Category: Health & Wellness

My entry-level forays into the modern maze of marijuana led me to products for managing pain after my second bout of cancer. The first cancer – ovarian – almost killed me. But the second – breast – resulted in long-term post-mastectomy pain.

Once I got pain under control, I was like, gee, what else might cannabis do? As I’ve aged, I don’t sleep all that well. I know, take a number. Right? I usually fall asleep quickly, but wake up and ruminate about everything imaginable. Sometimes I have to get up and make a list, just so I can “let it go.”

Enter our friend, cannabis. Here’s what I learned:

• There are three types of cannabis – Indica, Sativa and Hybrid. Indica promotes relaxation and sleep, while Sativa is more uplifting. Hybrids are somewhere in the middle.
• THC is the psychoactive component of cannabis, and THC can help you go to sleep.
• CBN is the non-psychoactive component of cannabis, and CBN can help you stay asleep.
• THC and CBN work better together.
• Herbals such as chamomile and lavender complement cannabis for enhancing sleep.
• If you smoke or vape cannabis for sleep, you’ll get faster results.
• If you ingest it, the process is slower, but you’ll probably stay asleep longer.

As I see it, edibles are the way to go. I’m a novice at all this, so I wanted to keep it simple. I had success with Kikoko Sympa-Tea tea for pain, so I went back to the well and purchased Tranquili-Tea, which has 5mg of CBN, 3mg of THC and lots of delicious complementary herbs. This product is unlikely to get you high.

Cannabis for sleep was revolutionary. For me, it’s the best night’s sleep ever. Even if I have to get up to pee, which is a given, I can go right back to sleep and wake up in the morning feeling refreshed. I don’t use it every night, mainly because I try to stretch out my supply, but I do enjoy a cup several nights a week. Sound sleep cannot be underestimated, and I’m hopeful good ZZZs will contribute to my strategy for living a long, healthy and happy life.

Here’s my routine: I make the tea and take it with me to bed. I read for awhile, and then I start to feel sleepy, I drink the tea. By this time, the tea isn’t hot anymore, but that doesn’t matter. It’s right there, and I don’t have to disrupt my rest pattern. I’ll read a little bit more and then zonk.

Kikoko is available in California. If you live where medical or recreational cannabis is legal, I encourage you to visit a dispensary and see what they stock that might produce the same effects. There is a lot of competition in this category! Hopefully, now you know what to look for. Of course, I’ll continue to seek out new products to review.

Please be especially careful with edibles. This is medicine. Make sure you know the potency of the product you choose. If you are unaccustomed to using cannabis, it’s easy to take too much. I’m a lightweight and find that even 10mg is too strong. I mean, nothing horrible happens if you overdo it, but you won’t like the way you feel. Start low and go slow!

As always, even if you are not a cannabis user, I encourage you to share this information and have discussions with older adults in your life who may find relief in medical marijuana.

I had no plans to try marijuana when I retired at age 62. Although I have a friend who uses it, I thought pot made him lazy. I was experiencing post-mastectomy pain and decided to get a medical marijuana card and purchase some cannabis-infused tea. The tea worked fabulously, and I started using cannabis in a sensible and mindful way on a regular basis.

Cannabis did NOT make me less productive – it turns out my friend was just lazy to begin with.

The first product I tried was Kikoko Sympa-Tea. I reviewed it here. Kikoko is a simple and delicious way to enjoy the benefits of cannabis, especially if you are new to marijuana. Still, you don’t always want tea, and I wondered if there were less expensive ways to get roughly the same effect.

Tincture.

For background, you can read my post introducing tincture, which is usually an alcohol-based extract. Most people put it under the tongue for immediate effect or in a beverage for slower onset. If you only use a little, you’re not going to feel much onset, and that’s the idea. Just a pleasant feeling that for me, eases pain and inflammation, quiets anxiety and lifts my mood.

Truth: I didn’t think I was depressed … maybe sort of bummed for no good reason. Although I felt good, I used to wonder what would make me crazy happy. It turns out small daily doses of cannabis washes away the negativity and leaves me feeling exceedingly happy for no good reason.

I learned that true happiness is a state of mind and not about what you have, where you travel or what you achieve. Some people come by inner happiness naturally, but those of us with baggage might need something like cannabis to unclutter our complex emotions and reveal the joy that lies within.

Most dispensaries sell tincture. A typical ½ ounce bottle runs about $45. My suggestion is to buy some and see how it works before purchasing a larger quantity of pot to make your own tincture at home.

An ounce of weed can run $350, but I did the math, and my DIY tincture is $1.71 per dose as opposed to dispensary tincture, which rolls in at $7.50 per dose.

