I am a 40 year-old female competitive
marathon runner, 5 feet 3 inches tall, weighing 110 pounds, and I am
extremely athletic and fit. I do an intensive
strength-training program every morning and then go back to the gym
at lunchtime to do an hour of “cardio.” In my late 30's I was
an exceptionally gifted long distance runner and began to train very
hard to qualify for the 2012 Olympic Trials. I was still a
long way off, but that was the goal I lived for.
This
all changed in December of 2008, the day after I qualified for the
prestigious Boston Marathon. I had been training 3 times a day for
almost a year when I was struck down with painful arthritis.
High as a kite on my success and achievement, I started limping the
next day. My orthopedic doctor thought I had suffered from a
simple injury. But this one event soon became one of many seemingly
endless “injuries,” including several neuromas in both feet, and
numerous types of tendonitis and joint inflammation, which lasted
throughout 2009. Even though I was forced to take many months off
from running, I still kept getting “injured.” A short time later, I
developed inflammation in my jaw, my right hand, and elbow. I
practically lived in my orthopedist's office, getting one cortisone
shot after another every few weeks in different joints and living on
the anti-inflammatory medication, diclofenac (Voltaren, Cataflam),
for almost a year.
My
orthopedist finally told me, “Look, this is beyond bad luck, I think
you need to get tested for autoimmune diseases, like rheumatoid
arthritis and lupus, or maybe gout. I was absolutely shocked. I had
heard of these, but I didn’t think they happened to healthy, active
people like me. I dismissed his comments as ludicrous, but
after another couple of months, because of my progressive
disability, I could no longer ignore him. I felt very depressed. I
was crippled with what three doctors eventually told me was
rheumatoid arthritis.
Bowel Problems and More
At about the same time my joints were
failing me my digestive system started going absolutely haywire.
For years I had suffered from IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) on and
off. Three years ago, my gastroenterologist did an endoscopy and
diagnosed me with acid reflux, followed by a treatment with a proton
pump inhibitor, Protonix, for the next three years. Because of the
side effects from the diclofenac, I got to the point where I
couldn't eat any longer; my stomach and esophagus were painfully
inflamed. I had terrible nausea, unbearable stomach cramps,
and constant bloating. I felt terrible. While all of this was going
on, I was eating a diet heavy in dairy, meat, and processed foods,
which I then thought were healthy. I gained six pounds. I was also
taking about 30 vitamins and other supplements daily. How could I be
so sick?
My orthopedist begged me to see a
rheumatologist. Before making that appointment I went on the
Internet to look up the side effects of all the prescription drugs
that this doctor might prescribe for me. I was absolutely horrified.
I actually started to cry and instantly felt that there was no way
on this earth I was going to take any of these. The side effects
were like taking cancer chemotherapy and I quickly realized that I
would have at least 6 grave new problems on top of all the other
stuff going on. Any medication that lists leukemia as a possible
side effect should not be called a treatment—it should be called a
death sentence. I decided then and there that I would die slowly and
on my own terms.
Discovering Foods that Cause Autoimmunity
My next effort to save myself was to go to
Amazon.com and type in “Living with RA.” All of the books said the
same thing: diet and food allergies/leaky gut syndrome/candida and
prescription meds (especially the ones I was taking) can cause RA
and other autoimmune diseases. Fortunately, these books started me
looking at my diet. I went off Protonix, diclofenac and most of my
supplements cold turkey that day. Next, I made an appointment with
an immunologist.
The immunologist tested me for everything
under the sun via blood, stool, and food allergy testing. I
was also tested for several autoimmune disorders. The
diagnosis was an allergy to eggs (whites and yolks), which was
likely caused by all the medications I was taking. Beginning
December 1, 2009, I removed all eggs and egg products from my life.
I soon realized on my own that dairy was also a problem.
That’s when I found Dr. McDougall and became a healthy vegan. Within
a day or so, my symptoms started to improve and have kept improving
over weeks, and now months.
My Whole Life Has Improved
My bowel movements are now the best I've
ever had. Looking back, I actually don't think I had had a normal BM
since I was a baby. My stomach and intestines are completely
comfortable now. Instead of having constant muscle soreness from the
workouts, at worst, I now have only mild fatigue in my muscles after
a hard workout. For the past several years, I would wake up
multiple times in the middle of the night tossing and turning and
then get up exhausted the next day. I put that down to age,
too. Now I sleep like a baby and wake up feeling refreshed, it's
miraculous!
My cholesterol had remained at about 220 mg/dL
for the past seven years, with my "good" cholesterol being very
high, so none of my doctors ever batted an eyelid. In February
of 2010, after my diet change, my cholesterol reading was 160 mg/dL.
Another thing that amazes me is how little I
need to eat now. I used to need to eat massive amounts of food each
day and now I need so much less. I think this is because my body is
now getting real food with real nutrients. As soon as I went off the
meds and stopped eating eggs and dairy, I lost the six pounds I had
gained with the RA. It literally shed within two weeks. I think most
of the excess weight was from the bloating and inflammation I had
suffered with the RA.
Some of My Practical Steps
On beginning my new diet, I went through my
pantry and removed 90% of the food. Then I went on a few big
shopping trips to Whole Foods and bought only vegan items. I pored
over vegan recipes, writing down all the recurring ingredients in
order to make a shopping list to restock my pantry. I now think a
week in advance about what I want to eat in order to have fresh
foods available. Sunday evening is my big cooking time.
Every week I make a vegetable soup (with just water, vegetables, a
few spices, and quinoa or brown rice). This lasts me for the week. I
eat the soup every day with my lunch and use the extra broth to cook
rice and in any recipe that calls for broth. I bake a vegan
pasta dish and eat that also a few times during the week. I prepare
my own dressings, sauces, and granola. I take all my own food to
work every day. When I leave home for more than a few hours, I bring
an apple, smoothie, or some snacks along.
My Running Is Back On Track
In
January 2010, after three weeks without any meat and dairy products
I was able to start running again. This was after 13 months of pain
and disability! I am now off of all my medications. I ran the elite
Boston Marathon on April 19, 2010 with no pain nor injury,
whatsoever. I am now training for a half marathon in August and a
full marathon in October. I may never be able to qualify for the
Olympic Trials, but I am going to keep trying for 2016. The most
important thing is that I am now completely free of joint
inflammation and pain—and I can run!
Adopting a vegan diet has been enlightening
and has changed my whole life for the good. I can't look at
Western foods the same, ever again. They repulse me. When I see the
meat and dairy products now, I see illness, pain, and suffering. I
also think of the suffering animals and our failing environment. My
involuntary internal reactions make it easy for me to abstain.