A Fact About Me

written2013
edited2014

Wife of one. Mother of two. Abilities of many.

Soccer Mom.

Painting and Crafting.

But one major thing I'd like to share about myself is that I have Rheumatoid Arthritis. RA is an incurable auto-immune disease. I am 40 yrs old and have been living with RA for about 12 years now. When I first got diagnosed I could barley walk or lift my arms...routinely this occurred in the mornings then as the day progressed I could move about a little. Diagnoses occurred months after giving birth to my first child.

At the beginning, I was given Celebrex which made my feet swell like a balloon. Then my doctor recommended me to try natural remedy's...(this was rare for a doctor to do, but she was giving all my options-and being a doctor she new the damage the meds would also eventually do to my body). I think dealing with one problem is better than dealing and worrying about others that may or may not occur. This was a new thing and a major change in my life-and I needed to become aware and research all options before making any decisions.  I decided to go with natural remedies first...with an occasional Aleve. My dad researched everything he could find on RA and natural remedies. We were recommended to a lady who dealt with holistics--and from here I bathed in sea water and drank oils...I started eating healthy (no fast foods) and stayed away from foods that were found to cause inflammation in the body and I exercised. This lasted for several months and I felt good with minimal ache in the bones. Of coarse, I stopped and took for granted how good I was feeling...Then I realized my right arm was not fully extending...my elbow began to lock it seemed. It was slight and not even noticeable, but I could feel it. I had previously hit it and thought that this had caused something to happen to the elbow.  This is the time my father found a product called Reliv. This product had all the vitamins and minerals needed to keep a healthy body. I was excited about this and took what was called Classic, Fiber-Restor, Energizer and Arthafect.  These were powders that I would mix in water daily. I noticed a nice change in the way I was feeling...but my elbow was still locked. My regular doctor said it was something that was going to happen and that there was no way in stopping it. So my dad took me to a specialist, in which this man could care less of the products we had found and that I wanted to stay away from medication. After his lecture on what I needed to do medication wise,  he literally tells me to wait in the hall, in which a nurse came and injected me in the arm. I asked her what it was and she ignored me. The doctor then comes to the hall and tells me the nurse gave me methotrexate and that I would need to go back for another injection. We left paying several hundreds of dollars for this horrible experience. When I got home I got extremely sick and experienced side effects from that medication.  I kept on my Reliv products.

Six years later my elbow had already locked at a 90 degree angle and my hands and fingers were changing and I was physically drained. I went through many ups and downs through those years and 4 aleve at night became a ritual. Aleve never worked during the day for some reason. I had to take them at night in order to get some relief in the morning. I was not consistent with my Reliv products-I guess I would call it laziness.

I decided to try another specialist. Harsh meds is what was prescribed...methotrexate, steroids and iron to balance out the other two. I was told that I had severe RA and he could not understand how I was even walking. I told him about the products I was taking and the Faith I had in the Lord that I was going through this experience for a reason. I had just had my second child who was now months old. During my pregnancy I had no pain...for some reason during pregnancy RA symptoms go dormant-but weeks afterwards it hits like a ton of bricks. Soreness, achyness and stiffness all in one. This doctor seeing my newborn with me-also gave me a lecture of the importance of the meds and continued to express how I was still walking and how was I going to care for my child with a locked elbow and cramp hands. I could walk just fine and a locked elbow just helped me carry the baby carrier easier-I joked.  I was aware of my limited mobility in my ankles and wrists but it was not enough to confine my walking or carry my child.  I filled the prescription but left them on the counter and never opened them. Though it did cross my mind to try them to see how much they would help me-

Two years later, I went to another specialist to see if there was anything he could do for my elbow and to see why it was locked. First, the tech had the hardest time with the ex-rays...too funny. Let's just say I left that office crying. The specialist said the two bones in my arm had fussed together at the elbow and that I was too young for an elbow replacement. The replacement would only last several years and that the second surgery would have a low success rate...This is how the conversation ended---"Does the elbow hurt" I said No. Then he said "Then deal with it"... I got up and left...I was literally speechless I could not breathe.

I was getting tired of the Reliv and it was expensive to keep buying. So I tried counting calories and walking on the treadmill. I started at 140lbs and within one month I was at 115lbs...and I felt great. Counting the calories on my food got fun and I became creative at making dinner for the family. Everyone ate how I did...but my husband felt cheated because he needs more calories then I do and often felt hungry...I tried serving him more though. My mornings were getting better--but of coarse when feeling well it's easy to cheat once in awhile that becomes all the while. I still took the aleve some nights though but it wasn't a ritual anymore.

Ok, so no Reliv and no calorie counting. I began to juice. My husband showed me a video on juicing which I thought was crazy...but decided "why not". I juiced for one month three times a day. My husband did this with me and could only survive one week...My recipe was kale, cucumber, apple, pear and celery. When I began, I felt achy the following morning-even with my 4 aleve. By the second morning I was able to get out of bed with ease. Usually I would get out of bed-get the kids ready for school-and go back to sleep. The following 4 days, I woke up with some aches and pains but was able to stay out of the bed and I started to ease off the aleve. Day 5, I could feel the toxins running through my body and had to drink lots of water. When juicing, dizziness and weakness I found begin to start around the 7th day...but water is key!!! I also noticed movement in my arm. Remember it was locked---well at this point I could slightly move it up and down about 2 inches. By day 14, I was completely off the aleve, toxins had run through my body and I felt healthy. I still had some aches and pains-but that's normal. For a person not taking medication-I was feeling the best ever. I was feeling awesome. Physically, mentally and emotionally awesome! Again, I hate these words. I took it for granted. I decided to juice only during the day and have a meal at dinner with the family...I was cooking great this month for the family. It was funny how I could cook better for the family when on this juice meal for myself. I slowly got off the juice because I started seeing the expense. Juicing is expensive when also having to make  separate meals for the family...

Ok, so no Reliv and no calorie counting or juicing. I began the adkins...but only because my husband felt it would be good for me. I never really liked that diet-but I figured again "why not". I had agreed only to do this for one month- and in that month I lost weight but it did nothing for me pain wise. I began the 4 aleve ritual again...

Wow---I really tried to sum this up as brief as I could, but truthfully my life has been one big trial and error and so many obstacles in-between.

Painting and crafting is a big part of my life-and no matter how cramped my hands feel I continue to paint and craft. It may take me a bit longer to finish a piece but my determination prevails.

My kids are my life-and it's hard to be and do everything they need or want, but I need them to see me strong...even when it's so hard sometimes.

"Anything is possible through Christ"

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Juicing for RA