I like to putter in the kitchen, but to make tincture, you are dealing with alcohol and open flame, and my retirement plans do not include burning down the house. I purchased a Magical Butter machine, which makes all this simple. It’s now selling for about $175 (look for online discount coupon codes). I did not include this one-time cost in my financial analysis. I also did not include the cost of the bottles, which were $10.99.

The hardest part was figuring out which strain of marijuana to use. I already had CBD Shark, which according to Leafly, “Offers an equal ratio of THC and CBD, a cannabinoid combination that helps patients treat an array of symptoms like pain, anxiety and inflammation without the overly intoxicating effects induced by many high-THC strains.” I bought more CBD Shark.

The recipe is spelled out in the Magical Butter owner’s manual, so I’ll just give you a general idea of what happens in case you want to try it or run screaming from the room.

First, you cook whole buds in the oven for a bit. I used a Corning casserole dish with a glass cover, and there were no odors in the house. The reasons for cooking it are complicated. It’s called decarboxylation, and I don’t really get it. I just do what I’m told. Then you add the buds and Everclear grain alcohol to the machine. There will be Everclear left over, so save it for next time or take it with you to the toga party.

The owner’s manual has instructions for temperature and timing — basically you push two buttons and let it go. The machine lights up (in a festive way) and makes crazy noises, but you don’t have to watch it every second. I just let it do its thing on the kitchen counter for several hours while I did stuff around the house.

When it’s done, strain it through a filter that comes with the machine and put it in dark glass bottles. I bought these on Amazon. It’s best kept in the fridge.

That’s it! You can also use the machine to make infused oils and butters and even chocolate, but I haven’t tried those yet.

Start slowly, perhaps just three drops in a beverage of your choice. Add another drop the next day, and the next day until you find your sweet spot. My daily dose is one dropperful in a little lemon-ginger shooter.

While not everyone who reads this will jump up and buy a bottle of cannabis tincture, I hope you will keep an open mind about mindful use for older adults trying to live happy and healthy lives. Do you have a loved one who might benefit from cannabis?

 

Getting older is a pleasure and a curse. On one hand, I’m thankful to be here, and actually, I’m having a pretty great time. On the other hand, it sucks to see yourself next to these fresh-faced millennials with their shiny thick hair and teeth that grew up on floss and Fluoride.

But that’s OK. My secret is to care less about how I look and more about how I feel. Please don’t get me wrong. I try to dress well and all that, but feeling wonderful totally surpasses wearing some snazzy new outfit every day.

Pain, stress, insomnia and anxiety can all impact our ability to feel wonderful as we age. I originally started using cannabis for pain, but as it happened, small doses relieved my anxiety, helped me sleep better and left me feeling happier than I knew was possible. I am amazed – is this how I was supposed to feel all along?

My go-to product is cannabis tincture, which is an alcohol-based extract. Tincture as medicine goes way back. Anecdotally, cannabis tincture or elixir was prescribed to Queen Victoria to relieve menstrual cramps. According to Joe Dolce, in his book Brave New Weed: Adventures into the Uncharted World of Cannabis, even the big drug companies used to sell it. Until the early 1900s, cannabis tincture was the primary form of pain killer in the United States. About that time, anti-marijuana prohibitions screwed the pooch on all that.

Happily, tincture is back and thriving where medical and recreational marijuana is legal. It’s perfect for people who can’t or don’t want to smoke it. My suggestion is to buy a bottle for around $40 at a dispensary. Tincture is made from all kinds of cannabis strains – if you’re not after the big high, look for something with CBD – the cannabinoid that has no psychoactive effects but can be a powerful anti-inflammatory, anti-depressant and sleep aid.

You can put the liquid under your tongue, and that’s a fast way to feel the effects, but it’s not much fun. Also, tincture can be made with vegetable glycerin or alcohol. Alcohol-based tincture burns like hell unless you mix it with something, such as a beverage. That’s what I do, and I feel the effects within 30 minutes.

Always go slow. Try three individual drops – not dropperfuls! To gauge effectiveness, I wait to see if I have a pleasant feeling and possibly a hint of a smile. If you don’t feel anything, gradually increase your dose until you reach the sweet spot.

My daily dose turned out to be one dropperful in a little juice shooter with breakfast. Doing this every day helped relieve my post-mastectomy pain and just overall makes me feel better … certainly less wired, as I tend to be. My husband says I am easier to live with, so that ought to account for something.

Even more good news – tincture is a whiz to make yourself – and way cheaper. My husband calls me Mr. White, but all jokes aside, cannabis is legal where I live, and tincture is safe and easy to make. Because I am an aging foodie, I add it to a delicious Meyer lemon and ginger juice I make myself, and it’s just a healthy and yummy way to start the day. I will let you know how to make tincture at home and share other recipes in future posts!

If you still have doubts about cannabis being safe and effective medicine , I encourage you to read up. Mr. Dolce’s book is an excellent start. Personally, I don’t want to grow old without a little cannabis in my life.

