Where did I leave off? Chris and I had just found a wealth of information on the good ole internet about healing Rheumatoid Arthritis naturally. This appealed to both of us, especially after researching medications that are conventionally used to treat RA. Prednisone, methotrexate, Humira, etc., all seemed to make one susceptible to infections by weakening the immune system. It just didn't seem to make sense. I understand that RA was believed to be the immune system attacking itself, and at first, I just believe that that was it. But as I kept reading, I started to think maybe there was more to it.
I cannot summarize all that I've read and researched, but I'll try. There were many people, including professionals, saying that RA and other diseases (autoimmune and others) were not the result of an immune system attacking itself. A lot of research was done, and there is a convincing case made. I feel sort of wishy washy because I can't make that same case, but there are a lot of helpful links below. Anyways, RA was suspected to be linked to diet, to harmful things in the environment, to problems in the intestinal lining, to infections, and to plenty of other things.
If you'd like more information, you should visit these links:
Joe Hackett's WebsiteRheumatoid Arthritis and the Diet AlternativeHow To Do An Elimination DietAsk. Dr. Walt StollAll of these websites and others motivated me to do an elimination diet. We were going to determine if I was allergic to any foods by eliminating all but a few and then gradually adding them back into my diet. We would then pay attention to see if I flared up in response to them. Chris would help me out and eat with me in solidarity. For the first week, we ate only lamb, cod, sweet potatoes, carrots, celery, broccoli, cauliflower, olive oil, and salt. I was supposed to experience a withdrawal and then a clearing of my symptoms. To be honest, both were quite minimal, but from what we had read, about 20% of people have similar experiences because food allergies may not be the major cause of pain.
Through the diet, I found myself to be allergic to peanuts, potatoes, and wheat. These would cause me to flare up. Even while I was avoiding these foods, I still had pain, so it was evident that foods were not the only cause for my RA.
It was April 24th when we met with my Rheumatologist. She asked me questions about my history and examined me. She said my RA was pretty aggressive, and wanted to get me on prednisone and methotrexate. She had me take a bunch of x-rays so I could be monitored while I took prednisone (which is known for being hard on the bones) and I also got a lot of blood tests done. I wasn't sure how to feel about being put on these drugs right away, but she said she wanted to get to it right away. We mentioned a natural way, but she said they only treated the side effects, not the real cause.
On May 9th, I visited a different doctor. He had been recommended to us by a church friend, and when we called, we didn't have to wait four months for an appointment.
This appointment was definitely different. I told them of my recent history, including the elimination diet. He said, 'Good, then we don't have to convince you to eat well.' I laid down on my back, and the doctor and his assistant spent the hour lifting up my feet, pushing my arm down, and putting pills and magnets on my body. Through these various, confusing tests, he told me I was allergic to peanuts, wheat, and dairy (he didn't test for potatoes). He also said I had an infection in my lymph node. He said they would treat for infection in the body, work to strengthen the immune system, and eventually heal my RA. It sounded crazy, but he told us where he and his clinic were coming from. 'We believe that every cell has an electromagnetic charge.' Through the use of the magnets, he could tell how much of a certain supplement my body needed. This isn't magnet therapy or anything, he used it as a way to tell what my body needed. (For those interested,
this is his website.)
I can't fully explain it. My husband and I are still slightly confused by what exactly the doctor does, but we have seen the improvements. He is confident that my RA will go away, and has had patients who have healed (perhaps not completely) from it.
All the supplements he gives are natural and only made to help the body. All of the drugs prescribed in the 'conventional' medical world alter the body and usually have horrible side effects. These supplements were meant to help the body do what it is supposed to do - take care of itself.
I'd like to say that I've been seeing Dr. Peterson since that May and have been steadily getting better, but it's never that easy.
I did start taking methotrexate and prednisone for only one reason - my honeymoon. I got married May 17th, and Chris and I were going to go to Europe for a month. Since it was only a month, and it was our honeymoon, I decided to take methotrexate and prednisone and quit my diet for the month of July. I took methotrexate for two weeks beforehand since my Rheumatologist told me it took a while to kick in. They did provide relief, and I ate anything I wanted to in Europe, including the foods that usually made me flare up.
It wasn't all fun and games. I did experience side effects - my face would itch, and I had a few infections. And days when the pain got too bad, I felt dizzy and lightheaded. At least I was experiencing it in Europe.
When I came back home, I took two weeks to wean myself off of my medications and the foods I had been eating. Unfortunately, I stopped taking prednisone a bit too fast, and went through some bad withdrawals. But soon, I had called my Rheumatologist and told her we had found a doctor closer to home. I was also on a wheat-free, dairy-free, peanut-free, and potato-free diet. I find when I do come into contact with these foods (more often than I know through contamination), I flare up.
I continued to see Dr. Peterson every month, taking supplements he prescribed for me. My insurance pays little (I actually think they pay nothing, but I'm not sure), so it is all pocket money.
September was a rough month, but I began to improve. My wedding ring was loose, my left knee was hardly ever swollen, and I could see the bones in my feet and spaces between my toes again. The pain was still there, but it seemed to be changing. Before, the swollenness brought a dull ache that would be interrupted by sharp pangs when I moved too quickly or hit my hand on something. Now, it was, in a way, more painful, where it hurt to do anything.
I had a few good pairs of shoes that supported my ankles well, but in December, I found a much better pair of boots (Ariats) that is great for my high arch and arthritis ankles. December was pretty cold, but my arthritis didn't flare up as I thought it would.
I had my monthly appointment with Peterson on the thirteenth of this month. This month, I was prescribed:
Lypospheric Vitamin-C - 1 pack/1x a dayComplete Minerals - 1 pill/3x a dayFlax - 1 scoop/1x a dayActifolate - 1 pill/1x a dayBenfotiamine - 2 pills/3x a dayBio D Mulson - 3 drops/1x a dayCyruta Plus - 3 tablets/3x a daySynthovial Seven - 2 droppersfull/1x a dayAutocin - 3 pills/3x a dayQuite a load, right? It's been worse. I'm also taking a few leftover pills, 1 a day, until I run out.
Well, since my last appointment, I've been feeling really good. I think it's the Autocin, which Dr. Peterson said was specifically for autoimmune diseases. We also looked it up on the internet, and it has a few 'miracle' stories attached to it. My right knee, which is always very swollen, has been much smaller than it usually is. I haven't had as much pain in the night or when I wake up. I'm taking less tylenol than usual, as well. I know it isn't just one of the supplement, but probably a mix of all of them, as well as staying away from my danger foods, exercise, and lots of hot showers.
I remain sure that I'm on my way towards healing. I'm not sure how long it will take or if it will come from just this one doctor. I'm not sure what is in the future, but hopefully, my body will have healed itself to the point where I can eat anything, open jars like I used to, and run whenever I feel like it. My sister asked me if I could still run the other day, and I really don't remember the last time I tried to.
There's a quote from the movie Ushpizin (I think it was Rabbi Nachman who said it). "If you are lacking something, there is two reasons. It either has not been prayed for...or it hasn't been prayed for enough" (paraphrased).
That's all I have for now, but I'm going to keep this blog updated!
