Hi, Sum, thanks for the welcome.
I have no food allergies.
I have a very severe case of lupus, possibly terminal. It has needed chemotherapy to manage it in the past. I was on Cytoxin and lost my hair.
I've had multiple instances of pulmonary embolism, and I went half blind in 2009 due to a blood clot in the arteries of my eye. I will eventually go fully blind due to these retinal clots, which the doctors say will recur. I also have what is termed "anticardiolipenantibody syndrome," which means blood clots keep recurring due to the nature of my blood.
Here's some of the fun stuff I've been through:
I once lost half the blood in my body due to drug interation/over anti-coagulation. I had a hemmorhage, and needed 8 transfusions as a result. I have about 2 staph infections a year, which usually require hospitalization to treat. I also had a case of hemolytic anemia that ended me in the ICU for 2 months. In addition to this I have fibromyalgia and a severe case of Raynauld's disease (so bad that I need to move to a warm climate or I risk amputation of my fingers). My prognosis is not good. The hospital is kind of a second home to me; I always keep a bag packed and ready to go there. My sort of lupus is not the kind which can be cured by eating differently, although I know more mild cases can be greatly improved that way. I appreciate your kind thoughts and good intentions, though.
I do eat as healthy and as natural foods as I can, which is difficult when you are on food stamps (as I am.) I just buy a lot of fruit and vegetables and lean meats, fat free milk, etc. I have to eat like I'm dieting all the time because I can't exercise without risking some major damage to my body; I was seeing a physical therapist but he came to the conclusion that the best thing I can do is rest. When my body is stressed under exercise, the lupus flares and attacks something in my body.
So my 165 pound weight loss was done without any major exercise, since I'm too weak and medically unstable to exercise and I'm in a wheelchair most of the time. I'm proud of it, but frustrated sometimes- for example, a lot of hospitals serve you unhealthy food when you're hospitalized there! I've had many times when I go into the hospital and they send me up a very fatty, unhealthy diet, with high fructose corn syrup in the foods.
I joined this forum with the hopes that I can help other people who are on prednisone and other drugs which increase hunger find a way to help manage it- and to help avoid the horrible "moon face" that prednisone gives.
Also, as sad as it is, doctors often treat you much better and take your medical case more seriously if you are thin. It is messed up, but true. I used to hear "you're just not trying" when I was overweight; now that I am thin, it didn't make my lupus any better. In fact, it got worse once I lost the weight. But the doctors never blame it on *me* now. Another thing i'd love to accomplish is to help change doctors' perceptions of patients who are overweight being lazy. We aren't... and I wasn't, even back when I was 350 lbs. I was willing to work, I just didn't know how.
I've been at my current weight for 4 full years now, and very proud of it. Hoping to help others while I'm here. Please feel free to add me on messenger or email if you like or if I can help with suggestions.