There were many thoughts going through my head as I woke up at 6 AM to get my blood tested at the Mayo Clinic. The most dominant though was, would all the sacrifices I’ve made for the last two months be for nothing? I would get the results at my appointment with my doctor at 2 but first I had to get my blood drawn and then off to get scoped from multiple directions. To be honest I was anxious sitting in the lobby waiting to see my doctor. Finally, my pager went off and I was ready to hear the news. I know that I had been feeling better and that my energy had increased to levels that I haven’t experienced in years but somehow the results coming from the blood test meant more than how I felt. I guess it was a desire for them to reflect how great I felt.
Dr. Loftus starts going over my blood markers, saying everything looks normal but then he gets to my CRP (c-reactive protein) which measures the level of inflammation in your body…and says that it is in the normal range as well. This is the first time that it has been normal since 2006 when I was diagnosed. That is a huge deal. I’ve been taking the same medicine and the same dose but now it changed. What had I done to make the change, you might ask? The only logical explanation in my mind and the only change that I’ve made is switching to the Paleo diet. Dr. Loftus wasn’t going to say that it was the sole reason that my CRP changed but admitted that it might have been a tipping point that helped the medicine work better. All in all he said it was a mixed bag because the Crohns is still active to a mild degree in my small intestine but the blood markers were very encouraging!
Gena and I were elated that only after eating Paleo for 2 months and doing it 80% of the time was already paying dividends. I would have been devastated if nothing had changed. Without Gena doing this with me and making it a lifestyle change for our family I don’t think it would have been possible. This last weekend, Claire was baptized and we even managed to feed everyone on a Paleo diet with the exception of some burrito shells that some had for their fajitas. Here are some of Gena’s favorite recipes from the weekend.
Blessings,
Alex
