Looking for information and inspiration to help heal your rheumatoid, psoriatic or other autoimmune arthritis?
Then this book is for you. I wrote this book to demonstrate that with the right tools and perseverance, healing can be achieved. Not only do I write about the basics of Chinese medicine and how it helped me, and how it can help you, but I also discuss the numerous other herbs, supplements, tonic herbs, adaptogenic herbs and other healing modalities that I used, many of which you can implement on your own, to help put my psoriatic arthritis into remission for over ten years now. I intertwined this information with the details of my own struggle and the obstacles that I faced, as it helped me so much in reading other's struggles who had healed their own illness. Information and inspiration.
If I can heal, so can you! A Little Bit More About My Story In the spring of 2010, having just passed my California state board exams, I was excited to start my career as a Chinese medicine practitioner. My body, unfortunately, had other plans. The swelling, pain and inflammation started in my neck but soon spread throughout my entire body, until all my joints were either swollen, red or painful, or a combination of all three. Originally diagnosed as inflammatory arthritis, and much later as psoriatic arthritis -- an autoimmune condition, the onset of the disease began one of the most challenging periods in my life. Without health insurance and little money, I turned to the only tool that I had: my recently acquired knowledge of Chinese medicine. I started treating myself with acupuncture and Chinese herbs, and soon after added a variety of supplements, various other herbs, tonic herbs and a host of other healing methods. After a two-year healing journey, my arthritis symptoms went away, and I have not had a recurrence in over ten years now, although I still struggle with very mild psoriasis. Over the years, the memory of the disease faded into the background, but a commitment I made still lingered; a promise I made that when I healed I would pay it forward by writing about my experience as both a healthcare professional and sufferer of autoimmune arthritis. The numerous books and stories I read when I was ill, written by those who had already healed, gave me such inspiration that I wanted to share that experience once I had come out the other side. Over the years, I put it off for many reasons, but my inner voice kept telling me that I had to fulfill the commitment that I had made. I feel after ten years that enough time has passed that I can share what I learned. My intent with this book is to both inspire and inform by listing the methods I used to heal and how they can benefit you, as well as describe my own journey to show that with perseverance, healing can be achieved.