The Desperation of a Chronic Disease

Six months ago I had a chronic illness that was out of control.  My health had deteriorated from it over years and years.  My life suffered and my family suffered.  There was help from the not-for-profit organisations, help from my doctor, and there was help from the government.  None of them offered a solution other than the continued management of my chronic condition.

I was depressed, and this made me feel even worse and more helpless.  When you are looking down that tunnel, as you may be, there seems to be no way out.

My medication was increased and I got better for a while until the disease caught up again.  The doctor expected it and the organisations expected it. Eventually, I moved onto a new class of drugs.  A more serious type of medication related to the worsening progression of the disease.

Owning My Health

A chance suggestion from a health professional pushed me to look at some less conventional advice. It began a journey to the realisation that my condition was not only manageable, it was reversible!   Within three months I had ceased all medication and was healthier than I had been on them.  I also effortlessly lost weight that I needed to lose.  Six months and beyond and my health continues to improve.

On that journey, I had to learn a lot of new things, let go of a lot of firmly held beliefs and realise I could be in control.  I gained insight into the failure of our institutions to deal with my illness and other chronic diseases.  Most of all, I learned that whether you have type 2 diabetes, as I do, or many other Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), there are possible alternatives to a chronic life sentence.  In my case, the solution involved doing some simple, but common sense things that differed from the traditional management path. That meant using the wisdom of crowds, the Internet and social media so get the support and information that I needed.  It meant filtering out the ‘experts’ who meant well but only had a chronic progression of my disease to offer. It meant avoiding the numerous distractions that are present on the Internet from people who have a profit motive and quack solutions from ineffective products.  When you own your health and you break free from the learned helplessness from one circle, you want to make sure that you do not become dependent on new masters. 

My result was not a miracle. Hundreds who have taken the journey with type 2 diabetes have repeated the success.  Many of them had more remarkable turnarounds in their health than me, and I am quite humbled and grateful to have learned from them.

Owning Your Health

Now, I am paying back.  I want to be that person that gives you that push through this blog.  More than that, I want to help you navigate those first months when you investigate how you might turn around your health.

I am not a nutritional expert, a doctor or a faith healer, but if this resonates with you then read on to a few of my posts.  There is a Confucian saying:

By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest.

I hope you will learn something useful from my bitter experience, my reflection and where appropriate, by imitation.  I look forward to your sincere comments, questions and constructive criticism.  Do that honestly and inquisitively, and it will stimulate new material to help you and others.

When you own your health again, I ask you for one thing.  I want you to pay back my effort and leverage yours by giving a push to those around you.  Use the information here as a launching point for them, so that we can have a world free from many chronic diseases through diet, lifestyle and sound medicine.