Secondary
Complications
by Barbara D. Allan
Author of Conquering Arthritis
In last week's newsletter I mentioned a general principle
regarding arthritis healing: if you limit exposure to
a problematic food, chemical, etc., your body can often
recover and repair itself. But what happens if you have
corrected a known exposure (like the asbestos
example I gave last time) and nothing changes? What's
going on then?
Generally what this means is that during the time of
the original exposure your body became weakened and
developed sensitivities to other substances--ones that
are probably common in your environment. This is what
happened to me. The original trigger of my arthritis
was bacterial. However, the combined effects of the
bacteria, the wearing effects of the arthritis, and
the negative effects on my intestines caused by the
arthritis drugs I was prescribed put my body into a
much more generally weakened state--and that is when
I developed the food sensitivities that extended my
experience with arthritis for years.
A friend of mine had her own experience with this same
principle. After months of abdominal cramping and a
low grade fever, she was finally hospitalized when they
discovered a hole in her intestinal wall which was leaking
fecal material into her abdomen. This diagnosis process
involved a CAT scan which included an injection of iodine.
Although she had never been allergic to shellfish in
her life (in fact, she was a native of Maine and grew
up with it as a regular part of her diet), she responded
allergically to the iodine and has not been able to
eat shellfish since that time.
These stories illustrate just how complex healing our
bodies can be. We sometimes take an action we think
will help us (taking prescription arthritis medicine,
having a diagnostic scan) that in our weakened state
inadvertently triggers other problems.
Even after the original problem has been corrected
(bacterial infection in my case), these other 'secondary'
problems can keep going on year after year. In my case,
my arthritis didn't go away until I was able to correct
these other 'secondary' problems.
Conserving and Building Vitality
So many people tell me that their arthritis started
after a stressful period in their life (divorce, losing
a job, death in the family, getting sick while traveling
abroad). They generally were quite healthy beforehand
and are still shocked and dismayed that their general
vitality has never returned to what it was.
When we are sick, tired, hurt, or otherwise weakened
or compromised, it is especially important to take extra
care with ourselves. It is not a time to push. It is
a time to recover. Don't make things any worse than
they already are. Conserve what vitality you still have.
And when you are feeling better, continue to choose
things that build your vitality--getting enough sleep,
eating well, getting the kind and amount of exercise
that works for you, taking time to smell the flowers
and be with loved ones, and doing whatever else you
know feeds you body, mind and soul.
Taking steps that specifically correct underlying causes
of your arthritis are also critical in regaining your
health and vitality.
Ultimately, it is what will allow you to heal and stay
healed.
Next: Rheumatoid
Arthritis and Pregnancy
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