I've been doing the AIP protocol for 21 days now. I believe that is how long some say it takes to form a habit. I hope that's true in this case. If something is a habit, it's much easier to do because you don't really have to think about it.
Eating this way is not actually hard, but it does take a lot of planning. And numerous trips to the grocery store each week. I sometimes miss just "grabbing" something for a snack or dinner. But I can't do that now, unless I make something to grab ahead of time. Such as kale chips, or bone broth or cut up veggies to snack on.
Today is the best I've felt in a long time. Both physically and emotionally. I can actually feel the inflammation going down in my body. I've lost about 10 lbs. total which is not excessive for 21 days. I still have not taken my RA meds. My husband and I discussed it and prayed about it for some direction. We finally decided my goal is to get off of the meds anyway, and as long as I'm doing ok without them, why keep taking them? I did send an email to my rheumatologist and let her know what I was doing and that I would stay off the meds until I met with her again in March. Then I can discuss with her what to do next (and have blood work done, etc.). I haven't received a response yet to my email.
Turmeric has become my new spice of choice. I put it in everything! Tonight I made shrimp stir fry for dinner and loaded it up with garlic, lemon and turmeric. I even put some in my tea. I've also gone through a container and a half of coconut oil already. There are so many good AIP recipes out there, I doubt that I will get bored with this way of eating! I will share some of the recipes we've tried and liked in my next post.
I really had a some major cravings today, though. I wanted peanut butter. And, for some weird reason, cottage cheese! And I wanted some nachos and Chicken in a Biscuit crackers. And a soft, warm dinner roll with butter. And mashed potatoes and gravy. But, I find if I just don't dwell on the craving, it passes pretty quickly. I keep telling myself that nothing will ever taste as good as having a no pain day feels!
I'm grateful for the many websites and Facebook groups there are with people going through the same journey. I have found so much good information and recipes and suggestions.
And, it is true, our grocery bill has gone up quite a bit. We spend a lot of time in the Health Food section now. But we decided it's worth it and we will cut back somewhere else! We are learning to read labels (just because something is organic doesn't mean I can have it) and learning which things are better to buy at the local grocery store or at a health food store or on-line.
My husband has been immensely supportive these past 21 days. I'm hoping once a couple of months is behind us, we can settle in to this just being a way of life without really having to think about it!
Monday, January 20, 2014
Wednesday, January 15, 2014
Starting Week Three
Starting week three today! Still have not cheated (I repeat that because it surprises even me!). I have gone three days now with NO FLARES. This may be a coincidence. Because it has only been two weeks and it's hard for even me to believe my "leaky gut" has healed this fast. But I don't care the reason. Because it has been three days with NO FLARES!
It may be way too soon to do this, but I made the decision not to take my Orencia this week. It really isn't working anyway, although it may be because I haven't given it enough time yet. But I thought I would try taking it every other week instead of every week.
I might add that this decision is not under a doctor's recommendation. I don't return to my rheumatologist until March. I know that if I emailed/called her and asked about cutting back on the Orencia, she would most likely say not to do this. But only because that's her job. So I'm taking the chance on this one. I'm hoping to go back to her in March and tell her I have cut back on the Orencia and feel great.
Or better yet - tell her that I don't need it anymore. Or any of the other drugs. And no I won't be making a follow up appointment, thank you. It's been very nice knowing you. But I won't be back!
Ok, so March may be a little soon to expect that. But I can dream.
It may be way too soon to do this, but I made the decision not to take my Orencia this week. It really isn't working anyway, although it may be because I haven't given it enough time yet. But I thought I would try taking it every other week instead of every week.
I might add that this decision is not under a doctor's recommendation. I don't return to my rheumatologist until March. I know that if I emailed/called her and asked about cutting back on the Orencia, she would most likely say not to do this. But only because that's her job. So I'm taking the chance on this one. I'm hoping to go back to her in March and tell her I have cut back on the Orencia and feel great.
Or better yet - tell her that I don't need it anymore. Or any of the other drugs. And no I won't be making a follow up appointment, thank you. It's been very nice knowing you. But I won't be back!
Ok, so March may be a little soon to expect that. But I can dream.
Thursday, January 9, 2014
One week down - A lifetime to go?
