Ever since puberty, she has suffered from crippling endometriosis, a condition where her periods are so painful that they leave her curled up in a ball, unable to move, eat or sleep.
Doctors prescribed strong painkillers but they did little to ease her pain, only making her too drowsy to work.
So she did what she would do for any client at work, reports the Birmingham Mail.
She began to research her options and discovered that cannabis was used in other countries to ease the pain of conditions such as endometriosis, multiple sclerosis and cancer.
"I tried naproxen and codeine but I found they made me too sleepy to go to the corner shop, let alone work," says Katy, 32 and from Birmingham.
"I have a good job and I work hard so I had to try something else to get through the pain."
In endometriosis, tissue that behaves like the lining of the womb is found outside the womb, causing agonising pain.
Three years ago Katy's condition became so severe that she had keyhole surgery to remove a cyst from her ovary.
Although the operation was successful, it did nothing to cure her symptoms so she began buying small amounts of cannabis , which she put into a vaporiser or baked - and found it worked.
Within 20 minutes her body would relax, she regained her appetite and was able to sleep, better equipping her for the following day in the office.
"I know other professional people who use cannabis to help with their painful conditions but it's horrible that none of us feels comfortable doing it or talking about it," she says.
"Some people who drink alcohol go on to become alcoholics , some people who eat too much sugar become obese - but alcohol and sugar have not been prohibited the way cannabis has.
"I know people who would rather face prosecution than their pain."
Katy knows what she is doing is illegal and is too afraid to grow her own so she puts herself at risk by going to unregulated sellers on a regular basis.
"I've gone to give someone £20 before and they've driven off with my money and not even given me the cannabis," says Katy, who has never used the drug at work.
"Dealers on the streets will accept a £20 note as ID. They're not interested in who they are dealing to, or whether I'm 18 or not.
I've had friends before who have been beaten up while trying to get hold of it.
"Prohibition does not stop people using cannabis, it just makes it harder for them to access it."
The fact that cannabis is illegal concerns Katy on many levels, not simply because she faces the sack if she is arrested.
"We can't be sure of what we're putting in our bodies," she says.
"If it was regulated, people would know what they were buying or growing.
"Instead, dealers spray it to mask its smell or make it seem heavier so they can make a greater profit."
Katy's medical condition has led to cystitis, irritable bowel syndrome and suspected polycystic ovaries.
"It's like excruciating period pains," she explains.
"My pelvis, my stomach and chest all ache. I can feel my insides gurgling and I have no appetite, which means I have no energy so it becomes a vicious circle.
"I became a bit depressed after a while because I was finding it overwhelming. I tried anti depressants but I didn't like the way they made me feel if I forgot to take one. So I stopped taking them and did a course of cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) instead.
"Now I can control my depression using CBT and cannabis. I find comfort in that.
"My GP is aware of how I treat my pain and, whilst she will not say what I'm doing is right, she does say if what you're doing is working for you then you should carry on."
Katy uses cannabis in a vaporiser most of the time, but she also uses it in cooking, too.
"We call it 'medibles'" she smiles. "I've actually got some medible broccoli soup in the fridge. And I have a batch of cannabis butter in the freezer, which is quick and straight forward to use in cooking.
"You have to be a bit careful when you're eating it because it takes longer to kick in, and you can end up eating more.
"But the worst that can happen is you pass out or you're sick - and how many times does that happen to people who are drunk?
"Our emergency wards are rammed full of people who have drunk too much alcohol."
Experts warn that cannabis use can lead to mental health issues such as paranoia, anxiety and hallucinations, and can also affect fertility.
"I believe it can trigger paranoia and psychotic episodes only if you have a predisposition towards them in the first place," says Katy, who claims she has never experienced a negative side-effect from taking cannabis.
"And you only have to look at the side-effects of prescription drugs, which are often bigger than the length of my arm, to see they can induce similar reactions.
"To me, the worst thing that can happen when taking cannabis is being caught with it.
"I can't understand why it's illegal in this country and not in other countries when it's proven to be less harmful than alcohol and tobacco.
"How much is the Government paying for other drugs when we could be growing this plant for free?
"I'm not denying that cannabis has negative effects on some people, people are affected by different substances in different ways.
"But how is what I'm doing harming anyone else?"
Katy's name has been changed to protect her identity
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