When my doctors gave up on me, and told my companion I'd be dead within 2 years, that's when I -really- started to live. See, I got -angry-. I'll be dognagged if anyone is going to tell ME when I'm going to die, and ferskiddled if I'm gonna die on THEIR schedule! I abandoned the failed information of the past, and searched for new tools to thwart their predictions.

12 years later, here I am -- I still have a long way to go, and I've made more than my share of mistakes on the journey... but I am alive -and- mobile (and mobility was something I'd already lost on standard medical care)... AND I talk about it.

my first thought. Wow! my second thought.Join the club! My suffering was less intense, but lasted thirty years. I have 12 doctors , who I could sue for malpractice. Many who I could hold criminally accountable if the system wasn't so protective of the medical profession. They had trials of Nazis after WWII at Nuremburg. What is the distinction between Auschwitz guards and MD.s..The color of the their uniforms? They both drive Merccedes!.. More hyperbole.... The typical MD is like Pope Pious XII who never stood up to Hilter during the war. They apply bandaids to the patients,and charge insurance for brain surgery. (no offense to the Quilt, I just picked the priciest specialist!) The bandaids aren't even sterile sometimes! They know what they do (prescribe poisons)) doesn't work, but unlike Harris/Quilt they don't question the mandates of Big Pharma, while Big Agriculture bribes govt. officials. What to do about it? Live your life one bite of grass fed ruminant at a time!, and weep for the rest of humanity..........And weep for joy that we've found this" D-day" quality nutrition/lifestyle.

I feel for you and the many others that have been negatively affected by the newer Big Pharma meds. I just finished my degree in pharmacology and have come to realise the glory days of easily made simple and effective drugs are pretty much over. The new drugs such as the one's you took have many and far reaching reactions that are possibly very strong and often little understood. I wont go as far to say as avoid them at all costs just that be aware than Big Pharma is looking after themselves and your health is secondary.

Paleo works due to the acknowledgement that the human machine is far to complex to control. The ability to control the immune system via pharmacology is currently a myth.

how do we stick it to 'em ? buy less medicine's

You stick it to them by not needing them. Kudos to you for finding your own way.

Thank you for sharing your story of perseverance and healing. I too went through a similar experience with diverticulitis (lost 4" of my sigmoid colon) and a diagnosis of bowel wall thickening/crohn's. Despite numerous doctor's, I was never provided any nutritional advice except "eat whatever you want." The medications that were prescribed (numerous antibiotics/anti inflammatories) only seemed to make me feel worse - especially with an eat whatever you want philosophy. Needless to say, I have a healthy mistrust of western medicine and big pharma. Thankfully, I found the SCD/GAPS diet and paleo lifestyle as my health is improving. I wish you much success with your blog and menu design consulting.

