Welcome to the Canax blog! And what a special one we have indeed. This time, we’ll be hearing from Jess, co-owner of Canax, all about her CBD journey. Let’s jump straight in with Jess speaking in her own words.
2018 – The Start of The Journey
Rewind 3 years - I had just given birth to my daughter Stella, my son Frankie was 2, and husband Chris was in the process of making the pain-staking decision to retire from his professional footballing career. A career which was his pretty much his life, and all he’d known for 16 years.
Looking back it was a difficult time, but as always, we looked at was truly important - family and health. We counted our blessings for having two beautiful children and a life we loved.
Chris was going through the many emotions of retirement which was extremely difficult for him as he absolutely loved playing football and knew nothing else. Injuries had led him down this path and he was in constant pain every day, so it was a decision that unfortunately was out of his control, which is something he was not used to!
An Illness in The Family
When Stella was 5 days old my dad rang me, I knew my mum hadn't been feeling well and the results were in, she had Myeloma and to say I was blindsided would be an understatement.
My dad, being pragmatic as ever, told me that the treatment was to start imminently, and he'd be able to tell me more over the next few days. I'm horrified to say this, but I couldn't talk to my mum. I instantly thought the worst and my emotions (and hormones) were running high!
It took me a week or so to compose myself and when I did, I called my mum, and she was amazing.
She was as positive as ever and she fully understood why I had shut myself off, even though I felt (and still feel) selfish about it. We talked at length about her treatment and what it entailed, and she told me that she was to begin Chemotherapy straight away and then have a stem cell transplant.
Another thing she did say was that she was going to look into CBD straight away, as she had been reading up on it and it’s many benefits.
Treatment Begins and Things Take a Turn
Fast forward a few months and mum was well into her treatment. I think the worst thing about it all was that we couldn't see her, and she wasn't feeling up to phone calls. With a new born grandchild it should have been the best time of a Nana's life, but getting over the illness made that impossible.
I was also beginning to decline mentally, the sleepless nights, dealing with a toddler and Chris on his own emotional journey all got a bit much for me. My friends were all amazing through this period and my sister especially, but there's nothing like having a good chat with your own mum is there?
I didn't tell anyone how I felt, I kept a tight lid on the morbid thoughts that consumed me day and night - I couldn't open that can or worms, I needed to be strong for everyone else.
One night my anxiety reached an all-time high and I knew something needed to change. Nothing works unless you do, right?
Taking Control and Making a Change
I began to look at the small things I could control, with diet and exercise being the main two. I went and spoke to an amazing lady who had helped me holistically in the past, and she made me look at everything in a different way.
I also decided to give CBD a go and at first it was the oils. I didn't like the taste, but wow they helped! Mainly with sleep, even though it was still broken sleep (and still is), it seemed to make me feel calmer and more peaceful. I could drift off much easier and my mind wouldn't decide to go to those dark places it loved to go to!
It became part of my daily ritual and over time I began to find my identity. My mum had her stem cell transplant which worked, and she still uses CBD to this day and swears by it for aiding her recovery.
The Beginning of Canax CBD
Throughout this journey, I would speak to Sophie as we’ve been friends for 13 years. We’d talk about CBD, how a lot more people were starting to use it, and how effective it seemed to be. As a paediatric nurse, she had also witnessed first-hand children using it as complimentary therapy and could see the benefits of using this natural plan.
Fast forward 4 years and here we are!
We talked a lot about starting a business together and what it would look like, and our journey began through conversation, which then led to research, which led to further learning and further understanding, before fully committing and starting Canax CBD.
Going From Strength to Strength
I don't think either of us realised how hard the challenges would be with developing and selling a product containing CBD, but we are so proud of what we have achieved already in less than 12 months. With great risk comes great reward, and we are definitely on a journey which has its highs and lows!
We have a lot of new product development happening at the moment and as well as more CBD products, we’ll also be bringing out products that don't contain CBD as we recognise there is a demand for this, too.
The main purpose and value of Canax CBD is to help people and create community, particularly with our latest product Mellow Meno. We want our customers to come on this journey with us, from an idea to the final product, it’s a totally shared experience.
I also know that a lot of women will have experienced my story, and all I can say is that it's a journey, I still have bad days and that’s’ ok. I can recognise them now and know that it's not going to last.
The business is mine and Sophie's passion and we are so excited to be on this rollercoaster together!
Come on our CBD journey with us, and check out our fantastic range of CBD Gummies and Capsules today.
