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I have posted on this board from time to time about my progress in recovering from severe rheumatoid arthritis. In October it will be 4 years since I was diagnosed by multiple board certified rheumatologists.
I'd like to provide some longer term perspective for those who may consider a wellness approach (diet modification/whole foods, relaxation techniques, light exercise) in dealing with this horrible problem and others like it. I started on this method about 6 weeks after diagnosis.
I have followed a protocol put together by Robert McFerran, which basically includes an extensive elimination diet to detect possible allergenic foods, accounts for possible candida/intestinal bacteria problems, utilizes a diet adjusted to one's inherited metabolism, and also adds relaxation techniques to help resolve one's excessive intestinal permeability, or "leaky gut."
I continue to be amazed at the way my body continues to improve even after all of this time. Here are a few examples:
-- I still see a podiatrist twice a year just to be cautious and check out my feet, which sustained substantial damage (based on x-rays at the time). For example, I had 3 large RA-caused bone spurs removed from my left foot last October. These appeared within months of my diagnosis. After several episodes of improvement, in March of this year the x-rays showed basically no change from the previous x-ray. I thought improvement had stopped.
During my appointment a few weeks ago, he pointed out to me how some of the mid-foot joints had enlarged compared to my March x-rays. Correspondingly, my overall comfort in doing basic things like wearing any kind of shoe (without custom orthotics, which I was forced to wear for some time) continues to improve. At one point, I wore nothing but tennis shoes, and even that was painful.
-- I have always been an athlete, but there were some things that I thought would still be off limits for me given the damage that I sustained. However, this past February I was able to start playing full court basketball for 90 minutes once a week. My feet protested mightily the first time I did this, but this has also gradually improved.
At age 44 and in good shape, I am one of the more mobile people on the floor, which includes people in their 20s. This is a MAJOR step for me that I once thought would be impossible to achieve. I wish my former rheumatologist could see me now!
-- My macho son challenged me to do regular pushups as he does. I'm now in my fourth month of this and am on target to do about 1,800 pushups this month. When at my worst with the RA, I could not begin to do ONE as my wrists were extremely swollen and painful.
-- I can no longer produce RA symptoms based on what I eat. I travel for business frequently, and this is a major help as sometimes it can be extremely difficult to locate decent food. I try not to overdo deviations from the way I eat (I'm a blood type A- hunter gatherer), but it's nice to know that I don't have to obsess over my diet.
With the exception of some slight stiffness in my feet/ankles for a few minutes when I wake up in the morning, I feel better that I can ever recall. For example, I don't even need to take aspirin as I don't get headaches and my teeth/gums have stopped deteriorating. I feel like I have finally significantly backed away from Dr. Stoll's healthcare "cliff." It feels mighty good.
I'm not about to think that what I have done will solve everyone's RA problems completely as we are all different and there is much we don't know. However, it has been my experience (based on people that have emailed me through my website - www.topcities.com/science/jhackett) that there is a definite pattern of improvement in the VAST majority of people who diligently try this type of approach. Until something better comes along, this is as good as it gets from my perspective...Joseph
In Reply to: 4 Year Rheumatoid Arthritis Testimonial posted by Joseph Hackett on September 22, 2001 at 13:40:31:
NMI
In Reply to: 4 Year Rheumatoid Arthritis Testimonial posted by Joseph Hackett on September 22, 2001 at 13:40:31:
Hi Joseph,
Your story is very interesting. It is even more interesting for me because I am also a blood type A hunter-gatherer with joint pains.
I have never been officially diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis because the numbers apparently did not show it, but they saw anti-nuclear anti-bodies in my blood and they couldn't explain it. On my side, I was suffering anyway. My fingers were sometimes to painfull at wake up to lift a glass of water with only one hand and climbing a stairway became laborious because of my painfull knees anytime during the day. My chiropractor could see some joint damage in my knees on the x-ray. I am only 32 and she said to me that my knees look like 45 to 50. The joint pains started mostly about 3 years ago but I had also many other annoying health problems in the last 12 years.
I am also following the Robert McFerran H-G diet and try to apply all the available knowledge from here as much as I can. So far, I have got a great improvement overall, but now it seams to be stagnant and even new symptoms are showing up.
I am curious to know a few things from your case:
What were your allowed foods right after the elimination diet?
Did you follow the H-G diet perfectly?
What did you eat now?
How much time did you wait before to lossen on your diet?
