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So here I am again, neglectful journal-er ... sneaking back in...

I don't have too much to report, only......



I HAVE REACHED A NEW LEVEL OF PAIN REDUCTION!!!!!


I am SO happy. Yet another step forward.


I have some hard times on this diet. I question whether I am just perpetuating a denial about my illness and am being foolish to pursue this WOE to help and heal my arthritis.

Usually these doubts happen at night, when I am tired and cranky, and lead to a little bit of insomnia. Nothing huge, but I am someone who falls asleep in seconds, so worrying in bed for an extra 40 minutes seems endless. I know from my husband, who TRULY suffers from days-without-sleep-insomnia, that this is small change, but still, it keeps me up.

The changes are slow for me. Initially dramatic, then slow ups and downs, trending towards good (as I have mentioned before) and the plateaus of improvement are the hardest times for me. That's where the doubts really creep in.

But I am happy to say, that I have passed through another milestone and it has given me renewed commitment, hope and ENERGY.

AND I am VERY glad to say that THIS time the results ARE NOT from a temporarily renewed burst of beneficial bone marrow production immediately after going off immune-suppressing drugs, as my new rheumaltologist suggested my initial improvements were. Because I haven't taken any pill for this except my B12 sublingual since the second week in January 2011.

So that doubt is off the worry-list, at the very least.

I'm glad to hear that your progress continues, Nicole. Congratulations.

Something I have found very useful is to keep note in my private journal of health improvements I've seen when they happen. Then it's there in black and white to go back to and read any time the sorts of doubts you describe crop up.

I notice that my thoughts are very habitual and repetitive and I don't have to believe them or take them seriously. Sometimes it's hard to dismiss them -- they keep coming back -- but I can always question them.

I got a lot of help with handling troublesome thoughts by reading the book Loving What Is by Byron Katie and Stephen Mitchell.

Hi Nicole,

Just found your journal. This is the same condition as Phil Mickleson (the pro golfer) has. Wondering if he has ever heard of Dr. McDougall? Someone should tell him!

Blessings on your journey.
Looks like this is working for you.
Karen

I am so happy for you...I kind of hope you see that rheumaltologist again just so he knows (but sadly, he probably won't believe).

Thanks TominTN, both for reading up and for the great advice. I like the idea of keeping track and I also like the concept of questioning my habitual thoughts - and I definitely have them, too! Habitual thoughts, I mean.



Yes Karen! I feel a kinship with Phil Mickleson that I never felt before with any other pro golfer I have read that he switched his diet to vegetarian after his diagnosis and that he is on Enbrel which, according to my uncle, seems to work very well (I haven't tried it.)

I might try to tell him myself, although he is famous so it may be hard to get through without seeming like a quack-doodle.



Seeing my old rheumatologist and having him be astounded is one of my daydreams, Soliver! Although he probably would not care a bit. Or say something dismissive, or find another reason. With autoimmune disorders, there is always the "spontaneous remission" card to be played, and I doubt a professional with a bias against this type of treatment would believe my non-scientific observations. Oh well. But still, a girl can dream...

Way to go Nicole! I'm right there with you on the habitual and repetitive thoughts that don't help me to stay the course. Sounds like you're doing well, though. And yes, you can dream of the day when your doctor will actually listen to your results and actually support what you are doing. I was shocked to have that experience with a resident (med student) at an appointment this year. It literally made my day! There's hope!

And for now, progress is progress, whether your doc believes it or not!

Blessings to you,
Jubilee

Thanks Jubilee! It is nice to know I'm not the only one with those kooky thoughts!





Thanks! I am going to keep on dreamin', yes indeedy!

And how great for you to have that experience with the resident. Wonderful!

I trotted 4 blocks three days ago.

It was totally by accident. I was late for an appointment and I just went ahead.

It wasn't until I got there that I realized what I had done.

Oh no! I said. I hope I don't ruin everything! I hope my knees/feet/hips are OK!

Well.....They ARE OK!!!

yay!

That's great, Nicole. It's been so much fun to hear about your recovery. Thank you for sharing it with us.

Thanks TominTN !

You always cheer me up

I keep on diet steadily and so I don't have a lot to report, typically.

Had a bit of difficulty over the last week and a half feeling deprived - don't know why. I was wearing my pity pants and feeling sorry for myself that I *have* to eat so differently from the rest of the world - I know I don't really HAVE to, I CHOOSE to and that is a BIG distinction, but I was just in a whiny, poor-me space.

What I have noticed is that after an improvement in my arthritis, when I start to feel really normal, I will begin thinking "maybe I can eat like "everyone else" one day..." , forgetting, of course, that there are many good reasons to stay on this WOE, and not just arthritis management!

Oh well. Guess I am human after all

But anyway, I slogged through it, ate on plan even though I was resenting it and I am happy to report a renewed improvement in my arthritis and my general feelings of health.

