A Fresh Start

I'm starting this blog back up to record my new journey through healing myself from Ankylosing Spondylitis and now also Lupus.

Let's start off with my current medication list:

1.  Hydroxychloroquine (for Lupus)... 200mg... 1x daily
2.  Methotrexate (for AS)... 2.5mg... Fridays: 2 in am/ 2 in pm
3.  Omeprazole (for GERD)... 20mg... 2x daily
4.  Leucovorin Calcium (to counteract mtx)... 5mg... 1 Saturday am
5.  Diclofenac Sodium (anti-inflammatory for AS)... 75mg... 1x daily
6.  Folic Acid (to counteract mtx)... 1mg... 2x daily
7.  Vitamin D3... 1000iu... 1x daily
8.  Tramadol (for pain)... 50mg... 2 in am/ 2 in pm daily
9.  Cosentyx (now maybe switching to Simponi for AS)... 150mg... every 4 weeks

Even on this many medications, I am NEVER symptom free. Yes, 100% of my day has some degree of pain, usually what I put at 5 or 6 on the pain scale. It is a "white noise" in my life. From my head to my toes.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I will be following Dr. Fuhrman's methods of healing the body through diet, as well as adding in mental health/meditation healing through various books I am reading (thanks to the help of a wonderful Australian friend by the name of Lauren!). As of this moment, I am combining four books and will be adding to my repertoire, so be sure to stay tuned!

1. Fasting and Eating for Health: A Medical Doctor's Program for Conquering Disease by Dr. Joel Fuhrman, M.D. 
2. You are the Placebo: Making Your Mind Matter by Dr. Joe Dispenza
3. You Can Heal Your Life by Louise Hay
4. A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose by Eckhart Tolle

I will most likely be adding more of Dr. Fuhrman's books to this list, as well as his new 7-part documentary on autoimmune diseases and how to cure them. I am also currently using a meditation practice titled: Kundalini Meditation: Guided Chakra Practices to Activate the Energy of Awakening by Harijiwan Khalsa (this can be found on Audible). 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My tipping point: Not just being diagnosed with Lupus, but with every single doctor looking at my x-ray and telling me it's normal to have degeneration in my SI joints. NO. It's NOT normal. I'm 27 years old. At 27, my body should not already be damaged and falling apart. Also. Hydroxychloroquine is a terrible medication, as is methotrexate.... and basically every other medication I am on. I'm at this point of I either take my health into my own hands, or I gamble on whether the disease or the medications will kill me first. I don't know about you, but I'd rather be alive in 10 - 20 years, so I'm going to go with taking my health into my own hands. 

I am VERY excited about this new journey! So don't come at me with "AS is incurable, you'll never do it", because number one - it's been done, and number two - nobody needs that kind of negativity in their life. 

My end goal? To be medication FREE and happily living life.