Is the Honeymoon Over?
A couple of weeks ago the awesome folks at Compassionate Cultivation asked if I would be interested in speaking with a reporter from the Austin Chronicle about the success we've had using their cannabidiol oil to treat Miles. I was happy to accept as it has become increasingly clear to me that sharing our story in order to create change is a huge reason why Miles and I are on this planet today. I know that sounds a tad dramatic, but I have searched and searched for the possible purpose of my boy's suffering and I find some comfort in believing it is for the higher good of others.
Reporter and photographer, David Brendan Hall, came to my home on a day where I had opted to keep Miles home from school for some rest. He had had several aggressive behaviors the two days prior, which we had not seen the likes of in months, and I wondered if he might be coming down with something. Since using the cbd oil, Miles' teacher reported an astounding 2/3 decrease in negative behaviors. We had seen the same at home along with a 50% decline in seizure activity. But something was causing my boy pain and frustration now, it was clear.
David and I spoke about the great results we had seen using the cbd oil. I was hesitant to share how poorly the past two days had gone in case it was just a fluke, so I didn't mention that until right before it was time to get Miles from his room so that we could take a few photos together. I let David know that he wasn't feeling his best and that this could affect his ability to cooperate. I also let him know that since the cbd oil hadn't fully eliminated his seizure activity, pain or aggression that this is why I will still fight for access to more thc and other valuable parts of the cannabis plant. Those warnings were unintentional foreshadowing and for sure a little cover your ass move by Mom...and by gosh, were they on point! Miles exploded into a rage against me the likes of which I had not witnessed in months. His eyes were filled with fear, his lips completely white; his body not seemingly in his control as he continuously followed me around the room, grabbing my flesh or clothing any chance he got. I was obviously quite aware that there was a stranger in the room with us, camera in hand. In some cases that very well could have caused me to feel embarrassed or nervous, but thankfully David was extremely kind and non-judgmental and so I was able to fully focus on Miles rather than on my worries about how Miles and I would be perceived in this moment. (Again, THANK YOU, David!) I tried my best in typical Debbie fashion to make jokes about the situation where I could, but this was quite clearly not a laughing matter. It was obvious Miles was going to have trouble finding a calm space to allow pictures to be taken, so I told David 'you should take your shot wherever you can!' And I think he captured two of us quite beautifully actually in the rawness of a very upsetting episode.
Photo by David Brendan Hall