It's been one week now of eating the Autoimmune/Paleo (AIP) way. I can honestly say I have not cheated. Other than eating cashews because one AIP site said they were ok, but then another said to stay away from all nuts. So I've decided to remove them from my list, at least for now. And I did have some green beans yesterday down at the shelter (where my husband and I volunteer) that I don't believe were organic. But that would be the only thing off of the strict protocol for this week.
I have lost eight pounds already, which alarms me a little bit. Not that I don't have it to lose (along with an additional 40 extra lbs.). But I don't really want to lose it this quickly. At my age, rapid weight loss could equal (gasp) saggy skin. I've not been working out due to flares, the cold weather and trying to allow my body a little extra rest to jump start any healing. But, I do plan to go back soon. Walking around looking like a deflated balloon is not my goal on this diet change.
This week has been relatively easy. Until today for some reason. I had a major emotional breakdown. Over nothing. A desk clerk at a clinic was rude to me this morning and I was rude right back to her. And then I got into my car and broke down crying. This is not normal for me. Ok, maybe being rude right back is somewhat normal for me. But I usually end up taking a deep breath and then trying to diffuse the situation and calm both of us down and resolve the issue. But I didn't do this today. And cry about it?? Just not me.
So I came home (still crying) to try to explain it to my husband and he told me I had been a little "off" the last few days. Making things that were usually not a big deal into a big deal. Worrying more than I should. Over sensitivity to things like the cold, loud noises. Sensory overload, I think it's called. And I realized he was right. Last night I watched my daughter's four year old and 10 month old and was freaking out that they were not yet asleep at 8:30 when my daughter got home. I was sure I was responsible for their immune systems being compromised from lack of proper sleep and they would probably catch God knows what from daycare during this horrible flu season. All because I had them too wound up to go to bed at their usual time. My grandmother skills were in question in my mind. It didn't matter that my daughter thought nothing of it and they went to sleep soon after I left. To me it was a major fail. The other day, I was working on a project in my craft room and my husband came up to tell me I had a phone call. I didn't hear him come up the stairs and I about jumped out of my skin (and down his throat) because it startled me so badly when he walked in the room. If he drops a pan in the kitchen it feels like a thousand needles going through my head. When he yawns, I accuse him of sounding like Chewbacca from Star Wars.
And I cannot get warm for the life of me. I'm sitting here with a space heater blowing on me and I'm still wrapped up in a fuzzy blanket. Yes, it's still pretty cold outside. And snowing (again). But our house is warm and I'm bundled up like an Eskimo. And I am usually a "hot blooded" person in general. I should not be this uncomfortable.
So as you can see, something is going on with my body, both emotionally and physically. Tony and I talked it over (have I mentioned before how wonderful he is and how blessed I really am to be married to this man?). We think there may be something hormonal going on with this diet change. I'm a firm believer in the power of hormones, I've seen what the changes can do to your body in moods most of my life. So it's possible, this week of "detoxing" from all thewonderful horrible food I was eating in December is having some kind of effect on my hormone balance.
Added to that is my somewhat mourning the idea that I may never get to eat some of the foods I love ever again. I think it hit me that this may have to be my way of life if I am choosing to get off all of my medications and keep my RA in remission (still holding on to the hope that it does go into remission and I can get off all meds). Some people can implement many things back into their diet after a time period. But many cannot and this becomes their way of life forever or face the consequences. Painful consequences, too.
Another factor may be that this cold, dreary weather is just wearing on me and everyone else in the Midwest. Yes, it's winter. Yes, snow and cold are normal every year. But it's been a brutal winter so far. And sunny days are rare and far between. Lots of gloomy days really do add to some gloomy feelings.
And then there is the added wonderful emotion that we all know and hate. Guilt.
Feeling guilty because so many other people have it so much worse. Guilty that I can afford to buy organic foods to help me heal and many people can't afford to shop. Feeling guilty that I can actually mourn the absence of some FOOD in my life, when I have so much to be thankful for instead.
But guilt is not a healthy emotion either. And stress is not good for healing anything in our bodies. So the rest of the day, I'm going to spend it trying to relax and not worry about anything. And focus on health and how good bone broth really does taste! And picture my body healing itself because of the good things I'm putting into it. And being grateful for a very understanding husband. And the fact that I am retired and can spend more time relaxing and not have to worry about getting out in this cold to go to work. And being thankful for a great family including four grand daughters that are healthy and have parents and grandparents that truly love them.
