I realized a few weeks ago that it has been 10 years since stopping full-time opioids. I was packing for a trip and going through my medication and looked at my bottle of the last prescription of 30mg Morphine ER (1 pill 2x a day). The date on the label is 2/2015.
I spent a long 2 months detoxing from this horrible med. I chose to stop cold-turkey and kept that very bottle with the remaining pills on my night-stand just in case I couldn’t do it. I sweated and shook. I ached. My bones felt like someone was squeezing them. The foul smell that came out of me was enough for me to remember for a lifetime and enough for me to promise myself that I will NEVER take these meds on a constant basis for the rest of my life. For two years, my body still registered pain at a higher level. Every day I chose not to take another pill. Every day for YEARS, I hurt. Even though I knew I had those pills and 100’s more that any doctor would gladly give me for my painful, chronic condition, I refused. People have told me how stubborn I am all my life, but I don’t see how that’s a bad thing. I knew that my body was full of toxins and I wanted it out of me.
I just had my first planned surgery since not being on opioids. I had a complete, reverse, right shoulder replacement. I wasn’t in the hospital being pumped full of meds involuntarily. I recovered at home. I was given 40, 5mg oxycodone. I barely took any of them. I did take some 40mg edibles each evening for the first 2 weeks. The pain was manageable. I was relaxed. I slept great. I’m now 6 weeks out and way ahead of schedule in the expected healing process. I feel great.
If your body is addicted to opioids, know that there is hope on the other side. Marijuana is a natural plant. The side-effects are almost non-existent. The damaging effects of opioids does go away in time. I am living proof. If I can do it, you surely can too!