Pivot

When it comes to AGS, it often feels like the hits keep coming. Just when you have something figured out, you need to make all new changes to try to live with this crazy condition. In this post, we each discuss our individual and very different experiences choosing to pivot in a direction we never expected.

DEBBIE:

After cutting out mammal meat products in 2019, I felt better for a long time. But every now and then, the brain fog would set in again, so I decided to eliminate dairy and byproducts. Those adjustments to my diet helped significantly, reducing my symptoms to an occasional bout of joint pain, GI issues, or joint pain. That got me wondering if some of the lingering issues were from accidental exposure to mammal…or maybe something else entirely

I did all the things I know I’m supposed to do - remove inflammatory food ingredients, work with a doctor to check labs, meditate and nurture my mental health to reduce my stress level. All the labs and tests came back normal, but the symptoms continued off and on until a fateful day last month that I was knocked on my butt. The joint and bone pain was coursing through my body in such a thorough and excruciating way that I began to wonder if I would even wake up in the morning. I went back to the doctor who suggested that maybe I’m dealing with fibromyalgia. 

So I added all the supplements - omegas, Vitamin D, Iron, adaptogens, curcumin…more than I can list here. I upped my workout routine to every day and added in several additional dog walks. And although I’m keeping the discomfort just below the surface, I’m aware that it’s still there. And I know it’s time to do something more extreme.

I’m not about to sit back and wither away - there’s way too much left on my bucket list. It’s time to pivot. And I know I’m capable of doing just about anything after adjusting for AGS. So, after watching Candice’s health go from zero to 60 when she switched to a plant-based diet, I decided it’s time for me to follow suit. My husband and I began to read up on the research, and we were blown away. More than blown away…truly curious. Curious about what it could do for inflammation. Curious what it could do for his fitness goals. We made a plan, and we’ve officially started. 

Choosing to pivot is a lot easier after seeing the results with the other choices that were suddenly mandatory with my AGS diagnosis. It’s what’s required of us, and I know now that I finally believe that I am worth the effort it takes to make changes. So, here we go! Keep an eye on social media - I’m planning to keep you all posted every step of the way.

CANDICE:

Prior to my alpha-gal diagnosis I was a huge Paleo eater, I never considered going plant-based and honestly was turned off by anything involving tofu. It wasn’t until another severe flare that happened while on vacation out west with my family in 2021 that I even remotely considered becoming fully vegan. How in the world would I get enough protein? How would I survive without eating eggs for breakfast? 

I ebbed and flowed with a lot of emotions during that time, because I had been doing everything right and was at a complete loss for WHY I was reacting so severely again. The reactions started and they did not stop. I had to use my epi pen every other week for six weeks. I tried some mast cell stabilizing medications prescribed by my immunologist and did not tolerate them well. 

After navigating a lot of defeating emotions, I had to get real with myself. I knew that I had to do something drastic… I had to pivot. My husband and I decided to dive head first into doing as much research as possible on eating strictly plant-based. On our drive back from a weekend getaway in Asheville, we binged The Rich Roll Podcast. Listening to the authors of The Plant-Based Athlete speak about the benefits of eating more plants and debunking the myths around vegans not getting enough protein played an integral part in us giving it a try. We watched several documentaries and decided to take the plunge. We said we would give it two weeks and see if there were any changes, especially when it came to my health and reactivity.

The changes came pretty quickly. My anaphylactic reactions stopped and I knew there was something to this way of eating. Even my lab work and inflammation began to improve, and my Endocrinologist and Immunologist were actually stunned. The dramatic changes that I was seeing in my health kept me even more motivated to keep going and I have to say, I don’t even miss my morning eggs!  I am now almost 2 years into being completely plant-based and I am so grateful that I decided to try something out of my comfort zone because it truly propelled me onto the path of healing.