I do believe, in spite of hormones or whatever imbalance is going on in our bodies, that we can still CHOOSE our thoughts. And when God tells us to be thankful in ALL things, He really meant it for our own good. Being thankful changes our hearts and lightens the load of worry off of our shoulders. That will be my goal this second week.
And I promised I would list my cravings here, too. So here it is - I want a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with a big glass of milk! And a huge piece of chocolate cake. But, even though there is a craving for these things, it's not over powering. I just don't have the option to cheat right now.
I do believe my life really does depend on it.
I have lost eight pounds already, which alarms me a little bit. Not that I don't have it to lose (along with an additional 40 extra lbs.). But I don't really want to lose it this quickly. At my age, rapid weight loss could equal (gasp) saggy skin. I've not been working out due to flares, the cold weather and trying to allow my body a little extra rest to jump start any healing. But, I do plan to go back soon. Walking around looking like a deflated balloon is not my goal on this diet change.
This week has been relatively easy. Until today for some reason. I had a major emotional breakdown. Over nothing. A desk clerk at a clinic was rude to me this morning and I was rude right back to her. And then I got into my car and broke down crying. This is not normal for me. Ok, maybe being rude right back is somewhat normal for me. But I usually end up taking a deep breath and then trying to diffuse the situation and calm both of us down and resolve the issue. But I didn't do this today. And cry about it?? Just not me.
So I came home (still crying) to try to explain it to my husband and he told me I had been a little "off" the last few days. Making things that were usually not a big deal into a big deal. Worrying more than I should. Over sensitivity to things like the cold, loud noises. Sensory overload, I think it's called. And I realized he was right. Last night I watched my daughter's four year old and 10 month old and was freaking out that they were not yet asleep at 8:30 when my daughter got home. I was sure I was responsible for their immune systems being compromised from lack of proper sleep and they would probably catch God knows what from daycare during this horrible flu season. All because I had them too wound up to go to bed at their usual time. My grandmother skills were in question in my mind. It didn't matter that my daughter thought nothing of it and they went to sleep soon after I left. To me it was a major fail. The other day, I was working on a project in my craft room and my husband came up to tell me I had a phone call. I didn't hear him come up the stairs and I about jumped out of my skin (and down his throat) because it startled me so badly when he walked in the room. If he drops a pan in the kitchen it feels like a thousand needles going through my head. When he yawns, I accuse him of sounding like Chewbacca from Star Wars.
And I cannot get warm for the life of me. I'm sitting here with a space heater blowing on me and I'm still wrapped up in a fuzzy blanket. Yes, it's still pretty cold outside. And snowing (again). But our house is warm and I'm bundled up like an Eskimo. And I am usually a "hot blooded" person in general. I should not be this uncomfortable.
So as you can see, something is going on with my body, both emotionally and physically. Tony and I talked it over (have I mentioned before how wonderful he is and how blessed I really am to be married to this man?). We think there may be something hormonal going on with this diet change. I'm a firm believer in the power of hormones, I've seen what the changes can do to your body in moods most of my life. So it's possible, this week of "detoxing" from all the
Added to that is my somewhat mourning the idea that I may never get to eat some of the foods I love ever again. I think it hit me that this may have to be my way of life if I am choosing to get off all of my medications and keep my RA in remission (still holding on to the hope that it does go into remission and I can get off all meds). Some people can implement many things back into their diet after a time period. But many cannot and this becomes their way of life forever or face the consequences. Painful consequences, too.
Another factor may be that this cold, dreary weather is just wearing on me and everyone else in the Midwest. Yes, it's winter. Yes, snow and cold are normal every year. But it's been a brutal winter so far. And sunny days are rare and far between. Lots of gloomy days really do add to some gloomy feelings.
And then there is the added wonderful emotion that we all know and hate. Guilt.
Feeling guilty because so many other people have it so much worse. Guilty that I can afford to buy organic foods to help me heal and many people can't afford to shop. Feeling guilty that I can actually mourn the absence of some FOOD in my life, when I have so much to be thankful for instead.
