Getting Back Up

I must admit, I was feeling pretty down last night because my body was feeling sore/achey and I needed to take Ibuprofen and Doliprane, which is a French version of Acetaminophen. I had a long day babysitting, and though it's not difficult work, it's a bit tiring, especially having to pick up the baby now and then, which has been making my arms sore. Add to that the fact that my body has just been feeling a bit down in general, I mentioned in earlier posts that I felt tired and it's a feeling that hasn't gone away for weeks. I attributed it to overdoing it at first, too much going out and not enough resting, and then I got back to working after the holidays ended, and my schedule was full. The best way to describe how my health feels is to say that it feels as though I fell a while back and haven't been able to get up since. 

Last night, I rested when I got home and had some Speculoos cookies since I needed comfort food to help me feel better. Reflected on what I've been doing and what I could be doing better, and felt a bit down. Took my painkillers, drank my Liquid Chlorophyll, as well as increased my doses of Serrapeptase, I think I took about 480,000 i.u. last night, and what I like about it is that there are no negative side effects, the only thing I stand to do is gain from taking it. The Serrapeptase reduces inflammation, which is why I took the doses I did, as well as taking my Ibuprofen. Read a bit on the Sickle Cell Warriors page and briefly wondered if I should post about my feeling down because I wasn't feeling well even though I am on a better diet and take my Liquid Chlorophyll and Serrapeptase, and decided against it since I haven't had actual personal interactions with anyone on the page. Talked to some special people, which picked up my spirits a bit. Then I slept and did feel better when I woke up, though not back to 100%. But it has been some time since I have been feeling 100%. 

I'd say that today I'm feeling about 85-90% well. There is still inflammation in my ribs and in the muscles in my upper right thigh, so I'm hoping that inflammation will go down tonight. I don't have a heavy schedule tomorrow, so I'm hoping that will allow my body the time it needs to continue healing. After last night, I also decided that my diet must change some more. I usually eat eggs for breakfast because they are great for energy, are packed with nutrients, and I find that they are a great way to start the day. But after reflecting last night on how I could get more Thiocyanate into my diet, since it is usually my dinner that is based around it, I decided that breakfast from now on will center around beets and lentils, or some other Thiocyanate containing foods, possibly lima beans.

External Factors and All the Rest of It

Today I am feeling some minor aches and pains in my knees and shoulders, and I attribute these to external factors. It is wintertime, which is always a difficult season for me as the cold can trigger crises or aches, which it is doing now. The pain is minor, but being as how my relationship to pain is now terribly screwed up, the thought and feeling of pain get me a bit down. Then there is always that very real concern that the pain might become a crisis. As I was thinking about my diet, I felt the need to update and remind everyone that this is not a miracle cure that is done once and then can be forgotten. This is a lifestyle change, and requires dedication and consistency. At times I myself or maybe you might get frustrated or discouraged with this disease and not want to try anything new, but I want you to hold on. There is hope. We have already seen the worst of it, and the pain has had some of us begging for entrance at death's door. But we are still here, and we are still fighting. Trying a new diet that contains the nutrients our bodies so desperately need is worth the effort. If I could, I would heal all the diseases of the world, and cure the world of suffering. I cannot. But I do know this; being on this diet has given me my life back, and has restored my hope. My greatest desire is to see others benefit from this diet as well. My body has faced 22 years of sickle cell pain and high doses of painkillers, but now I know that it is being given the chance to heal and be restored. There may still be aches and pains here and there, but as I have said before, it is all manageable and I can go about my life more normally. I will continue to share my story in the hopes that others will be inspired on their own journeys to health.

Update!