Great testimony to all the people who are struggling right now with health problems. I've struggled with similar problems that you've had for a long time and gone through hell just like you, including going to countless doctors only to find out I knew more about the disease than they did, they just knew what drugs to give out. I think you could make the argument that some are criminally negligent, the ones who know the truth but continue to profit off of the system and their patients. But the reality is most don't even know half of what the average person on paleohacks knows, and that is sad indeed. Then there's the grey area of those doctors who don't know the truth about nutrition and health but don't try to find it either, even when one patient after another tells them about it and their treatments continue to fail. This isn't technically criminally negligent, but it sure is negligent, and that's a crime in its own way. Big Pharma on the other hand, I'll just say most of them belong in jail and leave it at that. To answer your question about how to alert the people who have health problems before they fall into the vicious cycle of being given drugs that then cause more problems that require more drugs: We have to change the system from the inside out. It's simply too powerful and there are too many entrenched interests to take down the whole system and build a new one from the ground up. One way to do this is to start reaching out to leaders of medical schools to start teaching medical students proper nutrition. Right now most med schools offer little to no nutrition classes for medical students, I know because I have friends in medical school who know nothing about it. We should get experts within the paleo community to teach a nutrition class from the paleo perspective, but since this would probably be too much for them since they frown upon nutrition, start off with a biochemistry class taught from an evolutionary/paleo perspective. The embracing of alternative medicine is already starting at a few med schools, we just have to expand it dramatically http://www.usnews.com/education/best-graduate-schools/articles/2011/04/12/medical-schools-embrace-alternative-medicine?PageNr=2.
Another thing we can do, at least in the US, is use our power as citizens to change laws and raise awareness of the harm drugs are causing to so many people. We also need to lead a movement to get rid of the FDA completely and replace it with a system that evaluates drugs independently and without taking money from the drug companies (much of the FDA's budget comes from the drug companies they're supposed to regulate). This would lead to less harmful drugs on the market. Also, if conventional medical schools aren't willing to change, we need to expand the movement to legalize naturopathic doctors (I believe they can have their license in 16 states so far) and not only that, to allow them to be covered by insurance plans. Finally, we absolutely must use media to reach the masses. We have to convince people that eating the way our ancestors did isn't just another fad diet like the ones that always get the media attention, but a diet you can stay on for life because it's part of a healthy all around lifestyle. We have to put pressure on congress to change the laws so that companies aren't fined and raided by the fda like they are now for selling natural products or foods that the fda deems "unsafe". Someone should make a definitive documentary (besides the great ones that have already been done) exposing the revolving door between congress, the fda, big pharma, and the food industry and contrast that with the natural treatments in the US and around the world that are healing many and cost significantly less. Most people don't wanna hear that what they've known their entire lives isn't true, but giving them the truth is only the first part of the equation. A wise professor of mine once said we're a back up against the wall society, but if that's true, I say we have to get the truth out to the next generation and convince them it's worth changing for so they never reach the point where their back is up against the wall. But for now, for the people who know the truth about diet and health as we do, we just have to change the lives of the people in our own lives because to those who are given much knowledge, much is expected in return.

I doubt this will be a popular answer. But, in the face of enormous lobbies that just have more money and power than we ever will, I'm going to say, re: what to do -- you sue.

You may lose. It will be extremely irritating, and it will take forever. The legal system can be ... infuriating. But, that's what you do. You make the cost of over-prescribing poisonous drugs higher than the payoff. When the cost of prescribing drugs becomes too high, then alternative, cheaper methods of treatment will be found (i.e., diet & lifestyle).

People here are saying that many doctor's don't know better. I'm sure there are plenty of loving, well-meaning doctors for whom that's true.

But pharmaceutical companies? They do know better. That's been shown time and again. Trials are fixed, journal articles are ghost-written advertisements, and the FDA is circumvented. When their products hurt people, they need to be sued.

Just reading your story made me angry. I couldn't help it. I even had a mild, very mild version of the same story when I was in the Army so I know that the less medical care you can manage to have the better off you are.

I've also been lucky enough to encounter honest, sensible doctors who took "do no harm" very seriously. Frankly, in many places they are the majority but in others they have to leave because they're rocking the boat. We have some in this community who are amazingly giving and not just about the money.

As to how we help those in similar circumstances, that's a tough question. In my view, the malpractice movement didn't do it; it just transferred some of the money from doctors to lawyers. Web sites like PH can do a lot of good if people find them.

But the good guys don't always win. Those who break out will be those like you who had the inner strength--and perhaps a champion--to reject the situations that are wrecking their health.

Join the club :(

I spent 14 years trying to figure out why I was getting progressively worse when I was eating a "perfect" diet. I was lucky enough to refuse meds...which is why all the docs thought I was crazy. (Yah, they fired me, and I fired them, on a few occasions.)

Anyway, I'd suggest you document the costs and send YOUR description of the solution to the FINANCE department of your insurance company and to the US Health Department Secretary. Strange, yes, but if enough people start documenting solutions and the COSTS associated with the medical system, it will help those who are fighting this battle.

