The Paleo Diet --- A doctor visit ---Hope

Hi Ladies,

I haven't posted anything for quite a while now. I was starting to feel like my whole life was consumed with being sick. And it was all I was thinking about, and it was completely stealing my joy, and I felt like I just couldn't dwell in it any more for a while. I'm sure that you can all relate to that. So...I have been on break from making this disease the focus of my life. I decided instead to focus on taking care of myself, feeling joy, spending time with my family, and making healthy habits my priority....and it has helped!!!!

I shared with you a little while ago that I started the Paleo Diet, and it has been the one thing that has helped me the most since I got this disease. It has helped TREMENDOUSLY with all of my symptoms. I am SO much better now, and I highly recommend it to all of you. I still don't feel like I am healed...but I am so much better than I was. When I was at my sickest, I felt with all of my heart that if I just knew what I would need to do to make myself feel better, I would do it. Anything. I just didn't know what to do. I am thinking that a lot of you feel that way too. So that is why I am sharing. The Paleo Diet is very different from traditional modern diets. It is a huge change. It takes adjustment, and is a challenge...but I would imagine that it would be worth it to most of you, if only you could feel better. Anyway, I can't say for sure that it will help you, but I know that it has helped me SO SO much, and I think it would be worth trying. There is lots of information available about it online if you just search for the Paleo Diet. Essentially you eat as much as you want of meat, vegetables, fruit, eggs, and nuts...but you don't eat any dairy, grains, beans/legumes, or sugar.

The main reason that I am writing, though, is that I wanted to let you guys know about my most recent doctor visit. I saw my breast surgeon on Tuesday, and I think she was amazed by how much I have improved. She told me that I had been right to refuse surgery. That was one of the scariest decisions I have ever made, but I am so glad that I made it. The thing that was most encouraging to me was that she talked to me about a conference she had just recently gone to where IGM was discussed extensively. It didn't sound like they presented a lot of new information...but I am encouraged by the fact that they are talking about it. Maybe at some point this will lead to new knowledge...a cure...a good treatment plan...or something.

One thing that I want to offer to those of you who are so sick with this disease is that there is hope. When I was at my sickest, I didn't feel like there was hope. That is the intention of this message, and I hope that comes across in what I have written. I am so thankful for the support that I have received here - encouragement, answers to questions, just the knowledge that I was not alone. I will be praying for all of you.

Jennifer