Is it more common (as it seems to be) or just more commonly diagnosed, I wonder? Annie I wonder the same thing. I was raised on white flour/wonderbread, my kid was raised on whole grain/homemade and she's sensitive to gluten. DH says, "It was different wheat back then." Thanks, FOAS. We'll file that info for next time (argh). In this case, he got the knuckles. They could have done a bone graft from his hip and reconstructed one of them, but he wouldn't have been able to bend it and the surgeon did not hesitate to tell him it would drive him crazy. He has more to work with than we thought....is using everything and is four weeks ahead than most according to the physical therapist. Maybe he'll get some work done on this place yet, hehe.

Hi Everyone - can't believe it but I have finished digging the garden, laid gravel along the outside of the fence along its edge (area was full of weedy grass 3 years ago - I took an AXE to get most of it out - it was embedded in clay/gravel/builder rubbish - been weed killing the area last year and finally felt I was beating the weeds/grass so I could haul the gravel to tidy up the area. Have also finished the second coat on the kitchen walls - still have a second coat needed on the plaster ceiling. Rushed to get this done before DH returns home Friday morning. The bottoms of my feet hurt. Tomorrow - back to work - also my grass is poking through the front lawn where I top dressed and put more grass seed. Rain tomorrow and for the next few days! Even got a few more plants in the garden, put up trellis and will vacuum tonight and then collapse in a nice, soaking bath. Meals have been very, very erratic and NOT ON PLAN - but I have more aching muscles this week from heavy yard/house work that it feels something everywhere, everytime I move. Looking forward to settling back into routine and just doing my stepping machine for exercise. Kathy, will take you up on that offer of heat - what is heat to you?? I consider anything at 80 degrees and up. Our friends are moving into a newly build house in Oct/Nov. I have been invited to help them with their garden. Will be splitting some of my plants and shifting them across. Also teaching their daughters a little about taking care of plants too. Have also managed to get a couple of cook ahead meals in the pressure cooker and oven before sitting down to eat. I think I am missing DH - not good at sitting still for any length of time - have to keep busy and doing things. Take care everyone! Have to get a few things put away and get my bath running! McPeg

I have been posting in a lot of forums regarding my daughterÂs condition and if we should consider homeopathy or not. I have been getting negative responses more so than positive responses about giving homeopathy a go. We decided not to go through the surgery and see Dr. Namaya in his beautiful clinic in Vermont where we stayed for two days. I am not too fond of doctors but seeing the amount of care and attention he has given to my daughter is enough to make us go and see him again. He was very thorough and asked about everything that might lead to this disease, and he made us understand what exactly is crohnÂs disease and what it can do both to the patient and his/her loved ones. It was a learning and humbling experience for me. Dr. Namaya prepared a diet and supplement plan for my daughter that are easy to follow and effective and my daughter did not have a flare up since we started her on the supplements Dr. Namaya prescribed. He told us that we would see results within one-two months. We are going to hold a telephone visit with him this week for him to check on the progress of my daughter. My daughter is coping now, thanks to Dr. Namaya of CrohnÂs and IBS Wholistic Medical Care. Here is a link that might be useful: crohns and ibs wholistic medical care

My diagnosis for arthritis happened about 7 years ago. I was on DMARD meds and went off them to get pregnant, which was great because I would go in remission with pregnancy. Anyways, that one pregnancy turned into two and after the birth of my second it came back fiercely. This was last year. I started with anti-inflammatories because I really didn't want to go on harsh meds again, which worked for 6 weeks, then went to Celebrex with worked another 6 and had to move to the DMARDS again. I had a pretty strong reaction this time which really worried me as my blood count got really messed up and this when I started a natural route. I did an elimination diet and had results within 10 days - I could pick up a plate with one hand, turn a door handle, pick up my 1 1/2 year old. At the beginning of the diet, if I ate the wrong foods, the inflammation occurred instantly so with paying attention I could really find my agitators. At this point I was at about 80% (3 months in) so I got an IgG test (food sensitivity) and found dairy and soy to be very high on the list. I now eliminate those but will have a cheat with them every so often. Basically, I follow the 80/20 rule. Eighty percent veggies and fruit with remaining being fish, meats, grains, etc. An ideal day for me could be a spinach salad for breakfast (topped with walnuts, fruit), 1 cup cooked oats with 1/2 cup blueberries, an egg with sauteed spinach, onions, asparagus or zucchini - lunch would be something similar, or meatballs with squash, a soup, rice cake with almond butter and sliced banana, dinner can be a salad with souvlaki, hamburger with green pepper and onions, etc. It got easier as I got into it and more food options became available as to what was good for me. I found it hard going by a book as I do believe each person is different for what it good for them. Since being on the diet my blood count (specifically my ESR rate) has changed, my anemia, gingivitis, fatigue, tooth sensitivity is gone. These are all physical changes that happened - I have psoriasis, which is pretty much cleared except a couple of spots but no dry skin either. I have had all these conditions all my life, as they have been monitored, but not in the past 6 six months since starting this diet! My last dental appointment - no lecture! A first for me. I brushed and flossed regularly beforehand and would always get a tutorial and I would follow and would get the lecture again at the next checkup. It's hard and frustrating but I am glad I didn't give up. The next round of meds suggested scared me. I will no longer be skeptical if someone suggests something to me because if I didn't have that reaction to my medication I wouldn't have done it (the natural route). Sorry it's so long.