The Diagnosis

Hmmm... The name of this post sounds pretty serious.  But actually, it is a pretty big deal.  I have been feeling really fatigued for months, years really, off and on.  I have always thought it had to do with low iron stores (because I was diagnosed with anemia few years ago at one point) or hormones (because they can be blamed for everything, right?).
Well, when I got to December, I was feeling extremely exhausted.  I kept up on what I had to do for the most part; cleaning the house, making meals, exercising, but I couldn't do much else.  And I just kept getting more tired.  I was also becoming very depressed about it because I felt like I couldn't do anything well or at all...felt like throwing in the towel.  I even seriously considered putting my children in school (gasp!).  I found a new doctor and had blood drawn. It took a while to come back, especially because I had multiple blood draws, but a few weeks ago, I got the call.  I have Lupus.
Yikers! Have you ever seen the pictures of people with Lupus on the Internet? Really, YIKES! And I don't look like that, and I refuse to.  One of my friends was surprised when I told her of my diagnosis because she sees me as a "picture of health".  Those of you who know me well, know that I strive to be strong and healthy. I avoid most processed food, fast food, junk food, you get it.  I exercise regularly, keep my weight in check, and eat a lot of whole grains, organic meats, fruits and vegetables.  I will admit that I don't always eat enough of the green stuff...and I have had an evening ice cream habit since I was pregnant with Paige- so that's almost 3000 bowls of ice cream, mostly the good stuff, like Tillamook.
How did I get the disease? We don't know.  Most likely it was the result of a virus.  I believe that it could also have been caused by food allergies.  You're probably wondering about my other symptoms- You've noticed that I don't have the "mask" of Lupus, but I do have problems with water retention and struggled last summer because I would get little bumps on my skin when exposed to the sun.  Itchy yucky bumps. 
What am I going to do with it?  Well, that is a GOOD question if I do say so myself! Lupus is an inflammatory autoimmune disease.  If I can eliminate the inflammation, I believe that I will feel better.  I have read about people who have changed their diets and now are lupus-free (even though the medical community will tell you it is an incurable disease).
I have had a food allergy panel taken and found out that I have problems with a number of foods.  For the next year at least, I will not have dairy, eggs, bananas, broccoli, asparagus, sugar, yeast or any of the nightshade vegetables that cause inflammation (tomatoes and all kinds of peppers).  I will eat a lot of fish and leafy greens because they are highly anti-inflammatory.  It may seem like I am a very picky eater but you know I'm not picky! In fact, I love food and I am determined to come up with some awesome recipes to share!
This is going to be difficult, I know.  But I am SO ready to feel good again! Right now I am on a 24 day detox program given to me by my doctor, then I'll be following my diet to a "T".  My plan is to feel great and have my blood tested in a year.  My hope is that my blood results will come back with a negative diagnosis then.  1 day almost down, 364 days to go...