Techniques for Coping with Lupus

Living with lupus is a challenge to say the least. These are some techniques I use to cope with the emotional pain and physical stress of lupus.

Blah blah disclaimer: consult with your physician before trying these at home.

5 Things Lupies I Do Everyday

1. Breathing. Sounds like an automatic function right? With lupus it’s not always so easy. We get numerous pulmonary illnesses and pleurisy that makes breathing itself painful. When we do not breath correctly our oxygen levels go down and oxygen is vital to repair the damage lupus does. So here’s what helps me, turn off the noise; TV, radio and inner dialog. Take a deep slow breath in until it fills up the diaphram, slowly controlling it let it out and count 1. Do it again count 2 on the exhale, again 3 on the exhale and 4. Then start all over again on 1. 1234 1234

2. Music. If you play an instrument, play it at least 15 minutes everyday. Otherwise listen to music, sing to music. This helps reset the brain and get you out of the pain cycle.

3. Don’t be a victim of lupus. Acknowledge you are suffering, cry out to God, tell whoever will listen, then let it go. Try not to give it anymore power. Words are power, thoughts are power. You must believe you are whole just as you are and capable of living a fulfilling life. Accept the fact that no one but fellow lupies are going to fully understand.

4. Count your blessings everyday. Literally go over in your mind all the good things in your life. Focus on those good things.

5. Leave your body behind and reach out to others to ease their suffering in any way possible. Even if it is to pray for them. Shift your thoughts from yourself to them, from within to without.

The Health Care Bill and I

Every time President Obama opens his mouth concerning health care he shoves his foot farther down it. From: the doctors love to remove children’s tonsils to make a buck, to: doctors withholding care to diabetics so they can cut off their feet to make money, it is more than obvious he is ignorant of today’s medical profession.

Good for him! He has never dealt with chronic illness, I’m happy for him. But folks you better hope his inexperience does not end up in your doctor’s office. He seems to be under the impression that most medical problems are self caused and can be cured with diet and excersize and he is right that some can. He is ignorant of genetics and how science is finding genetic links to many diseases.

Lets look at Obama’s statements;

President Obama said, “Part of what we want to do is to make sure that those decisions are being made by doctors and medical experts based on evidence, based on what works…. Right now, doctors a lot of times are forced to make decisions based on the fee payment schedule that’s out there. … the doctor may look at the reimbursement system and say to himself, ‘You know what? I make a lot more money if I take this kid’s tonsils out … I’d rather have that doctor making those decisions based on whether you really need your kid’s tonsils out, or whether … something else would make a difference…. So part of what we want to do is to free doctors, patients, hospitals to make decisions based on what’s best for patient care.”

This shows a grossly ignorant perception of The American Academy of Otolaryngology, the tonsil doctors. Anyone who has dealt with a child suffering with infected tonsils knows the first thing the doctor does NOT do is take them out. My mother tells a story of a cousin who was sick. He had swollen tonsils and an upset stomach. He died from tonsillitus because he vomited but it went into his lungs, his tonsils were so enlarged the vomit could not pass them.

My tonsils were so diseased they were full of puss pockets. Could my tonsillectomy have been prevented? Possibly but I doubt it. I have genetic diseases. I was born with mutated DNA. One mutation is called C282Y homozygous for hereditary hemochromatosis. Could this have had something to do with my tonsil problems? Possibly so. By the time mine were removed they were pocked with large puss filled holes. I had spent years previous to them being removed with recurrent painfully infected tonsils.

What do the doctors have to say about Barak’s comment?

“We, too, are in favor of evidence-based medicine that supports quality patient care. President Obama’s statement highlights the complexity of medical decisions like this. However, the AAO-HNS is disappointed by the President’s portrayal of the decision making processes by the physicians who perform these surgeries. In many cases, tonsillectomy may be a more effective treatment, and less costly, than prolonged or repeated treatments for an infected throat.”

My point is this: President Barak Obama has admitted he has not read the bill. He does not understand what modern medicine is all about. He has never dealt with health problem except for his poor mother’s cancer. He may have many talents and knowledge, but of medical treatment, procedures, diagnoses and prognosis he has zero understanding.

Is this the person you want to lead an enormous administration of politicians that will make decisions on whether your child needs a tonsillectomy or not? Think about the DMV and the USPS. These people will control your Doctor even though they say they will not

What my Vegan diet has done for me

August 10th 2009 I visited an Opthomologist. I was diagnosed with diabetes around 20 years ago, precluded by the diagnoses of hypoglycemia in 1976. As you may have already read I also have lupus, Hashimoto’s thyroiditus and hereditary hemochromatosis. All of these maladies can damage the eye.

For most of my life I have focused on natural health. I have researched, experimented, read books and watched health gurus. After many years I settled into a vegetarian diet. It hasn’t always been easy but it was my centered goal. My favorite chef was Kathy Hoshijo of “Kathy’s Kitchen”. She has written books on natural diet filled with tasty Hawaiian Asian cuisine.

Herbs are my preferred treatment and I can honestly say I am much the healthier for it. I have tried the doctors medicines and am thankful for modern medicine when my body refuses to heal naturally. However, I have been over-medicated way more than under. With all of my problems, genetic in nature that they are (mutated DNA), I am only taking thyroid medicine and naprosen (Aleve).

My visit to the Opthomologist was way overdue. Anyone with these medical conditions needs to be checked in order to make certain you are not undergoing damage that is irreparable. The eye tells a lot. It is sensitive nerve tissue. I have been having some problems with spots and a glaze over my eye.

Upon my exam she told me my eyes were dry but showed no damage, nothing that someone with my medical history should have! The spots are naturally occurring floaters. She went over my abnormal blood test results with me (best doctor I have EVER been to). She also told me I needed more aggressive thyroid treatment therapy and told me to go see a particular female Doctor in town.

The most fulfilling thing she told me was that even though I am overweight due to bulimia and my thyroid being too low, my diet IS THE REASON I am doing so well and my eyes are so healthy! I have recently fallen off the raw vegan wagon and my glucose levels started to go up, even more the reason to “GO VEGAN.”

There are many reasons both humane and health why eating animal products is not a good choice. You don’t have to be a wacko or get naked for a Peta campaign to care about factory farmed suffering animals.

Now my disclaimer: I have been critized because on rare occasion I will eat when I feel the need to, sustainably caught wild sockeye salmon. There is only one company I buy from, “Vital Choice” that I have been told is salmon from Native Americans on Native American lands.

Eating a vegan diet does not mean you check your brains at the fridge and become a card carrying member of Peta. It also does not mean you  just joined a religious cult. It means different things to different people.

Milk Thistle

Evidence exists that milk thistle may be hepatoprotective through a number of mechanisms: antioxidant activity, toxin blockade at the membrane level, enhanced protein synthesis, antifibriotic activity, and possible anti-inflammatory or immunomodulating effects.

Milk thistle has had a an incredibly positive effect on the healing of my liver. My liver was damaged and inflamed due to undiagnosed hereditary hemochromatosis. Whenever I stopped using it, my liver enzymes would creep back up. Now my liver functions at a normal level and has for years.

Try some today and see for yourself.

Don’t forget your $5.00 off coupon code: VOL873

write down your code and click here for milk thistle