Cheers to new beginnings!

1st official post.  Never thought I would attempt to blog but I have been so inspired by other peoples blogs & posts that I feel like giving it a try. 

I am about to embark on an interesting journey to try and cure/fix/relieve/improve my health.  I have rheumatoid arthritis and while I typically am a positive person, it's starting to get to me.  Physically and mentally. 

I have a great life, super husband, amazing little boy and great extended family and friends.  I am in the Fitness field and things couldn't be better... except for my RA.

It started when I was 18.  I woke up one day and found my feet and hands were sore.  It progessed very quickly into a debilitating pain that I couldn't understand.  After many appointments and blood tests, the doctors shook their heads and loaded me up on anti-inflammatories.  They worked initally but quickly wore off.  After 6 months of this strange pain, it simply went away.  Gone.  Weird.

Fast forward about 10 years.  I get married in Cuba...go off my birth control and poof- stiffness and pain comes back.  I recognized the pain immediately as the same pain I had before.  I went back to a new rheumatologist.  He diagnosed me immediately as having rheumatoid arthritis.  Yikes. 

Over the past 3 years my symptoms have been up and down.  I've never experienced what they call remission.  Although when I was pregnant I felt much better.  And when I started prednisone I felt much better (temporarily).  Then I tried Humira injections and they worked great for a few months.   I went to the doc a few weeks ago and he suggested trying another injection or trying an IV type drug.  Geez- I don't want to have to go to the hospital to get IV drugs pumped into my veins.  I'm putting the brakes on and taking matters into my own hands.

I started to research alternative therapies and possibilities of food intolerances and what I found is unbelievable.  There are other people out there like me.  Not only do they have RA but they have also had great success by changing their diets and nutrition.  It's a huge commitment and will be hard but I would rather eat well and feel better than continue to pump this nasty cocktail of meds down my throat.

So, tomorrow is day 1 of a strict elimination diet that I found online http://www.frot.co.nz/dietnet/reviews/mcferran01.htm  I am nervous as I know it's going to be tough, but I figure I have nothing to lose.  If this works, it will change my life. 

Tonight we are getting take out from an Italian restaurant and I'm going to indulge in something rich, cheesy and make sure I get a chocolately desert!  Yum. 

Here's to new beginnings!! xo