Ireland Calling

[Guest guest]

Hi All

I have been asked about my theories on arthritis, so decided to reply to the

list.

I am not a medical person, just happen to be endowed with an analytic brain,

so logic above all prevails. When I was four months in Moms womb, Moms

appendix decided to burst! Honest " I " did not touch it, so do not blame me.

Back in 1958, medicine was not that advanced, so it was a question of saving

Mom and me, well chances are I would be lost. However I held on, not sure

what too, but I survived. I erupted on 27th September, with all limbs

intact, but a small patch of " ? " behind my knee. The physician told Mom that

under NO circumstances was I to be vaccinated, why she does not know, but

that is what she was told. So while all my play friends were being given

boosters at school, they all thought I was brave, as I never cried. The fact

that I received no injection was no known to them.

I was a sickly child, always had bronchitis, hence the move out of the

London smog, to countryside fresh air. Come BCG time, again I did not have

it, but my teenage friends did.

My parents decided that I needed fattening up, looking like a skeleton for

much of my life, so doused me with Cod Liver Oil and Malt. So much for not

having arthritis on Cod Liver Oil. I did put the weight on and every time we

went swimming with the school, they thought they had an oil slick! [a joke].

At 16 I kept fainting. Mom marched me to the physician, who examined me,

said, You have all the symptoms of a viral infection, so I will treat you

with Septrin. It was during that course of antibiotics, that the initial

patches of Psoriasis erupted.

Up until a few years ago, I always thought I was allergic to the Septrin,

that was the CAUSE of my psoriasis. The arthritis showed itself at 21, but

it was sporadic, nothing to worry about.

It was not until my serious flare, that put me in a wheelchair 1993, did I

really start to contemplate this disease.

The fact that the white cell count increases during an arthritic flare,

white cells being your immune system, was for me the key. Likewise when you

have an infection, the white cells also increase, could the two be

connected?

The immune system reacts to any foreign bug, yet it also reacts to

arthritis. I know that if I contract a infection, my psoriasis gets worse,

along with the arthritis. Is there a connection? Odd how the antibiotics

prescribed for my infection, also quell my psoriasis and arthritis! I did

once have an allergic reaction, hay fever to pollen, in particular Rape

Seed. I was prescribed antihistamine and they also assisted the psoriasis

and arthritis!

However having theories and proving then are two diverse aspects. As they

say, the proof is in the pudding.

Since I made my mind up to steer clear of infections, I have failed to have

an arthritic flare. Once I also figured out if I had any food allergies,

steered clear of those foods, another improvement. I sleep when my body

tells me to sleep, not because it is dark outside and the rest of Ireland

are tucked up in bed. I wake when my body tells me its time to wake, rather

than the alarm clock sounding. I take each step in my day as it comes, along

with being aware of my energy level.

I contemplate this question, " Am I allergic to Life? " To a certain extent,

yes! Life as we know it, up at the crack of dawn, hard physical graft at the

office, high stress levels and burning the candle either end. BUT I am not

allergic to what should be life, listening to your own time clock, bio

rhythms, which tell you when you are tired, when you have enough sleep, when

your energy levels are peaking. However the rest of society does not evolve

around MY personal bio rhythms, which to me is the PROBLEM.

I know some scientific study has been conducted on this. People who work

night shifts, never see the sunny daylight periods, so they expose them to

UVA lamps. Those lamps automatically tell the brain that you are wide awake.

" Its daylight, time to work! " Even with the seasons I notice a diversity on

my health. Summer when the sun is out and it is hot, my energy tank is FULL.

I could probably survive a week without sleep. Winter time, like now, when

daylight is dim, sunshine sporadic, I feel as if I should be hibernating.

I firmly believe that arthritis is a hypersensitive reaction, just like some

forms of asthma or hayfever.

I know for a fact that my personal trigger is BUGS, colds, flu, strep

throats. Therefore like a person with asthma, who knows that sniffing dust

mites will trigger an attack, so does not inhale dust mites, I steer clear

of the infections. As the asthmatic person strives to clean the house of

dust mites, so changes there lifestyle, I too adopt the exact same approach.

The FEAR, be it real or imagined, of having to spend any further time in a

wheelchair, drives me to steer clear of BUGS!

Love and God Bless

Gillian