Jennifer's Story
Jennifer Hawkins is founder of Hawkeye Consulting Services LLC. Here is her amazing story of healing and remission…
My journey has been a long one! It hasn’t been a quick fix at all, but I have experienced healing and remission from multiple health issues and seven autoimmune diseases with medicinal cannabis.
I am a 45-year-old female. I have been married to my sweetheart, Kent, for 25 years, and I am a mother of four. At the age of 35, I began a downhill health spiral. After losing my mother to pancreatic cancer at the age of 52, I decided I needed to make better health a priority. So I began seeking help to get these health issues under control. After hundreds of appointments with doctors, specialists, and counselors, I was looking at multiple diagnoses: seven auto-immune diseases, psoriasis — i.e., skin lesions and lesions on nearly every organ (There are five types of psoriasis, and I tested positive for all five.) — psoriatic arthritis, anxiety, depression, high blood pressure, obesity, non-alcoholic liver disease (medication induced), type 2 diabetes, multiple chronic pain issues, and a severe sun allergy (also medication induced).
In July 2017, I had most of my issues under “management,” and I was somewhat functional each day but only with 21 daily meds. Yes, 21. Every single day. On top of those daily meds, I was taking three injections weekly. We were still making multiple ER visits, all along, as I was in liver failure and near kidney failure because of the meds. I was under the care of an entire team of specialists that met with me weekly for monitoring. It was horrible. After my endocrinologist suggested they remove a portion of my liver to give it more room, I knew something had to change. Not knowing what else to do, I went home and started detoxing myself off of several of the medications. I was then rushed in for immediate gallbladder surgery. During surgery I had a reaction to the anesthesia that caused my mitral valve in my heart to completely calcify almost completely restricting all blood flow.
So after a very scary and unexpected near-death experience, I needed to get well after the gallbladder surgery in order to be healthy enough for open-heart surgery to replace the mitral valve. That surgery was scheduled for November, and in the months between I was led to begin researching cannabis, specifically CBD and THC and their benefits for post-op pain management. I began using these both immediately to determine my tolerance and figure out dosing. I began to feel better instantly!!
In efforts to get completely off of the pain meds (like opioids, morphine, and steroids), I made the decision with my family to use THC and CBD to manage my recovery instead of conventional pharmaceutical meds. I had the surgery and was set to spend eight days in the hospital and 2-3 weeks of rehab. My recovery was faster than anyone had seen. I returned home in three days. Yes, THREE!!!! A complete miracle. Seriously, I was walking around the block within two weeks and only used narcotic meds for the first few days immediately following surgery while in the hospital. I never even had the need for an antibiotic or blood pressure meds or anything like that!! I was placed on a low-dose blood thinner because of the metallic heart valve. But other than that, I used THC edibles INSTEAD of opioid pain relievers. Basically, if I needed a pain pill, I used THC edibles and CBD creams.
About six weeks after surgery, I began having an autoimmune rebound effect from the trauma from heart surgery. It was the most horrible pain imaginable. I had never experienced anything like it. My body just stopped working. I was quickly put back on steroids, and the doc was talking about immunotherapy treatments. I tried to make an appointment with my rheumatologist, but the earliest they could see me was five months away. Convinced that there had to be a better way; I put the brakes, and in July of 2018 I went to a functional medicine clinic. I left the clinic that day with a copy of the AIP (autoimmune protocol) diet plan for detox and gut health and a sample of a very simple product containing hemp derived CBD oil and curcumin. I believe this product changed my life. I have been taking this supplement, UltraHemp, since July of 2018. Other than that supplement, I now take just the one blood thinner that I will have to take for the rest of my life since I have a metal heart valve. That’s it. Twenty-one meds reduced to one med and one supplement. Not to mention I lost over 55lbs total so far. Also, because I have the metal heart valve, I have to have my blood tested every week. Looking at my bloodwork now, I have zero diagnosable diseases. Zero. Every single one of the diseases have disappeared from my blood profile. Completely! All autoimmune diseases are in remission, and I have the labs to back it up! They are gone. All of them.
I believe God led me every step of the way on this journey, and more people need to know it is okay to be aggressive and take back your health and look to alternative medicine!! My greatest desire is that my story would give hope and courage to those who are seeking alternative medications as a means to better health.
As a result of my healing and remission, Hawkeye Consulting Services LLC was born. With a mission to GUIDE, EDUCATE, and LEAD, we seek to help patients take that step and take back their health by looking to alternative medicine. We help these patients get their medical marijuana cards and help them as they begin their journey to better health and healing by educating them on methods, dosing, CBD, THC, diet, nutrition, supplements, and all the things that can help them put their health on the road to redemption.
If you would like to talk with us at Hawkeye Consulting Services about your health options, reach out to us on our patient line at 301-778-HAWK (4295), go to our website at www.myhawkeyeconsulting.com.
Fun Facts About Jennifer…
- I cannot swim and don’t care to learn
- My favorite color is orange
- My favorite fruit flavor is peach… but I do not like fresh peaches
- I am afraid of mice and frogs but not spiders
- Spaghetti is my choice EVERY Mother’s Day
- I’ve seen Willie Nelson in concert 7 times
- Sunflowers are the greatest
- I’ve never been to church camp
- I am an Oklahoma Basketball Hall of Famer
- Alaska is my ultimate vacay destination