Skip to main content

My journey with RA

I think I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) in 2014.

In the past when my wrist was inflamed, I did not apply medication and assumed it was just a small injury. It would normally go away within 48 hours.
Then I realised it happened in winter most of the time, so I thought it was arthritis.
However, it got worse and worse and started to inflame every couple of months. The recovery took longer around 3 to 5 days to heal or to be able to fully use my wrist.
I then went to the GP and was referred to see a private rheumatologist (it flared up way too often and I just couldn't handle it anymore so I asked to see a private rheumatologist).

I did my blood test, had xray and MRI of my wrist.
It was negative for rheumatoid factor, negative for autoimmune disease, but my MRI shows some bone erosion.
The rheumatologist then diagnosed me with serum negative RA.

I was devastated, I do not want to take medication all my life.
I tried acupuncture, tried physiotherapist, tried everything that could possibly help... just to avoid taking western medication.
Well nothing worked, so I eventually had to take methotrexate, and months later, plaquenil as well.
Imagine taking methotrexate all my life from the age of 26...

Until recently when I went back to Kuching for chinese new year, I was introduced to see a well known Chinese Medicine Practitioner.
He gave me a complete different diagnosis. It is called bone paralysis according to google's translate.
It is defined as supply obstruction, resulting in femoral head necrosis.Violence caused by prolonged unhealed, involving liver and kidney , liver and kidney deficiency, lack of essence and blood, bone loss of support, a long time the occurrence of femoral head necrosis.

 So I started taking the chinese medication that he prescribed for me (very bitter powdered form of medication) since the end of January for one week, and then stopped for one week.
Before I left Kuching he only gave me a month worth of supply for the medication, as he said the "medication" is to replenish the body, it is not meant for me to take it forever.
Most importantly, he told me to avoid cucumber, pumpkin etc etc. He advised me to eat more leafy vegetables and meat. He said the more protein the better.

The best part is I have stopped taking methotrexate, and only taking plaquenil twice a week.
Next week I am going to take plaquenil once a week for maybe two weeks, then stop it completely.

I am getting good result from it so far.
My wrist has been good and I hope it will stay the same.



*I hope this post will help all the young people out there who may have experienced the same thing as me, but have not found the right treatment yet.*

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Easy banana bread granola

For people who know me well enough, I don't usually cook. When I do cook, I want it to be nice and simple :') Today I am going to be sharing my easy banana bread..... granola! Every time when I told him I am going to make this, he would ask me to stop at banana bread. "I just wanted a banana bread, not granola" >< Anyway, it is really simple, the more you make it the easier it gets! :) First of all, starts from getting all your dry ingredients ready in a big bowl. Dry ingredients include: 3 cups of rolled oats. 1/4 cups of any type of nuts (I used walnut, almonds and sunflower seeds) 1 tablespoon of raw sugar 3 tablespoons of cinnamon powder Pinch of salt After preparing your dry ingredients, mash up one large ripped banana and set aside. Then, move on to your wet ingredients while preheating your oven to 170-175degree. Heat up the following wet ingredients over the stove for 1-2minutes until they are fully melted and mixed. Wet ingredients ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Easy Jajangmyun

This recipe is so easy that anyone can cook it at home anytime! You will need: 500g of minced pork 2 carrots 1 long cucumber 1 tablespoon of chinese cooking wine 3 tablespoons of black bean sauce (see picture below) 1 cup of water (or enough water to cover the meat and vegetables) 1 teaspoon of cornflour Egg noodles for 5 to 6 people 1. Chop up carrots and cucumber.  2. Heat up the wok. Cook the minced pork first until it is almost cooked. Add in 1 tablespoon of cooking wine. 3. Add in the chopped vegetables and stir for about 1 minutes.  4. Add in the 3 tablespoons of black bean sauce and stir fry until the meat and vegetables are all mixed in the sauce. 5. Pour in 1 cup of water, stir until it is even then cover with the lid to let it cook for around 10 minutes. 6. Mix 1 teaspoon of cornflour with 100mls of water before pour it into the wok (to thicken the sauce).  7. Serve it on top of cooked noodles, and garnish with shredded c...
Post a Comment
Read more

Easy peanut butter bowl

After I tried the peanut butter bowl at cocobliss the other day, I was so keen to make my own at home.  This peanut butter bowl is so easy to make and full of proteins! :) For the smoothie,  1 cup of milk of your choice (I used almond milk) 3 tablespoons of peanut butter 2 tablespoons of cacao powder 1 tablespoon of chia seed 1-2 banana (I only used one as I only had one left and it tasted awesome too) Blend all these ingredients up and then pour over your choice of oats/granola/muesli. For toppings, I used chopped walnuts and almonds. You can also use fresh fruits or frozen berries. I have sweet potatoes and omelette as my side dishes. To be honest it was a bit too much for my lunch, I didn't feel hungry until around six o'clock :')
Post a Comment
Read more