This is part of our CBD For All series, where we share customer stories that inspire and move us. Over the next few months, we’ll sit down with a handful of customers and share how Lazarus Naturals helps them live a healthier, more complete daily life. These are real customers, sharing real stories. We didn’t directly pay or ask customers to alter their stories — though we did thank them with store credit.
Jessica’s medical history is a complicated and frustrating one, beset with injuries, dismissive doctors, failed surgeries, and lots of emotional and physical pain.
She’s quick to laugh at how hard the last decade has been for her. It’s how she copes, knowing that the truth — if not laughed at — is painful to face on its own.
The health issues started with a freak accident while on a birthright trip to Israel in 2012, when she slipped and fell. She thought little of the lingering pain in her lower back until it all but immobilized her.
Jessica’s doctor initially dismissed the injury, until scans showed that her spine was dangerously close to slipping beyond repair. Ultimately, she was diagnosed with Cauda equina syndrome - a rare, severe condition that affects a bundle of nerves at the lower spine. If not corrected, the syndrome can lead to paralysis.
Jessica’s path to pain management has been a lesson in preservation, and a testament to her strength, determination, and self-advocacy. Jessica had eight surgeries over the last 11 years to try and repair or limit the pain in her spine from previous surgeries, a car accident, and chronic nerve damage. She ultimately received a complex surgery to minimize the pain from the nerves in her spine, and follows a robust daily regimen to help manage her needs and keep pain at bay.
An important piece of this regimen includes Lazarus Naturals CBD Muscle Gel.
"I use the muscle gel a lot," she said. "It's sporadic throughout the day, but when I'm in a lot of pain, I'll put that on and it works for a few hours, which is amazing because I've never experienced a product like this that works for more than 5 minutes. So I keep that on me pretty much at all times."
These days, Jessica’s able to walk her dog, hang with friends, and go to the local farmer’s market when she’s not nannying part-time. The fact that she’s able to work at all is a testament to how far she’s come.
Jessica is a member of the Lazarus Naturals Assistance Program, which enables her to get the high doses she needs. She credits the program as a big reason she can avoid addictive and intoxicating pharmaceuticals for daily maintenance.
“(It) is the only way that I’m able to afford CBD as a disabled person,” she said. “ I was able to get off of pain medication entirely and CBD is now part of my everyday routine.”