My Road to Toxic Health

Over the years I’ve heard about unhealthy relationships leading to long-term health issues.

Now I know that symptoms ailing me for the last fifteen to sixteen years are from traumatic stress brought on by a toxic relationship.

Several weeks ago I took two typed pages of prolonged frequent symptoms to a Rheumatologist. After reading through the symptoms the doctor’s first question for me was, “In your home; have you ever felt unsafe in a relationship or have you ever feared for your life?”

I thought, “Hey doc, I came here for medical help not counseling.” Thankfully I kept my ignorant sarcasm to myself. I answered that I had indeed feared for my life and my child’s life two nights in a row before leaving an unhealthy and unsafe husband. Then in the years following I had great concern for my child’s safety when the court didn’t use its authority to protect the innocent.

The doctor then pointed to my onset of severe symptoms and told me that my particular auto immune disease is often triggered by trauma. I had an exact trigger point on the calendar.

I asked the doctor if there was also an explanation for all my symptoms; combined with extreme fatigue, weakness and joint pain descending upon me every summer for the last three years. These episodes arrive at approximately the same time and increase in severity each year. This year has been the worst by far and has lasted months instead of weeks.

My doctor answered that my illness is exacerbated by continued stress and new traumas.

Three years ago I received a call from investigators seeking information about a child sexual predator which put me on an emotional roller coaster I was hoping to never again ride. The raw emotion of memories and trauma overwhelmed me.

Plus my eleven year old son A.J. had a severe traumatic brain injury three and a half years ago.

It is one thing to fear for your own life but there is nothing worse than fearing for your children’s lives. This is the type of fear I experienced twice in my life. The second time of fearing along with the fresh reminder of the original trauma sent my immune system into over drive and it attempted to eradicate my body of toxic and traumatic stress.

My system is now attacking my joints, tendons and cartilage while zapping me of energy and strength; five months running.

Why do I share this with you? To let you know that if you come to my blog looking for the latest post and don’t find one it’s due to Psoriatic Arthritis; my auto-immunie disease. I’m most likely sitting on the sofa teaching my boy’s their school lessons and attempting to minimally keep up with the house and meals.

I’m nothing special in the world of auto-immune diseases. I join over 50 million other Americans who suffer from at least one auto-immune disease and who live with chronic illness.

My goal is to flush my continually ill body of unhealthy and inflammatory foods, environmental factors and stress since chronic illness is the leading cause of death and disability in our country. I must stop my immune system from attacking my body or take immunosuppressant drugs that will do the job for me. I’m hoping the drastic change in diet will do all or most of it; if not I’ll take the prescriptions and still eat healthy for optimal health.

Family genetics loaded the gun for this disease and trauma pulled the trigger.

The one issue I have the most control over is food so this is where I’m beginning.

To help me in my endeavor my sweet sister Chasady bought me the above books for my birthday; none of which I had heard of:  Auto-Immune Protocol: Easy Recipe Ideas, Against All Grain by Danielle Walker, and The Paleo Approach: Reverse Autoimmune Disease and Heal Your Body by Sarah Ballantyne, PhD.

I must say ignorance was bliss.

The Paleo Approach: Reverse Autoimmune Disease and Heal Your Body by Sarah Ballantyne, PhD was eye-opening to the amount of control I have over my illness and pain.

For this reason I will give up the following foods as I strive for remission:  All grains, sugars and night shade plants which are the main staples in my diet and include potatoes, tomatoes, tomatillos, all peppers and all spices derived from peppers including cumin and pepper. I also cannot consume salt unless it is pink Himalayan salt or Celtic sea salt.  Now I have to learn a whole new way to cook Tex-Mex food. {Sigh.} No beans, nuts, seeds, dairy/cheese/butter, eggs, corn or corn products, soy and the list goes on. I’m allergic to all fish: freshwater, sea water and shellfish (I think it is an iodine allergy) so these also are not an option.

I’m left with organic fruits, vegetables and herbs, and grass fed mammals for my recipe/meal options. Absolutely no processed foods.

For those of you who suffer from auto immune diseases and have adjusted to this nutrition based lifestyle this is old news but for me it is shocking.  I like to eat fruits and vegetables but not as the main ingredients for every meal; unless of course they are prepared in guacamole, Pico de Gallo, salsa or hummus.

I’m sooo hungry, but I’m working on nutritional health which I have immediate control over.

Now for the stress factors.

Yesterday while writing this post I had a majorly stressful situation arise.  By the time it was over I had an entire body ache and little strength to get through my day. I’ll blog about it next week; hopefully. I manage to come up with constant stories to tell about difficult circumstances.

I will now go pray; again, for a boring, uneventful and stress free life. Please join me! {Smile}