The Guest Post That Wasn’t

A few weeks ago I was contacted by a site that will remain nameless to do a guest post for them.  I agreed, partly because I was crazy busy and why not add something else on my plate, and partly because I subscribe to the why not write as many places as possible philosophy.  I thought it was a little strange when they asked me for my last name, and I specifically told them I don't use my last name in blogging and please don't post it but I gave it to them.  I should never have

You totally know where this story is going, right?  They posted my last name.  And I emailed them for FOUR DAYS and asked them to take my last name off.  And then I just got mad and demanded they take the post down.  And they wanted to have a discussion about it.  I was like, discuss it?  TAKE THE POST DOWN.

I do not blog anonymously.  Some of you probably know my last name based on what email address I've emailed you from, if you got a holiday card from me, or if I know you in real life.  But those are my terms.  I do not post it on the internet.  We all have our own boundaries when blogging.  You may not agree with mine and whether or not they make sense and are rationale.  Some people don't even use their real names.  That is not the point of this post.  The point is they broke my boundaries after I specifically asked them not to.  And then ignored me for FOUR DAYS.

So, I'm posting the guest post here.  Partly because I wrote it, and also, because I like it.  It is about an issue near and dear to my heart and I would like someone to read it. 

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I was diagnosed with Lupus and Rheumatoid arthritis last year after being sick for 6 months.  And after I got over the initial shock, I did what everyone else does, I started googling.

Lupus is a chronic autoimmune disorder that can cause inflammation, pain, and damage in various parts of the body. Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease that causes chronic inflammation of the joints.   Basically, my immune system just does not work the way it is supposed to.  Both disorders are characterized by periods of health and periods of flares.

The more research I did the more I learned that there was some research that suggested that what you ate could influence how often you had flares. Nutritionists recommended eating a lot of fish.  Which, luckily, I did anyway.  I don’t eat meat, but do eat fish, and tend to eat fish at least 3 times a week.  Some even went as far as to recommend taking a fish oil supplement.

Some nutritionists recommended a vegan diet, cutting out all alcohol, and avoiding things like alfalfa sprouts and tomatoes due to their high L-canavanine content.  The information was enough to make your head spin.

When I spoke to my rheumatologist about this her advice was this:  “be healthy.  Eat right.  Exercise.  Take a multi vitamin every day.  Do you need to cut out all alcohol, no.  But don’t over do it.”

I am very lucky.  Since being diagnosed, I have only had one flare, and it was rather mild.  Is it because I eat a lot fish?  Is it because I lived a relatively healthy lifestyle before getting diagnosed? The medical community has yet to reach an agreed upon conclusion that diet plays a role in the conditions but there are some health practitioners who suggest that nutrition does play a role.   But like anything else, being healthy and living healthy translates into feeling healthy.

And even though I’m sick, my goal is to feel healthy as much as possible.