After a spider bite triggered a cascade of chronic conditions, Sharna Stewart spent eight years bedridden. She endured years of ketamine infusions, brain surgery, and opioid medications that only made things worse. But everything changed when she discovered medicinal cannabis.
In this powerful and unfiltered conversation, Sharna shares what it’s really like to live with Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue, Endometriosis, and Gastroparesis. She talks about the relief cannabis gave her when nothing else did, the stigma she had to overcome, and why she now advocates for others living with chronic pain and invisible illness.
This episode is for anyone who’s ever felt unheard, misdiagnosed, or out of options. Sharna’s story is raw, real, and a reminder that healing doesn’t always come from a pill.
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In this episode, we cover a lot of topics, including:
Rapid Fire (2:17)
Who is Sharna? (9:13)
Early conversations Sharna had with her healthcare team (13:45)
The toll everything was taking on Sharna’s body (16:48)
When the pain specialist laughs, but the hospital GP is all for it (18:40)
12 years of battles, 8 years bedridden, 4 years with medical cannabis (20:15)
A little bit of flower in a friend’s Mighty (21:20)
What was that like for someone who’s in chronic pain for the first time? (26:33)
Getting real about the chronic pain scale (33:48)
Terpene love! (37:35)
Write 7 things down; it may help you improve your therapeutic outcomes (39:49)
Sharna’s advocacy work, what started it? (44:18)
What happens when Sharna goes into the hospital and gets denied access to her medicinal cannabis? (52:05)
Fighting the blanket ban on vapes (54:57)
Where to find Sharna (66:37)
The call to action (68:11)
Show Notes:
Kyla de Clifford @CannaCuriousAus on Instagram
Rachel Payne Medicinal Cannabis accessibility in Victorian hospitals
Where to Find Sharna:
@Fibroadvocate1 on Instagram
Where to find Christina Mc Mullan:
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