RA Update

I have been seeing the new chiropractor for a month now and I am feeling great results!!! We have discussed continuing on a gluten/dairy free diet and watching other inflammatory foods, especially sugar. He also recommended that for now I avoid all raw foods and instead concentrate on cooked foods and a daily dose of broth made from bone. He feels like my joints do not like the cold and I need to warm them up with cooked foods. I felt a sense of relief when he gave me these instructions because my body has only been craving warm, cooked foods. Sometimes I feel like I should be adding a salad to a meal, but my body just doesn't want to do it. He said instead to eat lots of steamed veggies. I should have known that when I listen, my body always leads me in the right direction.

I have been dignosed with rheumatoid arthritis for five years now and I have never had anyone tell me I need to do some rehabilitation work until now. It's funny because that is exactly what I thought would happen at my first appointment with the rheumatologist. I sadly learned that he was only my drug dealer and did no other work to heal my body. The chiropractor has me doing some exercises everyday for my knee and middle finger. He noticed that I just don't use the middle finger anymore and it needs some circulation and a reminder that it has a job to do. He does several manipulations at my visits and correlates sore spots on my body with food. This is great, but you can't lie that you have had more sugar than you should have. :)

Anyhow, my goal is to be able to sit on the ground and get up without any difficulty and I feel like I am almost there. Walking up and down the stairs is feeling pretty easy again. When I went off the medications I had a lot of soreness in my wrists and they too have become very lazy and weak. So, they too need some working out.

I feel more energy coming back to me and the feeling of doom being lifted away. I feel proud of my accomplishments. I never thought going off the meds was going to be so difficult. However, with my one year of med free life coming up at the end of February, I feel like I am almost back to my normal self and feel like I have accomplished so much. I am already looking forward to long bike rides in forest preserves this summer with my family, camping, swimming, racing with the kids, long walks with our dog Izzy, and much more. I feel pretty lucky to be me!