Its a new dawn, its a new day, its a new life for me

and I'm feeling GOOOOOOOD... or at least a whole lot better!

I'm really happy to say that I think all the hard work is starting to pay off. I'd say I'm now 6.5/10 on 'Vic's Healthometer'. I'm aiming for 10/10. It's just my wrists that are lagging behind now. I'm seeing my doctors next week, and I'm hoping to adapt the treatment slightly so that my wrists settle down. At my last visit there was talk of low dose steroids to bring it under control, but I hope we don't have to take that path.

I'm so happy that I found this way of treatment... I've joined an online group called "The Road Back Foundation" (http://www.roadback.org/). This is a great source of information for anybody interested in non-traditional treatment for auto-immune disease. I am surprised by how closed minded the mainstream Rheumatologists are, and I am beginning to believe that the pharmaceutical world is partly responsible for obscuring successful treatments in favour of more expensive, complicated treatments (that eventually cause more ill-health due to side effects and dependence).

Gerald and I went to Rainbow serpent festival last week and had a brilliant time - a 3 day festival was something I could not even have considered 6 months ago.

Life is going well. Let's hope I continue this momentum.

Sunshine and the beach

My best medicine is being by the beach.

Gerald and I had such a great time on the Sunshine Coast that I'm seriously considering a sea change. We're back home after a weeks holiday with Dan and Troy, and Melbourne has welcomed us with a scorcher. The heat is a good thing, but 45'C might be too much of a good thing! Pool time is high on the agenda.

I'm starting to notice a steady (and gradual) improvement. I really feel so much better than I used to. In my mind I feel completely healthy. Physically, I feel about 6/10. I can sleep soundly, walk without limping (mostly - stairs excluded), dance. This is a great feeling! I can't remember what it felt like to be in the pain I was in 6 -12 months ago.

I remember being told (twice) by a highly respected specialist that he hoped I didn't mind him saying, but he thought I was 'a very, very sick young woman'. He never even saw me at my worst. I remember Mum and I coming out of that meeting so overwhelmed that we sat down in a cafe with tears streaming down our cheeks. It was awful. It must have been terrible for Mum - was my health really that bad? What was going to happen to me?

That feels like a different time. Of course, there are still countless things that G helps me with. I tire very easily, have no strength and puny muscles. Food is a real challenge - I'm being very strict again after a few champagne-type lapses over christmas/NY. Going out for dinner is really hard/impossible - especially the salicylate avoidance.

I saw a 'healer' when I was on the Sunshine coast (I'll try anything that may help). She helped me identify some of the thought patterns that allowed me to get sick in the first place. What we think has a huge influence on our health or illness. Thought is the biggest source of power we have to heal ourselves.

Now I'm going for a swim.