THE STRAUSS'S HEALING

MRS CARLIEN STRAUSS:

I heard about Balanced by Mary Jane from a friend. Initially I wanted to contact them and try their products, but I couldn’t muster the courage to do so as I knew my mind was made up: I was going to try 1 more product and if I didn’t feel better, I was going to commit suicide! Craig took matters into his own hands by contacting me and I was extremely surprised by his gesture! We had a lengthy conversation regarding my mental and physical health. To explain fully, I need to go back and tell you how I came to be in the state that I was in when I met Craig and Venessa…

 

As a child I was active and prone to injuries caused by factors I could not control. I played netball, tennis and several other sports. Unfortunately, I also broke a lot of bones along the way. By the time that I was 18 I had already broken 10 bones, dislocated my shoulder and I had torn a few ligaments. Emotionally I was already suffering. Several traumatic experiences led me to a path characterised by self-hate and PTSD. I started experiencing insomnia when I was 16. The lack of sleep alone was debilitating and truly horrible! No one realises the importance of sleep until you have been awake for several consecutive days. When I was 21, I was in a downwards spiral emotionally. My insomnia was worse, I was depressed, I was still harming myself and I attempted suicide 3 times. I was admitted voluntarily to Bloemcare (a private inpatient psychiatric facility) 3 times for depression, suicide and PTSD. I was abusing alcohol and illegal substances. It all came to a head due to a car accident and several severely traumatic experiences. The car accident was extreme. The driver of the vehicle hit me on my left side in a parking lot and then proceeded to drive over my pelvis. That accident broke multiple bones and caused internal injuries that could have killed me, but I managed to survive and recover to a certain degree. I spent a LONG time in recovery! I returned to my childhood home and met my husband not long after my recovery was complete. He was the stable anchor that I needed in the storm that was my life at the time.

 

For several years I was doing well, and I was extremely happy! My husband is an amazing man!!! He gave me the love I needed and I flourished. As we get older, things begin to deteriorate as should be expected. My old injuries began to bother me. Initially I was able to control the pain with over-the-counter pain medication. Unfortunately, that did not work for long. When I was 31, I went into early menopause and that changed everything once again. During that year (2016), I became a guinea pig. I had a team of doctors who performed multiple tests on me and prescribed MANY different medications to restore my hormonal imbalance and reverse menopause! They were woefully unsuccessful to say the least! The side effects of their medications caused a myriad of conditions that required MORE medication! It was a truly horrible time in my life!!

I started experiencing severe back and neck pain during that same year. Over the counter medications did little to dull the pain. My “on rainy days and winter nights” aches and pains became constant. I could feel every single bone that I broke. I was in so much pain that I had to have several pain block injections while also taking large amounts of anti- inflammatory medications and pain pills. Initially I was diagnosed with situational depression denoted to pain and menopause. My GP prescribed an antidepressant while assuring me that it would suffice, but none of the medications were working. The doctors kept changing my prescription to a different antidepressant, a different pain pill, more pain pills, new hormone treatments and then the spinal injections. I was diagnosed with major depressive disorder and social anxiety disorder when I was 32. I couldn’t stand it anymore, so I made a selfish and idiotic decision: I cut my wrists and waited to die. My husband was ill, so he returned home early. He found me and took me to the hospital. My husband suggested cannabis as an alternative to all the pharmaceuticals.

 

I unofficially joined the cannabis community in 2017. Initially, I used FECO and it did help me to a certain degree. My hormone levels stabilised, and I was no longer in menopause. I was able to manage some of the pain I was experiencing, but nothing I took improved my depression and anxiety. As hope faded that I would find the appropriate strain of FECO for me, my depression became worse and even more difficult to tolerate.

 

Between 2017 and 2021 I was a wreck. I was experiencing all the following symptoms on a constant basis:
• 1. Severe pain
• 2. Major depression
• 3. Suicidal ideation
• 4. Hormone fluctuations
• 5. Hair loss
• 6. Weight gain
• 7. Insomnia
• 8. Social anxiety
• 9. Low blood pressure
• 10. Fainting
• 11. MANY allergies
• 12. Ovarian cysts
• 13. Mood swings
• 14. Severe PMS
• 15. Paranoia
• 16. Blackouts
• 17. Constant stomach upsets
• 18. Insulin resistance
• 19. Constant tiredness
• 20. PTSD
• 21. Acid reflux
• 22. Stomach ulcer
• 23. Periodic bouts of cold sores in my nose and mouth
• 24. Dry skin
• 25. Oedema
• 26. Severe muscle spasms
• 27. Vertigo
• 28. Hay fever
• 29. Sinusitis
• 30. Lack of appetite
• 31. Vitamin deficiencies

 

All these symptoms affected my life and led to the following:
• 1. Social withdrawal
• 2. Marital problems
• 3. Cutting
• 4. Lack of motivation
• 5. Addiction to Xanax
• 6. Prescription medication substance abuse
• 7. Low self esteem
• 8. Self-hatred
• 9. Neglecting my appearance
• 10. Alienation of friends
• 11. Binge drinking
• 12. Binge eating
• 13. Not eating at all
• 14. Trust issues
• 15. Abandonment issues

