I am one of the lucky ones. I was diagnosed with lupus, an auto-immune disease, over ten years ago and it really has not manifested itself in a deadly way. Lupus has had a profound effect of my life, however. We lost a baby at 20 weeks because of my body's auto-immune attack on the placenta. The last two pregnancies were coaxed along with blood thinners and hormones. I have more than fifty pounds to lose; my sluggish thyroid, chronic fatigue and joint pain make it nearly impossible. basically, my body is a mess, but I know that many people suffering from lupus have it much, much harder.
I've decided to tackle my lupus head-on. It is just not right that I am not taking this seriously. At the end of October, I will see my doctor who will probably give me a prescription for hydroxychloroquine (absolutely no steriods for me; that would be 'last resort') and, hopefully, also a natropath medical doctor to continue my journey to a healthier self. In the meantime, I will journal here on those healthier choices I will make to combat my lupus.
1. gentle, moderate exercise
2. hydrate, hydrate, hydrate
3. eat anti-inflammitary foods
4. combate any emotional stressors
5. take vitamin supplements
6. early to bed, early to rise
7. take a short nap once a day
If you are living with lupus or an auto-immune expert, I would love to hear your experience and advice in the comment box.
many, many more '31 Days' series at The Nester
Matushka, I am not an expert on lupus, but I was doing some reading on the GAPS diet after another blogger (http://awomansplaceis.blogspot.com/) whose daughter was just diagnosed with autism said she was starting it. Apparently the diet is very effective for those with autoimmune diseases as well (http://www.gapsdiet.com/GAPS_Outline.html) . I wish you the best of luck on your journey. Many Years!
ReplyDeleteyes- there does seem to be studies on the importance of healing the gut so that it has the opportunity to heal the little problems that come up in the body- I'll look into it!
DeleteI'm also a fan of Cammie (http://awomansplaceis.blogspot.com). I wish Lutherans did veiling because her Etsy shop is awesome.
ReplyDeleteI have also "no" to hydroxychloroquine, mostly because I'm always in the minority that has bad reactions to medications or who has complications (i.e. HELLP Syndrome). This did not make my rheumatologist happy but he respected my decision. I mostly see him just as a retainer and he laughs about that frequently. I'm not actively having problems with my fibromyalgia so we're sticking with the current meds. I was actually talking about Planquenil (the brand name of hydroxychloroquine) with another friend of mine who has lupus and she told me that it caused severe nausea with her. OK...
The GAPS diet either works or doesn't with autistic kids. I haven't tried it with Daniel because he has so many food issues already that limiting his diet would do more harm than good.
jen- I'm the opposite of you- I sometimes have NO reactions to medication and vitamins....nothing seems to make a difference- good or bad
DeleteI just read your bio. I was a cradle Episcopalian. Married my lapsed Catholic husband who became Episcopalian. He was smart to still look for the truth and we were led to Orthodoxy in the Orthodox Church of America. love from Matushka Delphy
ReplyDeletewelcome!
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