 

For those of you who aren’t into cannabis and are inclined to skip this post because you want to read more about aging badass and other fun retirement topics, WAIT! Please hang around for a minute or two, because cannabis may help you in ways you never thought possible.

As I was saying, I had no interest in marijuana until I read an article about Kikoko cannabis-infused tea. Kikoko caters to women who probably haven’t even thought about marijuana or how it might help them with middle-age maladies, and they certainly don’t want to smoke or get super stoned.

I had just retired and was still experiencing post-mastectomy pain from my 2015 procedure. Let’s just say, it hurts like hell when they amputate your breasts and remove lymph nodes, and for some of us, there’s long-term burning pain where they cut into the nerves.

Shortly after I read the article, I went online to HelloMD and got a medical marijuana card. I live in California, but HelloMD also helps with medical marijuana cards for other states where it’s legal. HelloMD was inexpensive and easy. I had a Skype-like interview with a doctor, who was incredibly well-informed about edibles and other new products in the maze of medical marijuana. You don’t have to smoke it, and you don’t have to get high.

There are tons of online resources for explaining cannabis and its medical benefits. Kikoko’s Proof section is excellent. The articles on HelloMD are also fantastic – I subscribe to their newsletter. I’m just learning about all this myself, so I’ll share the most rudimentary explanation.

• Cannabinoids are parts of the cannabis plant that interact with receptors in our bodies.
• Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is psychoactive, and it’s the cannabinoid that gets you high.
• Cannabidiol (CBD) has no psychoactive effects but can be a powerful anti-inflammatory, anti-depressant and sleep aid.
• Today’s marijuana strains are typically loaded with THC and not at all like the pot you may have smoked in high school. Let’s just say it’s a lot easier to get wasted these days.
• Low-dose cannabis – even with modest amounts of THC – won’t get you crazy high and can help with a cornucopia of ailments.

Since I list myself among those with a cornucopia of ailments, I signed up at Kikoko and provided them with my medical marijuana documents. My first purchase was Sympa-Tea, which is mostly CBD with a hint of THC. I was so excited when it was delivered to my doorstep. It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon, and I was at home with no place to go. No driving for sure!

First of all, the tea is delicious. It’s all natural with hints of orange and ginger. I added a little honey. After about 30 minutes, I could feel the corners of my lips cracking into a slight smile. That’s it for feeling stoned! But the happy vibe lasted for hours, and I had a great day. Here’s what I wrote to the company later in the evening:

“I received my tea today, and I made a cup of the Sympa-Tea. I am a 62-year-old two-time cancer survivor with post-mastectomy pain. I just had the best day. Such a pleasant little buzz but not really a buzz – just a feeling of wellness. I made soup, homemade marshmallows, I walked. I could feel pain but it was secondary to feeling great. I am so excited about this product.”

Some of us call this style of consuming cannabis microdosing. That’s my strategy, and continued microdosing has further eradicated the pain. Here’s the weird part – I’ve never thought of myself as depressed, but I’m a worry wart, so I guess that’s anxiety and perhaps a form of low-level depression. Regularly microdosing cannabis by drinking this tea and using other products I will talk about later – I am a happier and calmer person. Like, is this how I was supposed to feel all these years?

Better late than never.

California legalized recreational marijuana Jan. 1, and with that came a boatload of new regulations, so the process for purchasing Kikoko has changed. Their website lists dispensaries in California that deliver state-wide. I like home delivery and have yet to set foot in an actual dispensary.

If you don’t live in California, but you do have access to medical marijuana, there’s still hope. I’m no Walter White, but I have been able to somewhat replicate the effects of the tea with homemade tincture. I’ll save that for a future post. Oh, and the amazing sleep tea. So many stories to share!

I’ll bet some of you are waiting to read more about great cannabis products! I will get to that very soon, but first I wanted to tell you a bit about being a two-time cancer survivor, since cancer is the reason I became a believer in medical marijuana.

In 1999, at age 43, I was diagnosed with a rare variation of ovarian cancer called Primary Peritoneal Cancer (PPC). I had a hysterectomy a few years earlier, and both of my ovaries were removed then. But with PPC, cancer shows up in the lining of the abdomen instead of the ovaries. PPC is considered virtually the same disease as ovarian cancer since the cells of the peritoneal lining develop from the same type of cell that lines the surface of the ovaries.

The cancer was advanced, and treatment was surgery to remove the tumors along with six months of chemotherapy. The treatment worked and since then, I have been what we in the cancer community call NED – no evidence of disease. But as most know, chemo takes a toll.

Chemo killed my appetite, and I started to lose a lot of weight. You’ve got to be strong to fight this disease, so not eating wasn’t helping my plan to survive. My doctor suggested marijuana, but we lived in South Carolina, where it was illegal in all forms. Lucky me, I had a friend who had a friend who had a cousin in North Carolina who once smoked dope, so my friend drove up there and got me some.

