hello,
this is my first post here, even though i`ve been following this forum since nov 2015. That is where my story starts.
I was first diagnosed in the summer of 2009, when after only two months since first sympthoms i was already unable to walk out of the house without taking pills (arcoxia) and also had an episode of iridiocyclitis.
At that time the doctors recommended immediatly to start with Infliximab (Remicade).
Result begabn to show up in a week, and within one months i was already able to run.
Everything worked fine in the following 6 years, with absolutely no sympthom of AS, no pain, i was in a very good shape ( able to run out in the cold at -10 Celsius) - i was as new
(with an Infliximab dose every 8-9 weeks).
I was very confident that AS was off. In july 2015, due to some problems with the healthcare in my country (Romania), Infliximab was no longer available for me, and for the next 4 months i had to take a break. In this time, sympthoms were slowly coming back, and, on the 15 of November 2015, doctors diagnosed that AS was back, and recommended switching to Humira.
I was very sad in the beginning, but on the same day, as i was travelling back home from the hospital, my girlfriend gave me a link on an sms. - it was kickass.org
The next day i decided to start the diet. it was Very hard in the first four weeks, lost 10% of my bodywheight and backpains, jointpains, nightsweats were incresing in intensity.
I was going totally NSD, with very little sugar. In the next four months, AS was back in full power. I couldn`t even walk sometimes. But this time i decided to go only on the diet, with no medicines. (now as i look back, i realise that maybe it was a mistake, i could have cut pain a little)
Anyway, in June (8 months since i began diet) i couldn`t go further, and began taking meds again.(Interestingly, in that time, pain and swolenness were slowly going down, from spine and ribcage - to pelvis and feet.)
As i said, i began with Arcoxia 30 mg twice a day, and slowly decreased to ibuprofen and paracetamol.
In nov 2016, after a year with NSD and pills, sympthoms slowly diseapeared, and i began to sleep well again, i was able to walk fine again, and i began practicing some sports - swimming.
Also, sincer nov 2016, i was no longer so strict with the diet, and went more like Low Strach Diet.
Also, sincer then i gave up pills, i took them only when necessary.
Now, 20 march 2017, after 16 month from starting the diet, i:
1. no longer take any kind of medicine
2. already started running
3. go on a relaxed Low Starch Diet
4. have a happy life again
This is my story, but like other who wrote before me, i have some amendments.
1. start easy, cutting down sugar to zero might be dangerous, i was lucky i only lost some kg, but you don`t know how your body reacts
2. don`t take yourself to serious, or you will end up only thinking about food and what to eat next.
3. don`t be a hero. i think is not worthy enduring pain, if you think you really need one pill to do your daily activity or to sleep well - take it. i learned it the hard way - i nearly lost my bussiness beeing to busy fighting AS.
4. about diet: Totally NSD is very hard, and i wouldn`t recommend it. It may be more effective, but i think Low Starch is the way to go. It is easyer to carry on and you`ll have more time to do other important things (like doing your job well so you won`t lose it)
5. Try some alternative medicine. Call it yoga, reiki, cosmoenergy, whatever, even though they may have no direct effect on AS (i think they do, but this isn`t the place to talk about that), they will improve your mood and will make you go easily through the process. And believe me, mental health is very important in that time
So, my first post here was about how i managed to heal myself. So far i am going very well, and i hope i`m done with AS.
This was a small part of the story, and i hope i wrote was was essential and didn`t forget anything.
Anyway, thank you for sharing here all your experiences, keep writing, there may be someone like me out there struggling to fight AS and who maybe someday write a succes story as i am doing now.
Without kickass.org and all info in here i would probably just be addicted to some meds and have to live a life depeding to doctors and hospitals and who knows what.
Now i am free.
Thank you again
