Psoriatic Arthritis Journal - 2.5 year Update Page 63

[nicoles]

Thanks for the kind words and for visiting, frozenveg!


- Nicole

[frozenveg]

You're welcome, Nicole! I am so sorry to hear about the loss of your kitty....

You wrote:

So it is nice to know that to a large degree my chronic illness is under my control and affected by my choices, not just utter and uncontrollable randomness. I just wish I hadn't needed to get off track to realize it!

You have gained some valuable first-hand wisdom with your little off-wagon fall. You get to see the immediate effects of diet on your condition, and that is powerful! It means that you have tools at your disposal that can help you live pain-free, and also know that you will be brimming with vibrant health as well! Take that wisdom as the gold gleaned from your sad few days.

[nicoles]

Thanks again, FrozenVeg

That is a great perspective on the slip.

[nicoles]

Been kinda sick the last few days.

Wednesday I was awake all of 5 hours and slept like a log during the other 19, and Thursday, Friday, Saturday and (so far) today I still felt/feel *off*. My joint pains are holding steady after reducing a bit since my slip, but that could easily be due to my immune system working over time fighting off whatever it is I have.

No fever, but a few swollen glands and general digestive upset on top of tiredness. I won't go into any details.

Eating pretty well, and definitely still have an appetite, but I did have a couple of cups of green tea on Thurs .and Fri. to help me get through the day.

So now it is just a waiting game, I suppose.

[carollynne]

Dear Nicole, wow, what a journey you have been on, and I really thank you for sharing it with us. good for you!
I love how I am feeling on this plan too. My knees and their arthritis is what is motivating me, that and the HBP meds.
Please just forgive yourself for any and all humanness. Make a U-Turn and get back on on track.
Your wt loss is really great too!

[nicoles]

Hi Carollyne

Thanks for reading my long-winded entries and thanks for the encouragement! I always need to remember to forgive myself and it really helps out to hear you say that

It is also always nice to hear about others who do this for similar conditions (arthritis...HBP - I am borderline at the moment - and who knows what else I could have brewing?!?! I try not to ponder it too hard )

I am glad to know you are feeling better, too!

Nicole

[nicoles]

The last time I went to my new rheumatologist I told him about my dietary change and its apparent effect on my joint issues. He is a nice guy and allowed that I should keep track of trigger foods and avoid them, but he did present an alarming (to me) hypothesis about why my joints improved so quickly.

I was on an immune suppressant that I began having dangerous side effects from during the same week I started MacDougalling, and so my other doctor took me off of it for two weeks (still haven't been back on it). The new MD said it was possible that the meds were suppressing my bone marrow production and that when I went off a new surge of healthy bone marrow and immune doo-dads (? I only know so much as much as I try to seem well-informed ) that would then be replaced eventually by my *bad* psoriatic arthritis immune haywire-ness.

This is basically what he believed happened, I think. I am not sure that he was convinced about the diet and I forgive him for that. From what I understand, he has not been educated to look for that type of cure and he didn't yell or bully me about anything so he is a great improvement.

BUT I was worried about it - he planted the seed of doubt in my already fertile, pessimistic and skeptical brain.

When I went off diet the returned symptoms were more than I expected (who knows why I even had expectations - I had never tried this before) and I feared that it was as he supposed.

BUT now that I have been good to the nth degree for more than a week, the symptoms are subsiding exponentially each day.

It is actually very like the experience I had the first time I started eating this way a month ago. A couple of days into it, my joint pains go *kablooey*, and travel from place to place, from old joints to new and back again. It seems like things are getting worse, I despair, and then! I wake up one morning refreshed and feeling much much better. Not 100% yet, but SO much better.

Yay. Today is that day

[nicoles]

I think I have to face the fact that I am not much of a journal-er

Anyway, suffice it to say that I seem only to make journal entries when things take a dramatic turn for the better or the worse.

I have been lax in keeping my journal updated because things are slowly, steadily and undramatically improving. Still recovering from my dietary lapse a few weeks ago but definitely improving.

I have had some sort of minor illness or another for the last 3 weeks - stomach bug, ear infection and now a cold - and I am looking forward to being better from all that jazz soon.