It was a risk, because my employer did random drug tests, but all I could think about was surviving. I hated smoking it, but it was instant relief. I’d be sick and miserable on the couch, and my husband would bring me a little joint to smoke. Pretty soon, I’d be like what’s for dinner? I gained back the weight I lost and stayed steady and strong throughout my treatment. I never got called for a random, and as soon as my treatment was over, I stopped using marijuana.

Sixteen years go by, and I’m living just fine without cannabis. It never occurred to me to use it, and I was always employed by companies that had drug policies anyway. In 2015, a routine mammogram revealed DCIS, a usually not-so-bad form of early stage breast cancer. Because of my history, they did the genetic test, and I was positive for the BRCA 1 gene mutation. Both of my cancers were caused by this mutation.

With the mutation, even DCIS is potentially more dangerous. Normal treatment would have been removing the lump and radiation, but my doctor said we needed to be aggressive, so I had a bilateral mastectomy. I chose not to have reconstruction and am a proud member of the Flat & Fabulous community. If you look at the picture above, it sort of appears I have nipples, but those are just lumps and bumps from scar tissue.

For me, the long-term effects of ovarian cancer are all related to having no estrogen. Other than a nasty scar, I’m not much worse for the wear – even though the chances of me living through it were slim. The breast cancer was far less of a threat to my life, but the long-term effects are much greater. You just don’t realize what happens to your body when they amputate your breasts and remove lymph nodes. For many of us, the pain and discomfort is persistent.

To relieve the pain, I tried physical therapy, massage and over-the-counter pain meds. All of it helped to some extent, but I was going for the holy grail. Shortly after I retired, I read an article about Kikoko Sympa-Tea, a new cannabis product high in CBD and low in THC. I’ll write more about my love affair with Kikoko and CBD in the coming weeks, but I’ll just say now it was a life changer. Cannabis cured the pain and helped in unexpected ways – anyone with anxiety?

Now that I’ve survived cancer twice, I’m all about enjoying life to its fullest. I was so afraid I would die young, but now I’m trying to figure out how to age badass!  All you cancer survivors out there –  stay strong and don’t give up hope. And anyone else who stumbled across this blog – I hope you will come back for some thoughts on how cannabis can improve your life.

My name is Donna Pekar. You can check out my About Me page for a quick read, but I thought I’d embellish it a little bit so you can learn more about the topics I’ll be exploring on this blog. I hope you will come along for the ride!

I’m a two-time cancer survivor, retired corporate communications executive, communications strategy consultant and U.S. Army veteran. Although I had a great career, I did not want to do it forever. I envisioned a different sort of life as I aged, focused less on the traditional trappings of success and more on health and happiness. With careful money management and a bit of good luck, I retired in September 2017 at age 62.

Retirement Confidential is my new blog about getting older and making the most of it! Not everyone can retire, and not everyone wants to. But we all age, and my stories are about the journey ahead. How can we age badass and stack the deck for a long, healthy and happy life?

My guiding principles are move more, eat well, look good, stay healthy, keep learning, use cannabis wisely and enjoy simple pleasures.

Perhaps some of my former business colleagues are reading this and going, who knew? Donna is a pothead! However, that is not the case. Although I tried marijuana when I was much younger, it was never my thing. With reluctance, I discovered the benefits of medical marijuana when I had ovarian cancer in 1999. I hated the idea of smoking anything, but smoking pot during chemo probably saved my life. Still, I happily gave it up after I got a clean bill of health and went back to work full speed ahead. I never missed it.

I discovered cannabis again after I retired and was desperate for something to help with long-term pain following a 2015 mastectomy to treat breast cancer. I got approved for using medical marijuana in California, where I live, and I began the great experiment. Cannabis cured the pain, and I’m delighted to have benefited in other unexpected ways. This time around, I learned you don’t have to smoke it, and moderation is key. You don’t have to get high. Sometimes it’s as simple as a cup of cannabis tea.

Seriously – I am as surprised as anyone that pot is part of my aging badass strategy. We’ll have to see what happens with the federal law, but for now, medical cannabis is legal in 29 states and the District of Columbia. And then there’s recreational …

I live in Northern California with Dale, my husband of 39 years. Originally from Southern California, I moved shortly after high school to make a living and see the world. I came back in 2013 for a job and we said, this is it! After moving 23 times over the course of our careers, we love it here and are happy to call it home. Our only baby is Riley, an extra-cute and super-fluffy Maine Coon mix. We are ferocious cooks and love to spend time outdoors.

P.S. Some of you may remember my former blog Rock the Silver, which ran from 2008-2013. Rock the Silver was about going gray with style. Thanks for finding me again! And oh, thank you for your patience as I work through technology challenges and continue to expand my social media presence.