But guilt is not a healthy emotion either. And stress is not good for healing anything in our bodies. So the rest of the day, I'm going to spend it trying to relax and not worry about anything. And focus on health and how good bone broth really does taste! And picture my body healing itself because of the good things I'm putting into it. And being grateful for a very understanding husband. And the fact that I am retired and can spend more time relaxing and not have to worry about getting out in this cold to go to work. And being thankful for a great family including four grand daughters that are healthy and have parents and grandparents that truly love them.
I do believe, in spite of hormones or whatever imbalance is going on in our bodies, that we can still CHOOSE our thoughts. And when God tells us to be thankful in ALL things, He really meant it for our own good. Being thankful changes our hearts and lightens the load of worry off of our shoulders. That will be my goal this second week.
And I promised I would list my cravings here, too. So here it is - I want a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with a big glass of milk! And a huge piece of chocolate cake. But, even though there is a craving for these things, it's not over powering. I just don't have the option to cheat right now.
I do believe my life really does depend on it.
Sunday, January 5, 2014
Day Five
After this week I will be probably be posting every two weeks or so unless something significant happens worth documenting. But I wanted to post more often this first week and am happy to say how easy this diet has been to follow so far! No cravings, no withdrawals, etc. Although, when my body is flaring it feels pretty "flu-like" anyway so I'm not sure I would know the difference. :)
I have discovered, after further research, that there are some contradictions out there about what is allowed and not allowed to eat on this protocol. For example, some sites list nuts and oatmeal as acceptable to eat and other sites say to avoid them. My decision on this is to err on the side of caution and eliminate them at least for awhile. There are also some cookbooks that allow pure maple syrup and some other sweeteners that I've decided to stay away from for a period of time. I would like to keep my blood sugar as level as I can without spiking it up (and then inevitably down) for the first few months.
No significant changes in how I feel. But I will point out (sorry if this is TMI) that I am peeing and peeing and peeing!! I'm assuming that I am getting rid of a lot of "bloat" from all of that holiday eating. But holy cow.
One thing I also learned is to take a bath with Epsom salts and baking soda to draw out more toxins. Since it's below zero outside this evening, a nice hot bath with candles and soothing music sounds pretty good!
Again, I will be sharing some recipes and lessons learned as I go along. And as I also learn to navigate this blog! :)
I have discovered, after further research, that there are some contradictions out there about what is allowed and not allowed to eat on this protocol. For example, some sites list nuts and oatmeal as acceptable to eat and other sites say to avoid them. My decision on this is to err on the side of caution and eliminate them at least for awhile. There are also some cookbooks that allow pure maple syrup and some other sweeteners that I've decided to stay away from for a period of time. I would like to keep my blood sugar as level as I can without spiking it up (and then inevitably down) for the first few months.
No significant changes in how I feel. But I will point out (sorry if this is TMI) that I am peeing and peeing and peeing!! I'm assuming that I am getting rid of a lot of "bloat" from all of that holiday eating. But holy cow.
One thing I also learned is to take a bath with Epsom salts and baking soda to draw out more toxins. Since it's below zero outside this evening, a nice hot bath with candles and soothing music sounds pretty good!
Again, I will be sharing some recipes and lessons learned as I go along. And as I also learn to navigate this blog! :)
Friday, January 3, 2014
Day Three
Just ending day three on the autoimmune food plan. So far it has not been difficult and I have not really been craving anything. I'm planning to post recipes here eventually as I try them. I did make the avocado ginger dressing and it was really good. My husband has been super supportive and has been researching his own recipes as well as finding informational websites. He even ordered organic items for us from one site that offers free delivery. I'll share that website once we receive the items and tried them out.
Having several joint flares today. But I did not expect immediate results. And I would not be surprised if my body is still reacting to the way I was eating over the last couple weeks.
One lesson learned - just because I can have something does not mean I have to consume enormous amounts of it! For example, I found out I could have cashews and have eaten my weight in them over the last two days. Moderation still applies to this way of eating.
Today my friend Laurie showed me some different things I can do to change the layout of my blog. So I will be playing with that over the next few days!
Having several joint flares today. But I did not expect immediate results. And I would not be surprised if my body is still reacting to the way I was eating over the last couple weeks.
One lesson learned - just because I can have something does not mean I have to consume enormous amounts of it! For example, I found out I could have cashews and have eaten my weight in them over the last two days. Moderation still applies to this way of eating.
Today my friend Laurie showed me some different things I can do to change the layout of my blog. So I will be playing with that over the next few days!