Did you practice SR twice a day every day?
Did you have other health problems or symptoms other than arthritis?
How did you deal with candida and other parasites?
What supplements were the most usefull for you?
Thanks
Serge
In Reply to: 4 Year Rheumatoid Arthritis Testimonial posted by Joseph Hackett on September 22, 2001 at 13:40:31:
Congratulations, Joseph and THANKS!
Testimonials frequently do more good than anything I can say. Expecially for a life threatening condition like RA.
You know that your changed lifestyle will have to always be continued although the longer you do it the less picky you have to be about it--something you have already noted.
I appreciate your continuing to keep us up on your progress especially since you are a good "poster boy" for the short- comings of the allopathic paradigm. Perhaps you would be interested in having your experiences described in our new book. If so, contact kmd.
Namaste`
Walt
In Reply to: Re: 4 Year Rheumatoid Arthritis Testimonial posted by Serge C. on September 23, 2001 at 22:39:35:
Hi Serge - To answer your questions:
>Did you follow the H-G diet perfectly?
I did for about 6 months. I wanted BADLY for this to work and was not willing to compromise for quite a while. Of course, physically my condition was such that I didn't do much of anything except just basic living (go to work, come home and crash, in bed by 9 pm as I was usually exhausted).
>What did you eat now?
I still follow the HG diet. However, the primary deviations I allow myself are eating more fruit (including tropical fruit) and eating non-HG vegetables. Sometimes rice or wheat slips in as well, but not a lot. Periodically I might have some sugar free ice cream (I know it's not good for me), but this is not an ordinary occurance.
>How much time did you wait before to lossen on your diet?
It was probably 7-8 months before I regularly started deviating from the HG diet. I think this time period can vary with the individual.
>Did you practice SR twice a day every day?
I did for a while, but not more than a few weeks. I know Dr. Stoll recommends 2 times a day. Keep in mind that I didn't start SR until I had experienced great improvement via diet for about 10 months. However, once I started SR I did not miss a day for many months.
>Did you have other health problems or symptoms other than arthritis?
Frequent colds, receding gums, tooth decay, allergies, and periodic headaches are the main ones I can recall. My arthritis came on strong in a very short period of time, which was probably a blessing in disguise as it forced me to do something myself. I was on temporary disability from work 3 months after the first noticeable symptoms.
>How did you deal with candida and other parasites?
I took a systemic antifungal, Sporonox, for about a year. Along with that, I took caprillic acid, grapefruit seed extract and nystatin powder periodically. Later I switched to Lamisil from the Sporonox. The Sporonox and Lamisil are strong as far as antifungals go, but McFerran suggested (and I agreed) to take them for a while. If I failed in this attempt, with the aggressive RA I had (damage within months) I might have gotten much worse joint damage than I did. This has to be a personal decision.
I also too Flagyl for a 6 week period, but it didn't help in my case.
>What supplements were the most usefull for you?
I still take regular supplements, although I take less of most of them now. Ester C (I take 3 grams a day), a mineral supplement (calcium/phosphorus), acidolpholus, EFAs, vitamin B3 and B5, and I also still take GS/CS.
Hope this helps..
In Reply to: Re: 4 Year Rheumatoid Arthritis Testimonial posted by Walt Stoll on September 24, 2001 at 07:30:05:
KMD - If it would help, I'd be glad to discuss adding my experiences to Dr. Stoll's next book. Just contact me at jhackett1@prodigy.net and we can take it from there. I'll be out of town until Friday..Joseph
In Reply to: Re: 4 Year Rheumatoid Arthritis Testimonial posted by Joseph Hackett on September 24, 2001 at 23:13:43:
Hi Joseph,
Thanks for your answers.
How do you react to the different kinds of fat? Personnally, I tried almost every availlable vegetable oil and none of them work with me. I know it sound strange, but I eat ONLY meat fat and some butter. It seams that I cannot tolerate any polyunsaturated fat.
How do you react to nuts?
I have trouble with nuts also. I couldn't eat a specific kind of nut more than about once a week or I start to develop a reaction (usually nasal congestion and/or joint pain).
You took several antifungals on the recommandation of Robert McFerran. But how did you get the medical prescription needed for them? Is there any possibility to get powerfull antifungals without prescription? (black market, via the net, others..)
Did you get an official diagnostic of the presence of candida or other parasite with a real test? If yes, which parasites were present?
Thanks.
Serge
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