A bit more than a month ago I began feeling a lot of pain in my hands. In the joints. Wringing out the dish towel felt difficult. Pulling out the clothes from the washer to put in the dryer was a challenge. Anything that required a firm grip left my hands feeling weak and unable.
Then the seasons changed and I felt this throbbing pain more regularly. I didn't want to talk about it aloud, hoping it would go away. But deep down I was really anxious about what it was because my sister had rheumatoid arthritis in her 20's and my grandma had it very badly in her 30's. So here I was in my 30's, hoping very badly this wasn't actually happening.
Rory prayed over my hands each night and was quite concerned. Hands that hurt is a problem when all we do all day is write, hold, wipe, wring, button, unbutton, zip, unzip, buckle, unbuckle, carry, pick up, push, pull, pour, cut, draw, chop, open, close, fasten, brush, wash, fold, type, squirt, play, turn and point. Hands are very important.
A week later a friend of mine, Cori, posted on facebook that she was offering a 7-day pure eating menu for anyone interested. So I took her grocery list and got off of gluten and most sugar. And the affects on my hands were tremendous. On the whole, my pain was cut in half. Easily. The timing was an absolute answer to our prayers. I have stayed on this changed eating plan for a month now and feel so, so grateful to Cori for getting me started with such a healthy menu of great foods to eat. (I started an instagram account to document what I was eating so that when I get discouraged and think, what can I eat?!!" I can easily see my options. Here's the page if you're at all interested. :) I don't plan to post regularly, just as I eat something new that fits the plan.)
I do still have flare ups. Which led me to read an article on Apple Cider Vinegar. Have you read about the stuff? With the mother?!! Read this article. It is sort of a wonder cure for many, many things. I now drink three tall glasses of water a day with 2 cap fulls (maybe 2 teaspoons?) of vinegar in each one (I drink one before each meal). At first I added maple syrup, but now I like it best with just the vinegar. Weird!
I love it. I feel really good.
Then one night Hattie fell and gashed her head. Rory was gone and an egg was beginning to develop right on the front of her forehead. I called Rory and asked him to pick up some Arnica at the Co-op. My friend Ali had told me all about this wonder cream that reduces swelling immediately. Rory brought it home and said, "I think you should use this on your hands...it reduces swelling." I put it on my hands and immediately felt relief.
So here's what I'm learning from these things. Arthritis is terrible. I was initially really nervous about how it would alter my life. But you know what? It has altered my life in really positive ways. My eating is the best it's ever been. Every day I'm having a kale salad, eggs, sweet potato mash, veggies and hummus, ants on a log, and tons of water. I feel healthy in many ways I didn't feel before.
And then Hattie's terrible injury (on her head which is even worse) turned into a serious blessing when we discovered Arnica, an herb we can grow in our own house. That was when I began reading about holistic anti-inflammatories and began the apple cider vinegar routine. It was another hard thing that led to some really great knowledge gained.
The lesson God is showing me is that really hard things, scary things, difficult things can lead me to a place where he can teach me something new. I know that's a very elementary teaching. I know you're likely thinking, "duh, woman." But, again, it is profound when it is you going through the motions to learn the lesson...living through the hard things to get to the good things.
My hands still ache when I come in from the cold. But by-and-large if I drink my apple cider vinegar, stay off of gluten and corn products and most sugar, then man, I am nearly fully healed. Arnicare is helpful when I feel the ache. And I praise God that I am healthier in all other ways because these hands of mine were hurting. He has so much to teach us through trial and hardship.
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