One Saturday during my 16th year, I was in horrible pain. I had quite a
fever and an extremely painful lump at the top of
my intergluteal clef. It was so bad that my mother decided to take me
to the emergency room. As was my life, we didn't have a car and had to take the
bus downtown. after what seemed like a million hours, I was finally seen by
a doctor. They had to lance open this painful cyst and stuff it with
gauze. I remember having to miss play practice because of it and getting into
quite a lot of trouble for not being there. (maybe that should have served as
my hint to start out of performance).
It could have been just a random cyst that popped up, as it healed and never came back. However, soon after this, i began to have horrible axillary pain and red lumps. After several doctors, one wanting to cut out my arm pit and another simply telling me to wash with Hibiclens, I found a dermatologist at Tulane who took one look at me and stated a ridiculously long foreign medical term. Hidradenitis Supperative. I then began alternating anitibiotics 3 months at a time. I honestly can't tell you if they worked or not. I don't remember much past being self conscious in the locker room and in sleeveless formal dresses. Luckily, I was also fat, poor, and hairy legged so I had a lot for people to be dicks about besides my random disease. And honestly, I don't think it caused me much grief at all. I was a busy girl with a lot of weird friends.
I'm sure there were bad days and pain but I only remember the last 7 years. I remember being dropped from my mom's insurance and struggling to pay for a derm in Monroe. When he eventually ran out of knowledge I sought out a private insurance policy and ventured back to Tulane. I would travel 4 hours to see this dermatologist. She had a game plan and we went straight down the list of known treatments.
It just kept getting worse and worse.
Summer of 2011 I moved to Baton Rouge. This is when life as I knew it changed. This disease was no longer just a painful annoyance under my arm, it now ruled my entire existence. Previously I was an average 27 year old, going to grad school, trying to figure out my career, moving, giddy over a guy, and living with this weird thing called HS. After 2011, I was an HS sufferer trying to figure out how to get out of bed in the morning.
Joint pains increased. I developed achilles tendinitis soon followed by
erythema nodosum.
I was apparently a giant walking ball of inflammation.
I began a medicine, not yet approved for my condition, called Humira. It was ridiculously expensive. I had to give myself shots in my thigh. I felt pretty decent for a month or so until the super starter dose wore off. Then, by the summer of 12, I was so sick that i ended up in the hospital, twice, with an infection.
Since then, it has only progressed, making school and work extremely difficult. Most recently, I developed erythema nodosum for the 3rd time, and it turned into pyoderma gangrenosum. (which is basically a series of large disgusting ulcers on my shin) This prevented me from waking for a while but is now under control, though not healed, with steroids, ointments, and creams.
Last week, I received some blood work results stating that I was showing positive signs of Rheumatoid Arthritis. Further blood work would need to be run to confirm it.
This news was a punch to my gut, though in no way surprising.
It was then that I decided I would have to take this claims of
"healing" by diet seriously.
At age 29, recently single, one does not want to think of debilitating disease #3 coming in and stealing my un-lived life from me. Especially when I have already tried 3 major RA meds to no avail. (And the only one left, I refuse to begin)
Autoimmune Protocol Paleo Diet
It has been developed specifically for people with autoimmune disorders
to reduce the inflammation in the body by illuminating foods that can
cause inflammation.
I've been off of gluten since March. I thought I noticed an improvement
but I realized I was only feeling better because I was on steroids.
So now I have to say goodbye to lots of things that make me tick.
Saying goodbye to pasta & bread isn't really that difficult in the
long run, thins next step is gonna be torture.
Goodbye to Nightshades....the honest worst of it all.
Nightshades include tomatoes, bell pepper, and cayenne.
Let me repeat
TOMATOES, BELL PEPPER, AND CAYENNE
I am from New Orleans.
I don't know how to function without these things.
....at least I'll still have garlic and onions....
Also on my no eat list are white potatoes, legumes (no peanuts, no beans), grains, corn, sugar.
I suppose I can do this.
It will require a ton of time in the kitchen and a grocery budget that
I don't have.
And all and all, these first steps only make me slightly crispy.
But I feel the change happening slowly.
Western medicine has failed me repeatedly.
I already use homeopathic treatments for colds, and have for years.
(i also can't remember the last time I was sick)
(i also can't remember the last time I was sick)
I started my essential oil collection.
I use acupuncture and Chinese herbs (when I'm not poor)
I use coconut oil to cook with frequently.
I'm soon going to attempt making ghee.
I dunno baby steps.
I'll start in September, until then, I'm focused on saying goodbye to my New Orleans cuisine.
Oh that hurts my heart…
