My Paleo Journey Part 1

Part 1:
This has been a common theme lately... Paleo. 

Paleo why? Paleo what? Paleo who? Paleo when? Paleo where? 

More recently than ever, a handful of my friends and co-workers have been inquiring about my Paleolithic eating lifestyle. To sum it all up as best as I can, it's not just a diet...it's a way of life. 

Let's start at the beginning. Sorry folks...this may take a few minutes!

In spring of 2007 I was diagnosed with Bursitis in my shoulders. Bursitis is an inflammation of the bursae sac. We have bursae sacs in joints like our knees, shoulders, hips...it allows for smooth rotation and movement. When my bursitis flare up occurs, I cannot move my shoulder. I am usually in so much pain, sometimes to the point of tears, that I can't even drive my car, I can't lift my arms to wash my hair, put my shirt on, or bra. 
Catch my drift? 
When flare ups happen... life is pretty miserable. Quality of life sucks, to say the least. This diagnosis was just the icing... allow me to introduce the cherry on top.
Rheumatoid Arthritis.
In the late winter/early spring of 2008, I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. At the time, I was 22 years old and a junior at Western Washington University, studying Kinesiology (Exercise and Sport Science). I realized it was probably time to see a doctor when I couldn't even pull down my own pants to go to the bathroom because my fingers ached so badly, or after trying to unscrew the toothpaste cap and couldn't because it was too painful and I'd have to ask my roommates do it for me, or when I couldn't participate in swim class, or hardly walk from one class to the next without taking about 20 minutes, when I sat in class puzzled because the stiffness and tenderness were so great that to even hold a pencil and write was impossible. Mornings were always much worse with the joint pains and aches. I decided that my quality of life had gone from awesome to grim in about 3-4 months and I could not bear another minute of it.

RA for short, Rheumatoid arthritis is an auto-immune disease. Basically, my body attacks its own tissues because it can no longer tell the difference between me/myself/I vs. foreign invaders. RA has no "cure" but can be treated with various drugs like disease modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs), corticosteroids, or biologic agents. I was put on Prednisone for the first few weeks after my diagnoses to combat the pain, discomfort and inflammation. One of the downfalls of this corticosteriod is weight gain...not to mention the long term effects like osteoporosis. From there I went off of prednisone and was prescribed a DMARD called Methotrexate. This drug has so many SCARY side effects. Here is a brief section of the long warning for methotrexate:

• Methotrexate may cause very serious side effects. Some side effects of methotrexate may cause death. You should only take methotrexate to treat life-threatening cancer, or certain other conditions that are very severe and that cannot be treated with other medications...

• Methotrexate may cause a decrease in the number of blood cells made by your bone marrow...

• Methotrexate may cause liver damage, especially when it is taken for a long period of time...

• Methotrexate may cause lung damage...

• Methotrexate may cause damage to the lining of your mouth, stomach or intestines.... If you experience any of the following symptoms, stop taking methotrexate and call your doctor right away: mouth sores, diarrhea, black, tarry, or bloody stools, or vomit that is bloody or looks like coffee grounds...

• Taking methotrexate may increase the risk that you will develop lymphoma (cancer that begins in the cells of the immune system). If you do develop lymphoma, it might go away without treatment when you stop taking methotrexate, or it might need to be treated with chemotherapy...

• Methotrexate may cause serious or life-threatening skin reactions...

• Methotrexate may decrease the activity of your immune system, and you may develop serious infections...If you experience signs of infection such as a sore throat, cough, fever, or chills, call your doctor immediately...

• Tell your doctor if you or your partner is pregnant or plan to become pregnant. If you are female, you will need to take a pregnancy test before you begin taking methotrexate. Use a reliable method of birth control so that you or your partner will not become pregnant during or shortly after your treatment. If you are male, you and your female partner should continue to use birth control for 3 months after you stop taking methotrexate. If you are female, you should continue to use birth control until you have had one menstrual period that began after you stopped taking methotrexate. If you or your partner become pregnant, call your doctor immediately. Methotrexate may harm the fetus.

I know! Scary, huh? 

I was on methotrexate for an entire year. I had to give myself a shot, with a needle, in my thigh once a week. Yes, it gave me the creeps! Still does.

Since methotrexate stopped being effective for me after about a year, I went and
"upped the annie" and was put on a biologic drug called Enbrel. Or click here for more information. The side effects are similar to methotrexate, except you CAN consume alcohol and enbrel won't cause birth defects like methotrexate will.

I also give myself a shot with this medicine. It comes in a pre-filled syringe, and I am SUPPOSED to give myself this shot once a week. If I eat "right", I can go roughly 6-8 weeks in between shots.

Ok, ok... I'll get to the paleo stuff. Soon. I promise.

A girl at work mentioned to me in 2009, that she ate "gluten-free". 

"Ummm...WTF is that?" I asked her. In a nutshell, gluten free is essentially eating only foods without gluten, wheat, rye, barley, and oats in them. Rice and corn or fine with gluten free diets. My co-worker discovered that by eating gluten-free she felt less moody, her mind was less fogged and she was less bloated. 

I thought, "Is she for real?"

I decided if diet can make her physically and emotionally, and mentally clearer...I bet diet could have an influence on RA? Right?????

I immediately approached my doctor, the MD, the Rheumatologist, the "all-knowing"  about diet and it's possible effects on my RA. 

Here's a funny story...She answered my question aboud diet with a non-chalant, "No. Just... you know, everything in moderation." 

What a bunch of bull sh*t.

SInce I didn't have her guidance on this, I just went for it on my own. I tried out my own gluten-free experimentation. And guess what...success!

Stay tuned. I'll continue Part 2 tomorrow.

Night! and Happy Valentines Day!