 

Everything that transpired led me to Craig and Venessa. I must admit that I was a bit sceptical. I couldn’t fathom that a few drops a day and 2 capsules a day could change ANYTHING in my life! I expected to be disappointed. Great was my surprise when I “awakened” after taking the blends and pills for only 4 days!! For the first time in YEARS, I was happy, symptom free and energetic! I knew then that this would continue! I was right! As I use my new awesome blends my body is healing day by day and I can see it and feel it!! I know everyone around me can sense it! Even my fur babies know mommy is a different lady! It has been four weeks since I started taking the blends. Each day is a revelation as I rediscover parts of my soul that I had all but forgotten. I am laughing, smiling and reinventing myself more as each day passes.

The dark, deep pit of despair in my mind has disappeared and I wake each day with a smile and vigour that feels completely alien to me! I am happy and I can’t remember when I last felt this way. Probably when I met Derick… For the first time in many years, I can focus clearly on tasks and my mental acuity has returned with a vengeance! I am more productive, inquisitive and intelligent than I have been in YEARS! I now realise how all those medications affected my intellect and I am ecstatic to report that I am almost “me” again! I recommend and endorse all Balanced by Mary Jane products including their dog biscuits, edibles, coffee and vapes!!!! They have changed my life, no, they have SAVED my life and that is not only remarkable, but also astonishingly beautiful.

 

I have always wondered what a beautiful life is. Now, for the first time ever, I no longer need to wonder as I am finally living the dream…

Carlien Strauss

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MR. DERICK STRAUSS: HUSBAND TO CARLIEN STRAUSS
DATE: 27 OCTOBER 2021
14 Years and 4 months ago I met my wife in this stupid little bar in a very small town. I wasn’t supposed to be there. I got pushed into going so a friend could see his girlfriend who worked at that bar. My night started out like any night out would: Too much drinking. I saw her when she walked in, but I didn’t think I stood a chance with her! She was far too beautiful for me. I sucked at dating, and I knew it lol! I secretly listened behind her when she ordered a drink. When I heard her say: “May I have a (not can/she explained the difference to me 90 million times LOL) double Jack Daniels on the rocks with a sliver of lemon please?”, I knew that I had to keep this woman and make her
mine!

After that we were inseparable. I finally understood what it meant to love someone else more than you love yourself…That is one thing that has never changed: Our love for each other. Over the years we have had good times, we have had bad times, but we have never been in as much trouble as we have been the last 6 years. Due to various circumstances beyond our control, Carlien was in a lot of pain. She has been in a massive car wreck. She has broken more than 15 bones in her body. In the beginning the over-the-counter meds helped. When it didn’t help anymore, she got a prescription from our doctor. It was an endless cycle of pills, injections etc. My wife was a lab rat. One of the meds given messed up her hormones so much that she went into early menopause. She became depressed, suicidal and anti-social. I would have felt the same if I was going through the things she was experiencing! I had no idea how to handle it, but I could see the medications were not helping at all! That is where my wife started her canna journey! I have been a canna activist for many years, so I persuaded my wife to try it and see if the pain is better.

 

Initially the FECO helped, but the munchies were a bit hectic for her. She had never really used canna before. The FECO did reset her body cycle so her hormone levels were closer to normal, but she was so severely depressed that I feared I would find her dead at home when I come back from work. It was the worst time of my life. I thought I knew what depression was, but it developed new meaning for me when I could see her struggle day in and out. It’s like the depression was a monster and it was stealing my wife away from me increasingly each day. Sometimes I would stay awake at night and listen to her breathe. It became a comfort to me. She tried so many cannabis strains from so many different places that we felt like canna was failing too. She could sleep which helped, but nothing beat that depression. No meds, no extract and nobody could make it stop. I tried, she tried, the Dr’s tried, but everyone FAILED including me!

I was watching my wife die a little bit more every day. Finding Mary Jane saved my life, my wife’s life and all the lives of the people she touches just by being the amazing woman that she is!! I fell in love with her heart and intellect in that bar. I fell in love with her soul every single day since then. I know men don’t admit these things, but I am damned proud to say that I love my wife more than anything money can buy. I have never loved another woman as much and I know I never will.

 

She has been using MJ meds for the past 5 weeks. I’m astonished by the change in her!! I don’t think I can find words so let me explain… 5 Weeks ago, I was scared to go to work. I was scared I would come home and find the love of my life dead in our home. I remember her saying that Craig said we should give it 8 days. I wasn’t a believer at the time. I don’t know Craig or Venessa, but I do know that my future happiness is due to their hard work. On day 4, I came home to find Carlien washing the walls in our bathroom. She was laughing at something the dogs did and for a moment time stopped: I couldn’t remember when I last saw here laugh. Not this year,
maybe the last.

 

Thank you, Craig and Venessa for giving me back the pieces of my wife that life tore away from her. For the first time in many years, I can see “MY CARLIEN”.

Derick Strauss