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T M C » P U L S E | J U LY 2 0 1 8 25 T M C » P U L S E | J U LY 2 0 1 8 Treating Epilepsy with CBD Oil Only certain patients have access to the cannabis-based oil under Texas' restrictive law B y R y a n H o l e y w e l l G alveston resident Trysten Pearson, who has epilepsy, experienced his first seizure in 2013 when he was 12 years old. But last summer, his mother Shena Pearson explained, his condition began to deteriorate quickly. Despite taking a slew of med- ications, and despite having a device implanted under the skin of his chest that sends electrical impulses to his brain to reduce the number and severity of his seizures, Trysten's symptoms persisted. He often felt nauseous and he'd vomit every few days. Because exercise triggered his seizures, his school stopped allowing him to participate in physical education, leading to weight gain. His grades were dropping and his memory was fading, too. "Because of these horrific sei- zures, when I show him photos from when he was younger, his memory is completely lost," Shena explained. "Sometimes, he looks at a photo from his past, and he just bawls. He says, 'It's unfair to me that my history is gone.'" But this spring, Trysten's luck finally turned, thanks to a treatment that has become available to him and thousands of other epilepsy patients across the state. "My life has changed so much," said Trysten, who turns 17 in July. Teachers told Shena that Trysten was less distracted at school and that his performance had improved. In his first 30 days on his new treatment, he had just one seizure. He hasn't felt this well for the past three years. And it's all thanks, the Pearsons say, to cannabis. "I really wanted this medicine to work because of how many times pills have failed me," said Trysten, who takes drops of the oil orally. "Once I started taking it, I felt so much better. I don't have seizures." For the Pearsons, cannabis was a last resort to relieve Trysten's epi- lepsy after years of other treatments failed to provide relief. (continued) Left: Epilepsy patient Trysten Pearson has found relief with CBD oil. Below: Morris Denton, CEO of Compassionate Cultivation in Manchaca, Texas, checks on cannabis plants. e p i l e p s y t r e at m e n t s Credit: Courtesy photo