Hello all, I am finally back for my update! My diet has been treating me well, and I am feeling good, though tired since I've been working six days a week and getting up fairly early everyday, 6:30-7:30 am. My arms were a bit sore/hurting from having to pick up the baby I sit for as well as carrying grocery bags, so I started taking a double dose of Serrapeptase everyday. Which brings it up to 240,000 i.u. a day. Research I did about Serrapeptase says that it eats up scar tissue, but I haven't noticed great differences in my body. What I have noticed is that my stomach is a bit flatter, and the night I decided to double my dose, because I had mild aches and pains in my legs and arms, I noticed the next day that the pains were gone. I do have stomach ulcers, as I mentioned before, so I suspect that the Serrapeptase is working on healing those before it can go on to work on the rest of my body. In any case, there is no harm/downside to taking it, so doubling the dose has not given me any negative side effects, and Serrapeptase is also a natural painkiller, so I will keep up with the double dose. I have also been eating more fruits, as promised. Apples confuse my stomach/hunger signals, so I've taken to eating unsweetened apple/pear sauce, pears, and oranges, along with my trusted bananas (which also lower blood pressure and increase serotonin!). Other than that, I have no complaints, which is great! I hope this blog is helpful to people and that people will find inspiration to how to deal with their Sickle Cell. It is possible to live healthy and with little to no pain! This is my story and it's real! Back when I was in college and high school I had a lot more pain and took a lot of painkillers to deal with it, but now my body has the chance to heal from that damage and be healthier. As with all things, a diet change like this is a lifestyle change, and sticking to it and being patient is the key. For anyone who is ready to try it, I wish you success, and please, if you have any questions or comments, do not hesitate to get in touch with me, even if it's just to talk! I am here for whoever needs :)

My Daily Routine

So for anyone who is curious, here is what my daily routine includes, in addition to eating foods that are high in Thiocyanate. In the morning, I have my tablespoon of Liquid Chlorophyll in a cup of water after I eat my breakfast. I also take about 1200 mg Folic Acid, and a D-3 vitamin that is 5,000 iu. I drink plenty of water throughout the day, and if I don't drink enough while I'm out and about, I usually make up for it when I come home so that there is plenty of fluid in my system. In the evening, usually a few hours before I sleep, I take a Serrapeptase pill, and another glass of water with a tablespoon of Liquid Chlorophyll. I only added the extra tablespoon of Liquid Chlorophyll last week because I was feeling a bit poorly, and it has done me well. (I've had a bit of trouble sleeping since last week, and I'm wondering now if it isn't related to that extra tablespoon of chlorophyll. However, I feel great when I wake up in the morning, and the fatigue is nothing like the Sickle Cell fatigue I suffered in high school and sometimes in college.) 

Besides that, I try to make sure I have time to relax and wind down when I get home. I usually have plenty of time for that. It's important to rest and have time for oneself, and though my week is usually full of either work activity or going out to some place or another, I always take the time to rest by giving myself a day off or a quiet evening. There is also the fact that this work life is much easier than the student life I've been living. In high school and college I had demanding work loads and I find it much easier to just be able to go to work and come home and know that I am done for the day. There it is, in a nutshell, that's basically what I do everyday, and of course I take painkillers when necessary, but I take so many fewer painkillers than I did in the past, and that makes me feel great!

Adding More Fruits to My Diet

As promised, I have added more fruits to my diet! On Monday I went and purchased 4 apples and 4 oranges. My body doesn't seem to respond well to when I eat apples, it seems to confuse my stomach so that I don't know how hungry I am afterwards or how full. I've decided that I'll purchase apple sauce instead of buying apples because of how my body reacts to them. The apple sauce I buy has no added sugar, so I don't need to worry about that. Sugar causes inflammation in the body, so I try not to consume more of it than necessary. The oranges I purchased are a type called Clemenvilla and they are really delicious! I have a whole supply for the week ahead and am really looking forward to eating them all. A while back, before I was diagnosed with stomach ulcers, I was having strange reactions to eating oranges. Sometimes it felt like they were too acidic for me and I had trouble eating them on an empty stomach, so I was worried I might have the same reaction with these oranges, but none of that has happened thankfully! They are more sweet than anything else and taste great. I also purchased bananas yesterday, finally, after weeks of avoiding them! I had one today and I had no negative reactions to it, so I hope it will stay that way. Bananas are packed with nutrients and are so good for the body, and I want to keep them as part of my daily routine. Did I mention that they also contain Thiocyanate, which is what my body is deficient in and causes my disease? Yet another great reason to love them!