Wednesday, January 1, 2014
New Year is here
January 1, 2014! The new year is here! I'm so ready to do this lifestyle overhaul thing. My husband Tony and I ate burgers from McDonalds last night. Probably for the last time, at least for me. And, honestly, it didn't taste that good. And I felt gross afterward. I take that as a good sign that I'm ready to be done with junk food and bad eating.
Right now I have bone broth simmering on the stove. Started my day with a shake made in my Nutri-bullet consisting of an apple, a pear, two carrots, some Kale, half of a cucumber (all organic), some organic pure cherry juice and a little coconut milk. Tonight will probably bone broth and a big salad. I found a recipe for salad dressing made from avocado, apple cider vinegar, purified water, coconut oil and grated ginger all blended in a food processor. I'm curious to see how this tastes. I'm also taking Omega XL and L-glutamine pills. And an organic multi-vitamin. Waiting for my oil of oregano to come in the mail.
I probably won't necessarily blog every day what I'm eating. But maybe the first week so I can document how I'm feeling. I did take my meds yesterday, I need to wean off of them instead of going cold turkey. And wait until my body starts healing.
Last night was probably the worst I have felt in a long time. (hmm.. maybe the McDonalds?) so I think it can only go up from here. My weight and blood pressure are up. My elbows are flared and tender, the rest of my body just feels stiff and sore. I think I'm paying for all the "last" things I wanted to eat before starting this. You would think "pain vs. ice cream" should be a no brainer decision. You would think.
Happy New Year to everyone out there. Here's to everyone having a healthy, joyful 2014!
Right now I have bone broth simmering on the stove. Started my day with a shake made in my Nutri-bullet consisting of an apple, a pear, two carrots, some Kale, half of a cucumber (all organic), some organic pure cherry juice and a little coconut milk. Tonight will probably bone broth and a big salad. I found a recipe for salad dressing made from avocado, apple cider vinegar, purified water, coconut oil and grated ginger all blended in a food processor. I'm curious to see how this tastes. I'm also taking Omega XL and L-glutamine pills. And an organic multi-vitamin. Waiting for my oil of oregano to come in the mail.
I probably won't necessarily blog every day what I'm eating. But maybe the first week so I can document how I'm feeling. I did take my meds yesterday, I need to wean off of them instead of going cold turkey. And wait until my body starts healing.
Last night was probably the worst I have felt in a long time. (hmm.. maybe the McDonalds?) so I think it can only go up from here. My weight and blood pressure are up. My elbows are flared and tender, the rest of my body just feels stiff and sore. I think I'm paying for all the "last" things I wanted to eat before starting this. You would think "pain vs. ice cream" should be a no brainer decision. You would think.
Happy New Year to everyone out there. Here's to everyone having a healthy, joyful 2014!
Monday, December 30, 2013
2014 Changes
I love making New Year resolutions. I love the fresh hope each new year brings. And even if I don't completely stick to each one, I feel like my life is always a little bit better by at least trying to apply them. Eat better, read the Bible more, work on relationships, exercise more, etc. Pretty much the standard resolutions. But I actually get excited writing them out.
This year, it's going to be a little bit different. And there will not be any going back once I get started.
About ten years ago, I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis or RA. The first time I ever heard of RA was when my dad was diagnosed with it in 1985 at age 58. At that time, I just assumed he had some kind of "arthritis" that effected most older people. My dad was very athletic in his youth, and I figured it had caught up with his body (whatever that means). In fact, there was not a lot of information about RA back in 1985 and I think even the doctors were not sure how to treat it.
But RA is an autoimmune disease, just like Lupus, Crohns Disease, Multiple Sclerosis, and many other autoimmune disorders. Basically, your immune system is designed to attack any "foreign" things in your body like infections or viruses. But with autoimmune diseases, there is confusion and your body ends up attacking itself. With Crohns, it attacks your digestion. With psoriasis, it attacks healthy skin tissue, with MS it attacks your nerves. And with RA, it attacks your joints and muscles.
It's obviously much more complicated than that, but I don't want to get too in-depth medically. But I do want to describe what it's like to have RA. Hopefully to help people understand, in case they know someone with an autoimmune disorder. And also, to hopefully give encouragement to those who are suffering. Because this blog is my journey of trying to heal myself through a complete lifestyle change.
