Medical Cannabis Update-Week Three

I promised I would give a weekly update on our journey with medical cannabis for our severely autistic son. We are 21 days in!

In Minnesota, medical cannabis was legalized for autism in July 2018. The program is regulated by the state of Minnesota. You can read more HERE about how we got started.

Want to know if medical cannabis is legal for autism in your state?  Click HERE.

After getting a prescription from his doctor and jumping through all the hoops, we started him on the lowest dose possible. Our dispensary offers three blends of medical cannabis. Think of it as three strengths. We started with the lowest.

Our goal with medical cannabis has always been to reduce his extreme anxiety, help him be calm, calm his brain and body, and help him to sit and be present in the world around him.

Here is a high level overview of the results we’ve seen over the last week. As always, I encourage you to watch the video. I go into greater detail.

In week one we saw a reduction in anxiety and in week two we saw so much improvement around engagement. This week was all about our family. For the first time EVER, Jamie and I talked about the future with excitement and hope for our family. You know that feeling of walking on eggshells? We’ve lived it for seven years. It’s disappearing.

• We took Cooper on a boat ride, which is one of his favorite activities to do. Unfortunately, typically, his anxiety is so high that the things that bring him the most joy also cause him the most stress. This means that waiting to go in the boat is stressful for him. The morning of is awful. Getting ready is stressful. Driving in the car is a nightmare. If we stop anywhere or make a ‘wrong’ turn he gets very upset. Also, he has no understanding of safety on the dock or in the boat. And when he is done, he is done. This means the whole family is done. We leave immediately.
  But on this trip, with medical cannabis in our corner, Cooper had the absolute BEST DAY EVER. He was calm leading up to the boat ride, we made a stop for gas, he walked safely, he rode safely, he swam, boated, swam, boated and even took a rest when he got tired. He sat. He smiled and laughed. For the first time, Jamie and I spoke about next summer with hope and excitement. Maybe we can do more! Go on boat trips. Take him camping. Join our community. And not have every day fueled by his anxiety.
• Cooper is sitting all the time now. Prior to medical cannabis he probably sat 15 minutes a day…tops. He sits now. He sits by us on the couch.This means that Jamie and I now sit. We aren’t constantly following him around and keeping him safe. We sit as a family. We watch TV. We read books. This has never happened before.
• Jamie and I have been commenting daily about how calm our house is now. The doors are not locked. The bathtubs aren’t being filled with stuff. The beds aren’t being stripped. His hoarding piles have been cut drastically. It’s like living with a new kid in a way.
• I’ve noticed amazing improvements in eye contact and awareness. He’s super engaged and will respond to questions. He is noticing his surroundings.
• He is sleeping in! For Cooper, sleeping in is until seven AM. I’ll take it though.
• You know that feeling of walking on eggshells? Our family has felt it for years. Our world revolves around autism, behaviors, triggers and what our son can and can’t do. It’s a hard way for families to live. That feeling is starting, slowly, to go away. We see hope in the future. And it’s life changing.

I share so much more in the video!

https://www.facebook.com/findingcoopersvoice/videos/924750594390192/

I plan to update weekly on Cooper’s progress. Check back!

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Finding Cooper’s Voice is a safe, humorous, caring and honest place where you can celebrate the unique challenges of parenting a special needs child. Because you’re never alone in the struggles you face. And once you find your people, your allies, your village….all the challenges and struggles will seem just a little bit easier. Welcome to our journey. You can also follow us on Facebook and subscribe to our newsletter.