Update of the Week!

The meal planning worked in theory, but I have not actually been following it very closely. This week my body has been in crisis mode, meaning that there were two days when my body wanted to be in a severe crisis, but because of my diet, the pain was very manageable. Here is what I wrote from those days as memos on my phone, they're both from Monday:

7:39 a.m. 

I think I pushed myself a bit too much last week. I mentioned I wasn't feeling top notch a few days ago, and Sunday night into Monday morning my body was in full on crisis mode. I say crisis mode because I had the symptoms of having one - tired, pain in my right leg and various other parts of my body, ribs included, but it wasn't intense or even unmanageable pain. To remedy this, I went to bed early and took 2 sleep aid 500 mg acetaminophen when I felt the pain starting in my leg. As I was waiting for sleep to come, I felt the pain in my ribs and took a Codoliprane. Thankfully I was able to sleep alright and the pain was incredibly manageable. Over the next few days, I will rest and take it easy as much as I can and hopefully it won't turn into anything worse. Sticking to my routine is key, and I haven't stopped taking my Folic Acid, Liquid Chlorophyll, or Serrapeptase, and I continue to eat foods high in Thiocyanate.

3:04 p.m.

It's pretty ironic that my body's begun waging war on me only a few days after I decided to go public with my blog and let people know how my new diet is helping me. I wonder what the cause of the sickness is. Could it be the sea salt laxative I took on Thursday? Perhaps I added too much salt and my body ended up absorbing it rather than having the laxative go straight through me? Or could it be that since I'm eating more spinach now it's making my blood thicker? I'm more inclined to think it's got something to do with the laxative. In any case, it reminds me of the way I was sick the first day I began teaching, with all the horrible back pain I was going through which ended up keeping me out of work. Tomorrow I am starting yet another job, and now I'm worried about the way my body will respond. I'm hoping for the best and yet I fear for the worst. No matter what, I need to stick to my diet. Maybe an extra spoonful of Chlorophyll with my dinner will help me feel better.

So that's what happened on Monday, but it passed and I was feeling better the next day. On Thursday morning when I woke up, I had pain around my left elbow, but it was more like a soreness so I didn't pay much attention to it till later, when rubbing hadn't helped it. I took a few painkillers for it, but thankfully the pain was again, incredibly manageable and did not increase. Since Monday, I decided that I would take 2 tablespoons of Liquid Chlorophyll daily, once in the morning, and once in the evening. My elbow hurt all day on Thursday, but the pain was quite manageable, though it did augment a bit because the day was long for me, as I worked from 12:45-6pm, and had some stressful classes to deal with. On Friday I was feeling almost entirely better with my elbow, and it only started to hurt a bit again when I was at work, babysitting. I quickly rubbed it down with anti-inflammatory gel Voltaren that I purchased here, and took a Doliprane (1000mg of paracetamol) for it. It didn't hurt again after that.

This week's troubles have led me to start taking Liquid Chlorophyll twice a day, which I think is more helpful to my body than taking it once a day. Right now I feel great (besides having my stupid period!) and that is a good sign. I decided to stay home and take it easy today because I had a tiring week and I don't want to forget to rest. I haven't really kept up with my meal planning, and am wondering if I shouldn't go back to writing down my meals again to keep track of what I am eating and to make sure it's all healthy and beneficial.

Repost from a comment on the Sickle Cell Natural Healings Blog. Informative!

Click the highlighted text to see the original post and comment! It takes a bit of scrolling down the page.