It is just great to have found this way of eating and if anyone has psoriatic arthritis or arthritis and is reading this journal I'd like to let them know that EVEN THOUGH Star MacDougallers report nearly overnight success for arthritis, long-term, slow and steady improvement also occurs. I don't know why, I am not a doctor or a scientist, but I would recommend NOT GIVING UP for AT LEAST 4 MONTHS before writing this option off. It might not be easy and it might not be quick, but it does have a chance of helping dramatically over time.

It has been a really long time since I posted in my journal. In that lapsed-journalling time I tried a short water fast for a few days just to see if fasting really is anti-inflammatory. It is. I am not recommending it to anyone, and I won't be doing it again - just too unpleasant and not entirely safe top risk it, unless it is under strict supervision.

On the plus side, it made coming back to eating on a strictly elimination diet pretty easy, relatively speaking. I introduced one food at a time and although my symptoms came back slightly with all the foods I introduced, excepting quinoa, I am of the mind that it had more to do with the anti-inflammatory aspects of fasting and a leaky gut, rather than food allergies.

I also started a disciplined stretching/realignment routine. Both have been giving me great success. I actually thought I might be pregnant and experiencing immune suppression when my period was a few days late this month (sorry if that is offensive to anyone!) and I must say I had mixed feelings to discover I was not - yes, I was disappointed! BUT also excited that I have improved even more.

At this point I am still slowly introducing foods - none have been a problem yet - and staying put with my stretching and exercises.

At this point in my journey, I am with Star MacDougaller Burgess - I think the food has healed a lot of the inflammation and that body imbalances are the source of my very occasional joint pain now - it increases when I sit at the PC or drive all day without stretching, for example, but goes away when I move and stretch during the day at least once.

I also think that I have a leaky gut, which is slowly healing or improving. My doctor doesn't believe in leaky gut, and so won't help me out with a diagnosis, but the fact that fasting on water alone decreased my symptoms dramatically, and introducing the least inflammatory foods caused a slight increase, makes me think the inflammation might have to do with leaky gut. Of course, I could be wrong, but I can't live on water alone and eating this way IS really helping. I never had a DRAMATIC improvement, either, which seems to indicate slow healing, rather than food allergies.

Who knows, though. Maybe the slow healing has something to do with my endocrine system, or something else. Point is, it works, right?

I may discover some real food triggers as I keep adding foods, but I am sticking with the "safest" ones first so I have a large pool of choices to work with if I come across a major trigger.

I also have just returned from my first successful trip - I ate pon plan the whole time and felt way better than I expected. I stretched pretty well, not as much as I'd've liked, but still did SOMETHING every day and even though my husband and I had a nightmarish trip back yesterday that took about 12 hours - not on purpose! Delays, delays - I feel pretty good today!

So. Life is good.

Hiya Nicole,

I am ready for an elimination diet for psoriasis and need some help figuring out a starting-point menu. I hope you can give me some pointers based on your experience.

I started with McDougall about the same week you did. I also have PA and psoriasis, but began MCDOUgall eating to deal with high cholesterol. I have lost weight, Cholesterol is down, I feel much better. PA has been in remission even before starting McDougall, but my psoriasis is awful and I haven't seen any change at all.

I am READY to try an emlimination diet. But what can I eat ?
I am stumped about starches, so I will limit this post to starches, or it would be so long that no one would read it.!

It looks, from what I read in your journal that you eat brown rice. Do you also eat beans?
If I look at the McDougall page about elimination diets, I should avoid all seeds, which would include all grains and beans. It I cross off nightshades that means no potatoes. So am I only left with sweet potatoes? For a short-term start, I could deal with that, but I don't know which advice to follow....include rice, avoid rice? beans?
Burgess's Anit-itis website was very helpfull, but he does not avoid nightshades (if I am understanding it right).

ANyway, what starches do you eat? Or, what starches would you recommend I eat? I am willing go to with just one starch if necessary.

THANKS

PeggyNan

Hey PeggyNAn - I also sent you a PM about this.

I eat sweet potatoes - orange and yellow, baked and steamed. Brown rice, and quinoa. No beans yet.

I still avoid nightshades and citrus, but eats lots of other vegetables and fruits. I got to a point where I was feeling so good and enjoying my food so much that I stopped adding new things for a few weeks, but I will probably start introducing new items in a week or two.

Good luck!

Am in the middle of the largest flare I have had since beginning this WOE. Can barely sit here to post this.

Nothing has changed, so I am at a loss, although I might think more clearly once the brain fog accompanying the flare subsides.

Only thing of note - which might be very significant - is that I have been sick all week - really sick, swollen glands and all. Won't know until I get better from being sick if the flare is related to that or not.

Still eating this way. No way I am giving up. When I am less tired it will be back to the drawing board.


Faith is everything. This is just a test, way I see it.