Rheumatology Day

I saw my rheumatologist today, and I was actually prepared for a bit of a fight and general disappointment. My goal was to speak with him about methotrexate and if I could possibly substitute an immune modulator in its place as well as talk about this new diet I'm about to embark on. The task was daunting, since I find medical professionals a bit intimidating... it's like you have to break the barrier of this idea that you're just the patient and don't know as much as them. I am confident in the research I have done, but still feel like I'm not in the position to be recommending my own treatment plan to someone who has been in the field for 30+ years.

I was actually pleasantly surprised by his reaction. He was 100% on board with my ideas! I am no longer going to be taking the methotrexate (as well as the folic acid and leucovorin calcium, since those were to counteract the negative effects of mtx), and he is also willing to hold off on giving me a biologic until we see how I'm feeling with the diet detox and then keeping up with the new food plan afterwards. I see him again in 2 1/2 months to regroup, see how things are going, and move forward from there. To say I'm happy with the way everything went today is probably an understatement, and I feel like I've opened this dialogue with him that will allow me to continually bring in new research I have found, discuss the books I'm reading, and actually be an active participant in how my treatment proceeds! Very, very exciting! I also gave him the information to Dr Fuhrman's book Fasting and Eating for Health: A Medical Doctor's Program for Conquering Disease. He was extremely receptive to this suggestion and actually seemed like he was going to read it! A big thumbs up for me! 😁

Also! I hope everyone is watching this new documentary by Jonathan Otto. I am lucky enough to be on Dr. Joel Fuhrman's email list, so I was given the head's up and links to subscribe, but if you have not yet watched Episode 1 (of the 7-part documentary) please watch it here!

Episode 1: Autoimmune Disease Exposed: Preventing & Beating All of the 100+ Autoimmune Conditions

I know there is resistance to changing your mindset on the prognosis of autoimmune diseases. It has actually taken me a few years to completely wrap my brain around the fact that this actually is a curable disease - regardless of what doctors (whom I trusted!) have been telling me for the last decade. 

And for those keeping track: I went from 9 medications down to 5 in just one day!

*immune modulators: (Vitamin D3, Vitamin A, Vitamin E, Glutathione, Superoxide Dismutase...) bring the ratio of the different immune cells back into balance to enable the immune system to function correctly.