In the 1970’s when Linus Pauling discovered the molecular basis of the sickle cell anemia, he contended it was a nutrient-deficiency disease. Houston and others have followed in his steps with numerous valid arguments, including clinical reports from the 1930’s and 1940s of the benefits of thiocianate in sickle cell blood. In his seminal article in which he lays out the evidence, both epidemiological and biochemical, Houston reviews the literature describing how Jamaicans who have immigrated to the United States have developed sickle cell anemia, a genetic ‘disease’ of which they had not even been aware. When some of these Jamaican natives returned to their island (and to their native diets) the sickle cell anemia crises subsided completely. Foods containing thiocyanate compounds are vegetables from the brassica family such as cabbage and broccoli, the seeds of most fruits, flax seeds, bitter almonds, the grain millet, and some pulses (beans). Africans have food preparation customs which lower the cyanate content of their staples, the cassava and African yam (no relation with potato), to safe levels. 



Although currently it is studied as a anti-cancer micronutrient, thiocyanate suffered a bad rap due to the fact that, on its metabolic path in the body, it turns into cyanide. However, pure cyanide, a molecule of carbon and one of nitrogen united by a triple bond, has existed long before any life form existed on Earth. Human body, and other vertebrates as well, can handle minute amounts of this highly poisonous substance. In fact cyanide has a role in the synthesis of vitamin B12. After making use of it, the body turns the cyanide back into thiocyanate with the help of the enzyme rhodanide synthetase. Sufficient protein intake is needed for this conversion to take place. Additonally, individuals who eat thiocyanate-rich foods have to supplement with iodine. 


There are dozens of plants containing thiocyanate or various compounds of cyanide, and one pioneer in revealing their health-giving properties, Ernst T. Krebs, has called them nitrilosides. Krebs, who contended that thiocyanate should be accepted as a vitamin (B17), researched animal diets as a student of zoology and found that most animals, including those living at the North Pole, have a thiocyanate source in the diet. 



Sickle cell patients were found to be clinical deficient in many micronutrients, including the amino acid Arginine, the minerals zinc, magnesium and the B vitamins. Some studies show that these and other nutrients such as fish oil, and a combination of folic acid, aged garlic, l-Arginine, vitamins E and C have had beneficial effects on the health of these patients. The mineral zinc, for example, was found to reduce leg ulcers, which are often associated with sickle cell anemia, while the mineral magnesium pidolate was found to reduce the crises.

To Be Honest, I've Been Neglecting My Fruits

Yes, it's true, I've been neglecting to eat my fruits recently, but I have good excuses for that. I previously mentioned that I was getting a bit nauseous when I would eat bananas. They would also make my stomach hurt a bit at times when I would eat them on an empty stomach in the morning, and I'm pretty sure that is because of my ulcers. Eating apples had me feeling incredibly, and sometimes uncomfortably, full, and I didn't feel so great after eating them on an empty stomach. As for oranges, the citrus-y fruit didn't seem to be agreeing with me at times. I used to bring a banana or an apple along with me when I was going out so that I could have it as a snack later. But then, I gradually gave up on those natural fruits, and have been choosing cereal bars as my snack food of choice. Today, I have finally realized the error of my ways. Though my body shows me those noticeable effects after I eat those fruits, I know that my body will get rock solid benefits from those all natural, nutrient packed foods. I don't feel any sort of effect after eating cereal bars, and yet, they aren't packed with the nutrients I need. Cereal bars are packed with sugar and highly-processed nonsense that I don't need in my system. I would rather deal with a bit of discomfort from food that I know will be beneficial to me, than to put nonbeneficial nonsensical foods into my system. I'll be buying my fruits at my local market tomorrow and here's to wishing me a healthier snack food filled health journey.

There's Hope!