The first symptom I got was a lot of pain and stiffness in one of my shoulders. One night I found that I couldn't even lift my arm. I thought maybe I had injured myself, but could not figure out what I did. The pain kept me up all night, but then it pretty much went away later the next day. I didn't think anything of it after that. But then on another day, my other shoulder did the same thing. Pretty soon, the pain and stiffness began to "move around" to different joints. My fingers would feel like they were jammed all the time. My jaw would swell, keeping me from being able to fully close my mouth. I learned that these were "flares". Usually a flare would be accompanied by a low grade fever and just a general "blah" feeling all over as my body was fighting off what it thought was something foreign.
I went to the doctor and was told it was "some kind of arthritis" and was given Vicodin for the pain. One day, I had a flare in my hip joint that was so bad I cried the entire night from the pain. Even Vicodin didn't take the edge off. My doctor ordered an MRI, but it only showed inflammation, so I was sent home again with more pain killers. Finally, my family doctor sent me to a rheumatologist. Through blood tests (and family history) he diagnosed me with RA.
It took two years to finally be diagnosed. The rheumatologist started me on a low dose chemo drug called Methotrexate (or MTX). This drug takes 6 weeks to get into your system. It wreaks havoc on your stomach and causes your hair to fall out by the handful. I was told I would be on it the rest of my life. The MTX seemed to lessen the intensity of the flares, but I was still having them. So the doctor switched me to injections rather than pills. And in 2006, he added a biological drug called Humira.
Humira changed my life. My hands no longer hurt and my overall stiffness was almost completely gone. I felt like I got my life back! For six years, I did well on the combination of MTX and Humira. I didn't care that I had to give myself two shots every week, I was mobile and pain free!
But then the Humira started to wear off. I had a couple of small flares. I was tired all the time. Then I suddenly developed a terrible rash on my legs that was diagnosed as psoriasis. I was told that the Humira (which is also given to patients with psoriasis) had actually GIVEN me the psoriasis. This made absolutely no sense to me, and still doesn't. In doing research, I found this is not uncommon. My sister has Crohn's disease and she took a drug called Remicade that gave her Lupus.
So I was switched from Humira to Enbrel and from MTX to Arava in 2012. The Enbrel worked great. For about a year. Then in early 2013 I had a couple small flares. And realized one day that the toes on my right foot were going numb. Since one of the side effects of Enbrel can be multiple sclerosis, I told my rheumatologist I want off of it. In December 2013 I started on Orencia.
Which brings me to today. The Orencia is not working. I've been pretty much flaring all month. And if you Google the side effects of Orencia, it's extremely scary because one of the many listed there is a high risk of cancer.
It's then I started reading up on autoimmune diseases and how many people have been able to go into remission or even cured themselves by completely changing their way of eating. One of the theories is that many people with autoimmune diseases suffer from a "leaky gut". Their digestive systems get messed up (do you like my technical term?) from years of processed food, stress, taking too many non-steroidal drugs (such as Ibuprofen) or just from food allergies they are not even aware that they have. Because their digestive systems don't work properly, foreign antibodies "leak" into their blood streams and their immune system go on the attack to get rid of them.
The only way to change this is to heal the gut. By eliminating anything damaging and feeding it only "good" foods, allowing it to heal itself. And the elimination list is very lengthy. We are talking about almost all of the foods I love. No white flour, no sugar, no coffee, no beans, no wheat or gluten of any kind, no dairy, no white potatoes, no tomatoes, no soy, no corn. The list seems endless. Basically, it's eating only organic fruits and vegetables (to avoid any possible GMO or pesticides) and only grass fed beef or chicken (due to the hormones or antibiotics, etc.). It's going to involve some juicing, some drinking herbal teas, drinking healing bone broth and weird things like oil of oregano and slippery elm.
It sounds boring and dreary and impossibly hard. And expensive. I figure my grocery bill will pretty much double with buying organic. My body will probably go through withdrawals from the caffeine, sugar and whatever other toxins I've put into it, especially this holiday season. I have de-toxed my body in the past. It's not fun.
But instead of dreading it, I'm looking forward to 2014. I'm looking forward to putting good things into my body and feeling better. Most of all I'm clinging to the hope that my body will heal itself and I will not long have to take the potent meds with their long, long list of side effects.