My taste buds are adapting to the diet and the aromas of former favorite foods are beginning to smell odd or off to me.


Went to the doctor for my physical and got my numbers:

Blood Pressure 120/70
Fasting Blood Sugar: 85
Cholesterol: 108 (!)

Happy benefits!

[TominTN]

Awesome numbers! Steady as she goes...

[LoriJenny]

Wow Nicole...those numbers are wonderful!! It's so inspiring to hear about the success you are having with this new lifestyle and the arthritis! I have arthritis also and have noticed the benefits too...and when I go off of the diet, the pain seems to come bounding back, worse than ever (I think maybe it just seems worse because I'm getting used to it being less, if that makes sense.) Anyway, good for you!! You are doing great!!

[nicoles]

Thanks for the kind words TominTN and LoriJenny!

[nicoles]

Still going strong. Keep starting, then stopping, the elimination diet but eating the regular MacDougall diet with a couple of exceptions (wheat, soy) seems to be serving me well.

I got to 90% better as far as my psoriatic arthritis goes right off the bat and what seems to be happening now is a gradual trend of improvement rather than a dramatic shift. I will stay the same for a few days, then wake up one morning MUCH better and stay that way for long enough for that level to feel normal and then a few days or a week later I will have another positive shift.

At this point I primarily suffer from morning stiffness in a couple of joints for about 5-15 minutes and occasionally I will have pain in one joint that can be eliminated entirely if I take ibuprofen - but I try not to take any so my presumably leaky gut can heal - or reduced significantly if I drink a fresh ginger tea.

And I seem to be losing weight - I lost 15lbs pretty much the first month and now I seem to lose between 1-3lbs a week . Nice and normal, nothing too extreme. Works for me, especially as a "side effect" of the diet change I embarked upon to relive arthritis.

I am never hungry. I eat about 1,000 calories more than my husband does daily and I am losing weight and he is not (FINALLY the tables are turned! Mwahahaa!) I eat far more than the recommended amounts of vitamins and minerals each day, on average. I exercise every day and am gradually increasing the intensity of my workouts.

This just rocks. All there is to it.

And now I can read books like "Eating Animals" without feeling horribly guilty - just guilty for my past animal consumption. I did not get into this WOE for ethical reasons but I can feel my attitude about animal product consumption shifting towards an ethical stance more and more.

[Herbivore]

Hi Nicoles
As I've shared on these boards before, my mum was diagnosed with Psoriatic arth (and RA) some years ago. She takes multiple strong medications, and is uninterested in changing her diet to exclude animal products, oils or sugars etc. She has seen NO improvement in her condition over the last 10 years.
You are seeing improvements. Are they permanent? Who knows?
Who cares?! - You're getting a benefit today!
And just look at the great results you're getting in other aspects of your health.
Great to hear you are doing so well. I can relate to your comments about what a relief it is to find we don't actually need to eat animals to protect our own health - I was mislead about this for years.

[LindaPinda]

Nicole,
It's so good to read your journal.

Thanks for the encouragement.

I am so sorry you went through so much with your health care professionals. But I'm glad you're on your way to a health-filled life now!!!

Linda

[nicoles]

Hi Nicoles
As I've shared on these boards before, my mum was diagnosed with Psoriatic arth (and RA) some years ago. She takes multiple strong medications, and is uninterested in changing her diet to exclude animal products, oils or sugars etc. She has seen NO improvement in her condition over the last 10 years.
You are seeing improvements. Are they permanent? Who knows?
Who cares?! - You're getting a benefit today!
And just look at the great results you're getting in other aspects of your health.
Great to hear you are doing so well. I can relate to your comments about what a relief it is to find we don't actually need to eat animals to protect our own health - I was mislead about this for years.

Thanks for visiting Herbivore! It is really exciting that I am getting such dramatic results without strong medication. The results DO come with patience, dedication and perseverance but are SO worth it!

Nicole,
It's so good to read your journal.

Thanks for the encouragement.

I am so sorry you went through so much with your health care professionals. But I'm glad you're on your way to a health-filled life now!!!

Linda

Thanks Linda, and you are welcome I hope you are feeling better, too!