There have been times in dealing with this disease where I have felt so hopeless and have just wondered if it was worth it to continue on. My most recent crisis, which happened in November, had me wondering if I shouldn't swallow several Codeine and end it all, and that was at my worst. At my best I was thinking that my best solution would be to go back home. At least, if I was going to be feeling horrible, I might as well be home where I could be with my family and friends. I had started by diet back in June, but had given up in late July/early August because my body still wasn't feeling miraculously renewed like I wanted it to. I wasn't patient enough with it or with my body. Starting on a new health journey, or any new journey in life takes time. It takes time and patience to work with your body (or in your life) to see what needs to be changed, what works, and what doesn't. It also takes careful observation. It's about dedication to yourself, it's about loving yourself, and making a decision to stick to something new that will benefit you. For those of you out there who have been where I've been, or who've been even worse off, I want you to know that there is hope for you. Things CAN get better! If you need someone to talk to, I can lend an ear, and I can tell you what has worked for me and what hasn't. Just please, don't lose hope!

Be Careful with Painkillers!

One of the sad things that I've experienced as a result of having this disease is the abuse of painkillers. From the time I was in high school to about a year ago, I popped pills like they were candy. Whenever I felt some aches and pains coming on, I hopped right on them with a painkiller. I didn't know how else to manage the pain, and I was doing what the doctors had told me, which was to drink water and take painkillers whenever necessary. Living with this disease has been incredibly difficult, and there were times when I would take some painkillers and drink my water and just go to bed, hoping and wishing that I wouldn't wake up and have to deal with any more pain. Mind you, the pain wasn't always severe. It was just the constancy of it that was wearing me out. I knew that taking many painkillers would damage my body, but I didn't really have much of an alternative. That's one of the most difficult things about this disease. One cannot function with the pain, and yet the painkillers are slowly wreaking havoc upon one's body. And Sickle Cell pain isn't normal pain. It's the kind of pain that can start as a little pinprick and explode into the kind of pain that lands you screaming in the hospital because the painkillers they're giving you simply aren't strong enough.

The best thing about these natural remedies is that they help the body to produce blood cells normally and help the body to make up for what it lacks, especially the Thiocyanate. What I've experienced with various painkillers is this: When I take Tylenol or Acetaminophen, I notice that I have trouble breathing afterward. I have asthma as well as SC, and though my asthma is mild, the Tylenol and Acetaminophen that I used to take in great amounts have grown to aggravate my respiratory system. I developped ulcers as a result of years of taking Ibuprofen (anti-inflammatory) and Aspirin (blood thinner). I knew that I was doing damage to my body when I was taking them, but it was between choosing to live with untreated pain that was driving me to suicide's door, or taking the damaging painkillers to help make life more manageable. I was taking such doses that people who are more sensitive to painkillers would be a bit worried when they noticed what I was taking, but it couldn't be helped. Until now. Now I take painkillers much less frequently, and I hope that my body has become more sensitive to normal doses of painkillers (though I'm not very certain about that.) I am determined to stick to this diet and to this natural way of treating my disease, and I hope that this blog can be an encouragement to others who are dealing with it.

Is My Body Too Alkaline?

I was reading the Sickle Cell - Natural Healings Blog, and I saw something listed on the side about Chlorophyll:

Chlorophyll Benefits

*Builds red blood cells
*Delivers magnesium which makes our bodies more alkaline
*Improves oxygen throughout our body
*Builds hemoglobin
*Cleanse the liver
*Prevents the growth of bacteria

I began to wonder then if my body is not too alkaline. I habitually put Apple Cider Vinegar in my water, and I began doing that to help me with digestion. Due to my ulcers, I was getting a bloated stomach after eating, and it was very uncomfortable for me. Something I heard from my health teacher in the Spring semester of 2012 and research that I did online led me to find that ACV is good for helping with digestion. Among other things! ACV is also good for helping heal warts and other fungi on the skin, and drinking 2-3 tablespoons of it in a glass of water everyday helps to keep the body alkaline, which makes it a hostile environment for the common cold. However, too much of a good thing is a bad thing! The Liquid Chlorophyll is making my body alkaline as well as the ACV, and perhaps that is why my body has been feeling a bit not so great yesterday and today. My main problem with ACV is that I like the taste of it, and thinking of the benefits, I just usually add a bit to my water every time I have a glass.  I have also noticed that when I add ACV to my water, it stays in my body longer and I don't have to run to the bathroom every 45 minutes. (I drink a LOT of water everyday to keep myself nice and hydrated and I have to run to the bathroom very often!!!) But I shall cut back and see what happens. I'm sure I will still experience the benefits of it being as how I will still drink a bit in the morning, or probably after I have a heavy meal, and the LC will also be helping make my body more alkaline.

