BRB Getting Cured Now...

There are few things that make me angrier than when people come into facebook groups about my illness and start talking about how they can cure this and fix that through some combination of diet, exercise and/or supplement pills....

The latest is a woman extolling the virtues of a Raw Vegan diet. Ok. I understand vegan diets have their place in this world, but DO NOT tell me that the "medical establishment" wants me to be sick. My doctor would like nothing more than to never have to see me again. I think he'd be the first to tell me about the MIRACLE CURE.... especially if it was so easy. If I had to eat nothing but raw radishes for the rest of my life, I would. I don't like radishes by themselves, either. It isn't for lack of effort that I am sick. Boy, do I wish it was. Oh man, would that ever be nice.

I think the reason it annoys me so much is because it's like these people think I WANT to be sick and I WANT to get IV treatments every month. Let me just tell you how much fun it is to sit in a chair, get poked several times, have refrigerated plasma protein pumped into your veins, and cost the insurance company $10-12k per month. SUPER FUN HAPPY TIMES! Everyone should do it. Uh. No. I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy. I wouldn't allow someone to do it for me, even if they offered. It is kind of awful. I glaze over it a lot, but it's really terrible and I wouldn't want to put that on someone else. If there was any viable choice for me not having to do this for the rest of my life, I would take it. I would even be willing to participate in dangerous medical trials (depending on the hospital, of course, I'm not completely crazy) if it meant a cure for me or for people I've grown to love through this disease.

I wouldn't trade or change my experience for anything, as I think it has made me a stronger person, but I really would love it if no one had to become stronger in this way. It's not fair, it's not fun, and it's most certainly not a choice.

Diverticulosis

Diets that exclude certain things entirely have always seemed to good to be true, to me. I did South Beach once and did lose weight, but I gained it back once I went back to regular eating habits. I have always believed that lifestyle change and portion control is much more important than any sort of gimmicky diet plan.

A friend of mine is talking about eliminating gluten from her diet. Gluten is not the bad guy. I have many strong feelings about this. I think that people doing this are just a slave to the latest fad. I know folks who have to eliminate gluten due to allergy or sensitivity and I understand that it is very difficult for them. Gluten is everywhere in the food you eat, the medicine you take, even some bath products can have gluten or wheat in them.

 I take special exception to the faddish elimination of gluten in no small part because my mother has diverticulosis. You know what they think causes diverticulosis? Low carb diets and processed foods. Shocking. So you mean we should eat more whole grains,  fruits, and veggies? Not rely on processed-to-the-point-of-being-unrecognizable foods? No. Way. Because that might actually make a difference in our overall health and well being.

No More Salad Bars...

I went to a wedding this past weekend of a lovely sorority sister of mine. I did something I shouldn't have. I ate from the salad portion of the buffet.

Why is that such a bad thing? If lettuce and other veggies are not held at a cold enough temperature bacteria start to grow. It takes a lot of this bacteria to hurt most people, but as you know, dear reader, I am not a normal person. I have found that cucumbers and tomatoes are special culprits of this, but I've had problems with almost every raw veggie you'd see on a salad bar, so I usually shy away. This salad looked so tasty and I'm trying to eat more veggies... I think you can see where this is going...

It's gotten to the point where I fear eating at buffets and plan such that I can be sure to be near a familiar or private bathroom if I'm going to eat at one. I also have to be careful to make sure to avoid it entirely if I'll be in a car. I can't even eat at Subway anymore. I have found that their subs make me ill because of the veggies. Of course, I could get something with no veggies, but I always think "it will be ok this time" and eat the veggies and WHOA WITH THE REGRET!

So, in short, if you're serving salad to immune compromised or deficient people, please keep it very cold after cutting it. Thank you in advance.

So I guess that European vacation is out...

They've discovered a new strain of E. Coli in the latest European outbreak (article here) and, frankly, that's a little scary. It's especially frightening to know that they can't yet pinpoint the source of the infection. Gah!

I think there are many systemic things that we as humans do that make us unhealthy. Keeping the animals we eat as food on huge lots instead of more natural settings is one. There's evidence that even grass feeding cows for a week prior to slaughter drastically reduces the E. Coli they produce. I firmly believe that we should take the time to consider what it is we take into our bodies. Grass fed cows produce more methane, which adds to global climate change, but they also don't make us sick in the short-term. They also take up more space, which is a problem, but not insurmountable.

This also illuminates the fact that the American food safety system should be a priority. I worry for the folks I know in the UK who have PIDD that may contract this bug. People with normal immune systems are having trouble fighting it off. I can't imagine I'd survive very long, were I to contract it. The potential for food borne illness is a big reason why I try to eat more naturally and organically. It scares me that such things will happen in the United States, especially since Congress has decided it doesn't need to properly fund the FDA and hasn't given them enough enforcement rights. Which MAKES SO MUCH SENSE! I will never understand why the FDA can't get help. Oh yeah, that's right. Big food interests block this kind of legislation... I think Americans really need to consider their food supply system and the protection of it because it will happen here and it may happen to your children. Or to me.