So, no coffee all plant based ... here I go.

Why in the world would someone give up coffee and only eat "plants based foods" for five weeks, no salt no vinegar .... no sugar? Well, I am desperate to make myself feel better.

Why am I blogging? Several years ago I thought blogging was stupid .... invasive .... a fad .... Well, things have changed, I've had some really nutty things happen to me. I want to share my story. I want people to understand what I deal with on a daily basis. If you can relate and learn and find courage from what I go through then I have succeeded. I am opening myself up to advocate for gimpy people (disabled is the PC term, but I like to call myself gimpy). I want people who are struggling to know that I am struggling too, and I keep my chin up and I keep going every day.


Ok, enough of an intro, I have severe rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in my neck shoulders, wrists, knees, and ankles. And, I have probably forgotten a joint or two. I have a slight tear in my left achilles tendon, I have right rotators cuff syndrome in my right shoulder and bursitis in my hips. Ouch!

Normally, I am extemely guarded about my health. I try very hard to blend in, and not "look sick". This attitude has both helped and hurt me. I will explain that in another post.

Yesterday, I couldn't bend my right knee very well and so I could barely walk .... good times! I have been sick for 5 years. I have my good days and my bad days .... good months bad months. Today is pretty good so far, but I want to clean my bathroom and walk my dogs, so I will probably be in a lot of pain after that. It sucks, really. I am having a bad month. I hardly have any stamina and little energy. My house is pretty messy and I think my German Shepherd is getting chubby from lack of exercise.

The last thing I want to do is throw a pity party for myself, but I want to share my struggles. Get things off of my chest. I have oodles of things to tell, but I will take my time. I will ease you into all of the BS I have had to deal with, and all of the beauty that I find around me which keeps me going.

I am thankful for my family and friends, my doctor, my mattress, NCSU and understanding professors. I will be a teacher someday, I may just have to sit down while I am teaching. My animals give me loads of furry love every day, and they make me wake up, get out of bed and walk them in the fresh air even on a "yucky pain day".

So, I am making some lifestyle changes and I am eating quite differently for the next 5 weeks. I will eat veggies, fruits, beans etc .... Wish me luck. I am clearing my body of additives. Has this dietary change been proven to be effective in curing RA? No. But, a girl's gotta try. It can't hurt.

And, just for the record my condition is not permanent. I will get better!

If you want to know how things are going or what it is like to live with RA check out my blog. I am going to post daily.