Meal Planning for a Better Diet

I was feeling a bit run down earlier today, with a bit of pain in my right knee, a bit around my left elbow, and a bit of soreness/pain in the muscles near my groin. There are too many stairs in the Paris metro system and not enough escalators or elevators, and I think that having to deal with all those stairs is part of what caused me to be feeling run down. I think that I also haven't been getting enough Thiocyanate in my diet, which is absolutely unacceptable!  A bit earlier I had the idea to start planning my meals, that way they are thought out sooner rather than later, and even if I don't follow them to a "T" (which I didn't tonight as I didn't have enough room in my tummy for beets as well as the spinach with lentils and plantain I'd prepared), I'll still have a general idea of what to follow. It would also allow me to be a bit more creative with my meals. Who wants to eat boring food? Most certainly not me! That's part of why I came off my diet in July, because I was getting bored with the dishes I'd been preparing. But there are plenty of different ways to cook the same foods and come out with different, more interesting dishes!

Serrapeptase Effects?

I haven’t noticed any changes since I've started taking the Serrapeptase, but it's only been about 3 days, so I suppose I should patient. The thing with remedies is that I want them to act right away so that I can start feeling great with no delay, but that's just a false American mindset perpetrated by the media. These things do take time to go into effect, and I need to be patient with the way they work. The body runs in cycles, and my body must be getting used to the Serrapeptase as it quietly does its work. The good thing is that I don't feel any ill effects, so that's already a positive sign. I think that later today or tomorrow I will buy some bananas and start eating them regularly again, and hopefully there will be no nausea when I eat them. Bananas are packed with great nutrients for the body, and can help someone feel more relaxed if they're feeling stressed, increase Serotonin in the brain, and a banana or two a day can also help lower blood pressure! But don't take my word for it, Google it to find out the many wonders bananas contain!

Not Feeling Top-Notch Today

My body's feeling kind of tired and a bit weak today. It also feels a bit hurty today. I wonder if it's because I haven't been resting enough lately. I didn't set an alarm for this morning and let myself sleep for as long as my body needed. Lately I've been eating more spinach, but I haven't been eating as many lentils or even chickpeas, though I've been keeping up with a plantain a day. I stopped eating bananas because I was getting nauseous again after eating them (I have minor ulcers from taking NSAIDs - Aspirin and Ibuprofen - for pain management and I sometimes get a minor urge to throw up after eating, especially when it comes to bananas.) Maybe if I eat them on an empty stomach or right after eating eggs I will be okay and not feel nauseous. I have to make sure to keep up with everything, the Thiocyanate filled foods, the Liquid Chlorophyll, and the Serrapeptase to ensure that my body can function at its best.

Liquid Chlorophyll Update

The mysterious pains I talked about before only lasted a few days. I wonder if that happened because Hemoglobin is produced in the bones and my body was adjusting to having the chlorophyll added to it. Apparently chlorophyll acts as a form of hemoglobin in the body, and that gives my body the extra boost that it needs. I have been taking it regularly since I received it, and I don't feel that it has been affecting me negatively at all (asides from what I had noted before). I'm going to keep taking it daily as I have been.

My Decision to Go Public

For a week or two I have been thinking about making my journal public. What influenced me most was the blog Sickle Cell - Natural Healings, which is where I learned about Liquid Chlorophyll and Serrapeptase. That blog is a mother's experience raising a young son (about 4 or 5) who has Sickle Cell. I commented on her blog and she took the time to reply to me and explain what she has been using for her son. (Her regimen included Beet Juice, so I added beets to my diet, though juicing will release more nutrients if you can do that.) I appreciated the fact that she had taken the time to help me out. A few weeks before,  a Facebook friend had posted an article about how bone grafts of people with half matches were being done to cure Sickle Cell, and it worked in about 50% of the cases. I commented on his post with a link to the blog I posted above, and other links to the websites I had discovered over the summer that led me on my journey to health. He eventually put me in touch with someone who also has SC so that I could tell her what I've done.

