A simple internet search for cannabis patient stories will provide you with countless heart-wrenching anecdotes surrounding those who have found a new quality of life through cannabis. As cannabinoid therapies continue to become more accessible and less stigmatized, many medical patients struggling to heal via traditional methods have gone green to treat their conditions. One of those patients is Shanie Cognevich of Louisiana, otherwise known as Super Madre.
In her early twenties, Cognevich was in an auto accident in which a faulty airbag exploded and left her with minimum vision. After botched brain surgery in 2010, she woke up entirely blind and had to be trained to utilize a cane by the Lighthouse for the Blind. Despite her lack of sight, Cognevich’s utilization of cannabinoid therapies allowed her to see significantly enough to perform her everyday tasks, such as tending to her organic garden and cooking meals for her family. Although she is still clinically blind, she’s been able to maintain a good quality of life through her use of medical cannabis.
The brain surgery Cognevich underwent was meant to remove a brain tumor that had been growing for 30 years and was blocking the flow of spinal fluid to the brain. Unfortunately, the surgery went awry, and Cognevich’s tumor was never removed from her head. Even after an aggressive form of radiation therapy, the tumor grew significantly in just a year. When doctors gave Cognevich only six months to live, she knew she needed to take her life into her own hands–otherwise, her family would soon be making funeral plans. Cognevich refused any more radiation or chemotherapy treatments and instead began treating herself with cannabis oils.
Within four months, an MRI showed that Cognevich was able to completely eliminate the brain tumor that had only continued to grow with modern therapies. Since 2012, she has kept the tumor at bay with one gram of cannabis oil a day. Cognevich also takes cannabis tinctures and smokes high-THC cannabis flower, which only became a legal consumption method in Louisiana with the recent passing of an amendment. Despite the great strides Cognevich has made with her health in the past decade, she continues to suffer from a number of serious medical ailments. Thanks to cannabis, she reports that she has been able to cut out over 20 pharmaceuticals and efficiently treat a long list of conditions, some of which you can see below:
One of the most impactful conditions Cognevich continues to endure is Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome, which emerged after damage was done to the area of her brain that triggers vomiting during her faulty surgery. Every single day, Cognevich fights to keep food and liquids in her body due to medical malpractice. Armed with plant medicine, she continues to win this fight one battle at a time. For Cognevich, cannabis has been more than a simple medical treatment; it has given her hope and relief on a daily basis, as well as the opportunity to continue making memories with her family.
When Cognevich is feeling well enough, she spends time in her garden, where she grows flowers, succulents, herbs, and more. She enjoys cooking Cajun food for her family and educating others about cannabis and other natural lifestyle choices. As a mental and physical health advocate, Cognevich promotes legal access to cannabis as well as a healthier food chain for all.
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