in the marketplace, which is the best one to use? A little over a week ago from Thursday through Sunday as a vendor at the Bloomington Indiana Homebuilders Show I spent nearly 24 hours both being asked and responding numerous times to this question. I could honestly have answered quite simply by saying, “The one that I sell of course”! However I am so appreciative of the sincere interest that people have in asking these questions and their desire to be more educated about CBD, that a simplistic answer like that would certainly seem self-serving and obviously inadequate. In part two of this blog, I will do my best to answer this question.
Enjoy.Enrich.Engage.