It's About Time

Well, Em and I have been threatening to blog about our vegan experiment since the beginning of summer. I think it's about time we got started, whether or not anyone will ever read this thing.

Almost two years ago, Em was diagnosed with SLE, or Lupus. She has had the symptoms for most of her adult life, but as with other autoimmune diseases it took several doctors and a few years to connect the dots. Following the diagnosis, she was prescribed nine different prescription medications, each of them with side effects that were at times as serious as her SLE symptoms. While her blood pressure and inflammation were largely under control, fatigue, restlessness, pain, and nausea had become a normal part of life. The disease and the treatment made consistency in school, church, and home a constant battle.

Earlier this spring Em decided to investigate non-medical strategies for controlling her symptoms. It was at this point that she stumbled onto a body of literature that seemed to indicate that a vegan diet - consisting of grains, legumes, vegetables and fruit, and omitting all animal products - was beneficial for some people suffering from autoimmune diseases like Lupus. The literature was inconclusive, and several sources admitted that a vegan diet was far from a silver bullet. Many people saw no improvement whatsoever, and even those who did see improvement still had to battle what are commonly referred to as flare ups - periods of increased activity of the more severe symptoms of the disease. But even with these caveats, she was convinced that the diet change was worth a try. So, in early May we got rid of all of the food stuffs in our house containing animal products, bought a few new cookbooks, and set off on what has been an enjoyable and rewarding adventure.

After three months, Em has reduced her medications from nine medications each day to just two. Her rheumatologist has indicated that the diet change seems to be having a marked affect on her symptoms. We have both lost weight. With the occasional exception, she has slept better, moved better, and felt better than she has in several years.

The posts on this blog will be dedicated not only to the ways in which a vegan diet has changed Em's health, but also the ways it has affected our marriage, our interactions with family, our shopping, and our travel. We'll post recipes for eating at home as well as tips for eating out. It is our hope that the friends and family members who read this will better understand our lifestyle change, be able to celebrate its benefits along with us, and perhaps even be encouraged to experiment with their own habits.

Cheers!