I have the full support of my husband on this. He plans to do most of it with me, although he will not be as strict. There will be no cheat days for me. Every step off the plan will be a step backward in healing. Everyone's bodies are different - some have taken three months, others six months, others over a year. So I don't know my timetable yet. Some foods can be gradually added in once my digestion is healed. But I will never again be free to eat any processed foods or be careless about junk food or drink an entire pot of coffee. And I will need to end my love affair with Whiteys ice cream.
However long it takes, it will be worth it. I've tried everything else. I have done most of the drugs that are out there now. I have been prayed over for healing. (Side note - I still believe God can heal. I just think He heals in different ways and this could be mine.) At this point, I really have nothing to lose (but maybe a few pounds). If it doesn't heal me, I will at least be healthier. I'm ready for this huge change. I'm ready to get up in the morning without feeling like I've been hit by a truck. I want to get on the floor and play with my grandchildren without worrying about whether I can get back up without help.
And most of all - I want to see them graduate and get married and have their own babies. This disease took my dad at the young age of 66. It contributed to my brother's death a year and a half ago at age 55. I don't want to be another one of its victims.
So this blog is going to be my documentation of this journey ahead. And everything I'm feeling, craving, overcoming and eating for the next few months. On the outside I plan to talk very little about this. Because, seriously, people will get sick of hearing about it. But this blog will be my way of venting and celebrating. And, if anyone wants to read it - thank you in advance! :)
And tonight is our "last meal" of sorts. So what are we eating? Why, pizza and fried chicken, course!! And maybe one more trip to Whiteys.
This year, it's going to be a little bit different. And there will not be any going back once I get started.
About ten years ago, I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis or RA. The first time I ever heard of RA was when my dad was diagnosed with it in 1985 at age 58. At that time, I just assumed he had some kind of "arthritis" that effected most older people. My dad was very athletic in his youth, and I figured it had caught up with his body (whatever that means). In fact, there was not a lot of information about RA back in 1985 and I think even the doctors were not sure how to treat it.
But RA is an autoimmune disease, just like Lupus, Crohns Disease, Multiple Sclerosis, and many other autoimmune disorders. Basically, your immune system is designed to attack any "foreign" things in your body like infections or viruses. But with autoimmune diseases, there is confusion and your body ends up attacking itself. With Crohns, it attacks your digestion. With psoriasis, it attacks healthy skin tissue, with MS it attacks your nerves. And with RA, it attacks your joints and muscles.
It's obviously much more complicated than that, but I don't want to get too in-depth medically. But I do want to describe what it's like to have RA. Hopefully to help people understand, in case they know someone with an autoimmune disorder. And also, to hopefully give encouragement to those who are suffering. Because this blog is my journey of trying to heal myself through a complete lifestyle change.
The first symptom I got was a lot of pain and stiffness in one of my shoulders. One night I found that I couldn't even lift my arm. I thought maybe I had injured myself, but could not figure out what I did. The pain kept me up all night, but then it pretty much went away later the next day. I didn't think anything of it after that. But then on another day, my other shoulder did the same thing. Pretty soon, the pain and stiffness began to "move around" to different joints. My fingers would feel like they were jammed all the time. My jaw would swell, keeping me from being able to fully close my mouth. I learned that these were "flares". Usually a flare would be accompanied by a low grade fever and just a general "blah" feeling all over as my body was fighting off what it thought was something foreign.
I went to the doctor and was told it was "some kind of arthritis" and was given Vicodin for the pain. One day, I had a flare in my hip joint that was so bad I cried the entire night from the pain. Even Vicodin didn't take the edge off. My doctor ordered an MRI, but it only showed inflammation, so I was sent home again with more pain killers. Finally, my family doctor sent me to a rheumatologist. Through blood tests (and family history) he diagnosed me with RA.
It took two years to finally be diagnosed. The rheumatologist started me on a low dose chemo drug called Methotrexate (or MTX). This drug takes 6 weeks to get into your system. It wreaks havoc on your stomach and causes your hair to fall out by the handful. I was told I would be on it the rest of my life. The MTX seemed to lessen the intensity of the flares, but I was still having them. So the doctor switched me to injections rather than pills. And in 2006, he added a biological drug called Humira.
