Feeling Sorry...

I am very proud of my recovery from Rheumatoid Arthritis.  So very easily I could have simply taken the tablets, after all that was both my doctor and my rheumatologists recommendations. Taking the tablets is what most people do, so who am I to think I know any different?  After all I have no medical training, no nutrition training.  In fact I hardly even studied biology at school.

So who am I to dare that I can beat possibly the most debilitating disease on this planet.  I know it was debilitating because, like so many other people I suffered RA at its most vengeful.  At a recent meeting for people with RA, entitled "everything you always wanted to know about arthritis..." the word diet seemed like a dirty word.  Certainly the hosts of the meeting did not wish that word uttered.  In fact the first talk was a sideways attack on diet, arguing that anyone with any sense should treat dietary reports with total distrust.  I am exaggerating the point, but the audience was left in no doubt about the implications of daring to think that diet might help someone with RA.

The second talk was a showcase of what modern medicine was doing for RA.  "Aren't we lucky to be on the cusp of personal medication", was its main message.  Of course there was no mention of the fact that they had no actual solution to RA, just a promise of getting better at suppressing the symptoms.

And that's the problem, as I see it.  Modern medicine has a very blinkered view of the world.  It is argued that if something cannot be backed up by solid science then it is not worth considering.  Of course it is the pharma companies that created this closed shop attitude in the first place as a foolproof way of protecting their investment.  After all it is very easy to create a large-scale fully randomised trial of a white pill, and so much more difficult and expensive to do the same with a plate of salad!

I have spent some time and energy trying to tell people my story.  In many ways it may be seen as a true David and Goliath story. in that I have not only beaten RA but I have also defied the medical establishment.

And seriously won.

Winning against RA, is that even possible?  Surely other people have brought their RA into remission.  But that is just what it is - remission, for other people.  Remember the word remission implies a temporary recovery.

Because I followed the Paddison Program it has taught me about myself.  I have learned about myself from the inside, literally and I have a vast array of tools to help me ensure RA never visits my door again.

These tools are not just dietary.  They include profound exercise, good social interactions, and all in all an improving lifestyle.

When I have advocated to others that they consider looking at my approach, I do so with a hope they consider whether it is relevant to them.  I know this diet, while I think everyone could benefit, actually is very much a tight-rope walk that requires immense determination and focus.  Those two words alone will prevent many people from considering it.

The good thing about the Paddison Program, for those people for whom it works well, is that they see progress (many from the first days, others have benefits delayed often due to drug complications) and that that progress is solid. It is very easy to build determination when you are seeing progress on an almost daily basis.  That is my experience and of many others.

However I feel most sorry when I read post after post on discussion forums where people are in serious difficulties with RA and object to anyone arguing that for some people there may be a way forward out of that RA hell-hole.

Quite recently I had a person comment on this blog, someone I had shared a house with many years ago.  He also thinks I am in a state of delusion. Well this delusion is pain and inflammation free with every day feeling healthier and more in control of my life.  My blood test results are normal and my doctor has agreed to my final reduction of methotrexate down to zero.

If that's my ex-friend's definition of delusion I'll take it and enjoy full health for the rest of my long drug-free life.  Of course, there is one caveat in that.  I have joint damage in the form of osteoarthritis so that is unlikely to ever recover, but that won't stop me trying!