This summer was incredibly difficult for me, and I seriously contemplated suicide because my relationship with pain was incredibly unbalanced. Pain with SC is not always normal or manageable by even the heaviest painkillers, as described in the first paragraphs of the article here. My greatest motivations to finding alternatives to my former lifestyle (which included drinking plenty of water, very little juice, and making sure I ate my veggies) was my upcoming 8 month stay away from home. I really wanted to be healthy and well, and lead a normal lifestyle. I was also incredibly tired of the pain. Anyone who suffers from chronic pain can tell you how exhausting it is to deal with, and I felt I was missing out on so much that I could be doing, if only I were well, if only my body to cooperate.

My research led me to a wealth of websites that I have listed in previous posts, which talked about Thiocyanate, among other things, and so I made a decision to change my diet from the moment that I knew what foods could help me. Making the decision to change was easy. What wasn't easy was sticking to my diet. My parents didn't understand why I wasn't eating their food all the time, and I didn't want to explain to people who didn't understand my disease (My father had it pretty bad when he was younger, but no longer has crises, to my knowledge. At one point my parents blamed one of my crises on the fact that I didn't go to church.). I was also getting tired of my diet, of eating the same foods, and so, I stopped. The changes didn't occur right away, but I had two more very bad crises (which again made me suicidal) in October and November. After the last one, I once more made the decision to change, and I have stuck with it. I want to live and I want to be as healthy as possible.

I have a dream of helping other people who have this disease. I want to share my experiences, what has worked for me and what hasn't. I want to help other people live better lives. Right now, I am tired, because I've been feeling so good that I've kind of forgotten that I need to rest as well. My disease hasn't been cured, but it sure does feel like it at times. I feel amazing when I don't have to think about it all the time, when it's not the ruling factor in my life. I won't let this thing rule me, and I don't want it to rule anyone else either. If my blog, my experiences, this information, can help at least one person, I'll be happy. If I can personally help anyone by commenting or emailing or just being there to lend an ear, I would be happy to do so.

A lot of people don't know about my experiences because in general I have a cheery outlook and love to cheer others up. But of my own pain, both physical and emotional, I have not much spoken. Now, I've decided that I've been quiet long enough. In the past, I used to be ashamed of my disease, I used to blame myself. I felt as though I were somehow at fault for all of my experiences. I know that now to be a lie, and I don't want anyone else to blame themselves either. No one controls their genetics. No one controls what life hands them. But what we can do is decide what we'll do with what we're given. This is what I've decided to do, and I hope I can help and inspire other people.

3 January

This is my second day on Serrapeptase. From reviews on Amazon, people have said that it has taken them up to 2 weeks to see results from it, and have gotten some weird side effects such as skin rashes. That doesn’t matter to me because I’m down for anything being as how this is a natural pain-killer and also is anti-inflammatory. I think I will turn this into an actual blog today.

Starting Serrapeptase

2 January 2013

Just got my Serrapeptase and took my first capsule. It’s 120,000 iu. I figured I might as well go for the stronger one because from reviews, some people say that they take 2-3 of the 40,000 iu ones daily, and multiply that and you get mine. I’ve been feeling good lately, but that also makes me a bit scared because this disease is entirely unpredictable. Last week I was having the pains around my joints and this week a tiny bit in my bones, but it’s gotten a lot better and much, much less frequent. I suppose that’s a good sign. Today I am going shopping for plantains to round out my diet and make it more full of the bigger Thiocyanate containing foods. I also haven’t had plantains in a few days though I’ve been eating lentils. I am thinking of turning this into a blog, that way other people who have SC can see my progression and my also draw information and perhaps inspiration from it. Hmm.