Humira changed my life. My hands no longer hurt and my overall stiffness was almost completely gone. I felt like I got my life back! For six years, I did well on the combination of MTX and Humira. I didn't care that I had to give myself two shots every week, I was mobile and pain free!
But then the Humira started to wear off. I had a couple of small flares. I was tired all the time. Then I suddenly developed a terrible rash on my legs that was diagnosed as psoriasis. I was told that the Humira (which is also given to patients with psoriasis) had actually GIVEN me the psoriasis. This made absolutely no sense to me, and still doesn't. In doing research, I found this is not uncommon. My sister has Crohn's disease and she took a drug called Remicade that gave her Lupus.
So I was switched from Humira to Enbrel and from MTX to Arava in 2012. The Enbrel worked great. For about a year. Then in early 2013 I had a couple small flares. And realized one day that the toes on my right foot were going numb. Since one of the side effects of Enbrel can be multiple sclerosis, I told my rheumatologist I want off of it. In December 2013 I started on Orencia.
Which brings me to today. The Orencia is not working. I've been pretty much flaring all month. And if you Google the side effects of Orencia, it's extremely scary because one of the many listed there is a high risk of cancer.
It's then I started reading up on autoimmune diseases and how many people have been able to go into remission or even cured themselves by completely changing their way of eating. One of the theories is that many people with autoimmune diseases suffer from a "leaky gut". Their digestive systems get messed up (do you like my technical term?) from years of processed food, stress, taking too many non-steroidal drugs (such as Ibuprofen) or just from food allergies they are not even aware that they have. Because their digestive systems don't work properly, foreign antibodies "leak" into their blood streams and their immune system go on the attack to get rid of them.
The only way to change this is to heal the gut. By eliminating anything damaging and feeding it only "good" foods, allowing it to heal itself. And the elimination list is very lengthy. We are talking about almost all of the foods I love. No white flour, no sugar, no coffee, no beans, no wheat or gluten of any kind, no dairy, no white potatoes, no tomatoes, no soy, no corn. The list seems endless. Basically, it's eating only organic fruits and vegetables (to avoid any possible GMO or pesticides) and only grass fed beef or chicken (due to the hormones or antibiotics, etc.). It's going to involve some juicing, some drinking herbal teas, drinking healing bone broth and weird things like oil of oregano and slippery elm.
It sounds boring and dreary and impossibly hard. And expensive. I figure my grocery bill will pretty much double with buying organic. My body will probably go through withdrawals from the caffeine, sugar and whatever other toxins I've put into it, especially this holiday season. I have de-toxed my body in the past. It's not fun.
But instead of dreading it, I'm looking forward to 2014. I'm looking forward to putting good things into my body and feeling better. Most of all I'm clinging to the hope that my body will heal itself and I will not long have to take the potent meds with their long, long list of side effects.
I have the full support of my husband on this. He plans to do most of it with me, although he will not be as strict. There will be no cheat days for me. Every step off the plan will be a step backward in healing. Everyone's bodies are different - some have taken three months, others six months, others over a year. So I don't know my timetable yet. Some foods can be gradually added in once my digestion is healed. But I will never again be free to eat any processed foods or be careless about junk food or drink an entire pot of coffee. And I will need to end my love affair with Whiteys ice cream.
However long it takes, it will be worth it. I've tried everything else. I have done most of the drugs that are out there now. I have been prayed over for healing. (Side note - I still believe God can heal. I just think He heals in different ways and this could be mine.) At this point, I really have nothing to lose (but maybe a few pounds). If it doesn't heal me, I will at least be healthier. I'm ready for this huge change. I'm ready to get up in the morning without feeling like I've been hit by a truck. I want to get on the floor and play with my grandchildren without worrying about whether I can get back up without help.
And most of all - I want to see them graduate and get married and have their own babies. This disease took my dad at the young age of 66. It contributed to my brother's death a year and a half ago at age 55. I don't want to be another one of its victims.
So this blog is going to be my documentation of this journey ahead. And everything I'm feeling, craving, overcoming and eating for the next few months. On the outside I plan to talk very little about this. Because, seriously, people will get sick of hearing about it. But this blog will be my way of venting and celebrating. And, if anyone wants to read it - thank you in advance! :)
And tonight is our "last meal" of sorts. So what are we eating? Why, pizza and fried chicken, course!! And maybe one more trip to Whiteys.
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