When 80% of the US population is on at least one pharmaceutical/prescribed drug, it is easy to see who is winning and losing.

We have to recognize that this situation is EXACTLY the same as the mortgage crisis and it will bankrupt this country as we won't be able to provide a quick solution through a bank bailout.

You should also send a letter to all the docs who worked with you and CC their boss and upper management. There is no natural feedback loop for MDs as patients just leave them when they are dissatisfied, rather than having an 'exit interview'. It is important to document, document, document...

I also think it is really important to give POSITIVE feedback to your MDs. It is an extremely tough job, where most of the feedback is negative. So when they do something you feel is good, no matter how small, I let them know.

Behavior that is rewarded its repeated. It is quite simple. We just have to stop Big Pharm from being rewarded, and we have to increase the rewards to MDs who successfully improve the health of their patients through low cost means.

The way our medical system works is so frustrating. As an analogy, if one eats at a restaurant and there is a problem -you can: choose not to tip, get a discount, talk to the manager and get your meal for free, create a bad review online (without getting sued), and even protest at the place if you wished.

But with doctors you can't do this! Instead you get to pay for all the services that didn't work or even worse -caused harm, keep silent, and go away. Our medical system is built to treat with the extreme, or call it hypochondria and send you on your way. It really needs to be switched to starting with simple solutions and prevention -like diet.

I think the only way out of this is grassroots. When people like you get the word out and tell their story. Or people like that woman who is in the media right now about curing her MS with a paleo diet.

Thanks for sharing your story!!

Way to go. I would love to talk to you about what you found works best for you/your symptoms.

I too was diagnosed with Crohn's and have turned to SCD/GAPS/paleo to address things. I was horrified when I was diagnosed and could not accept a life of damaging drugs, risky surgeries, repeated illness, etc. I agree with you that SCD is good for getting started but paleo may be more appropriate since some of the SCD-legal foods were aggravating.

Cave Diddy,

Feel free to contact me anytime!!!

'Criminally negligent' is a applicable term but perhaps strong. the medical establishment is ignorant (eg retarted) regarding the toxicity of canola/corn/soy oil, saturated and omega3 deficiencies, GMO and pesticide/lectin-secreting crops, and gluten/wheat (by some agri experts gluten is 500x higher in wheat crops compared with just 50-100 yrs ago).

I have also been damaged almost irreparable by well intentioned physicians and dentists, by pharmaceuticals and devices (birth control, antibiotics, Mirena IUD, dental titanium implant). My parents are physicians. And. I. am. A. trained. }^#*]+^#% pharmacist who has handed out hundreds of drugs and convinced countless docs to use even more pharmaceuticals (statins, etc). sigh

Personally I think this drug, GMO-lectin crop and grain whole paradigm ALL require obsolescence for our future generations and our sakes IMHO immediately but how do we do it???????!!

Thank you for your RAGE. I like it. I feel it too. You are not alone.

G

I never had fistulas with Chrohns. Just skin tags, which they can't do anything about, blockages, severe pain, rashes, hair loss and depression. 9 mp actually was the best drug they had, but they only did it for like 6 treatments. My mom brought in a pizza, it might have been cheese free, when I was in there, at around 18 years old. Everybody else was 40-80, getting cancer treatments, iron removal (cool device), and probably a few other treatments I'm not aware of. The pizza was worth it though, and they had the Spanish channel. My chrohns has improved a lot on paleo, however its not totally gone. SCD sounds like I would have to get rid of potatoes, and all sugar except honey. I am not on asacol or dycylomin anymore.

Cave Biddy - Spread the word! Talk to anyone who will listen. The more of us the merrier. The more we repeat these ideas the more of a foothold they will have in our society. How about offering to do a presentation at your local co-op or natural health food store? Or maybe at a community rec center? Lately, I have been asking stores to indicate which products are gluten free with the hope that it raises awareness. Give me a chance to educate food purveyors that products that contain gluten as a hidden ingredient are VERY harmful to some of us.

The biggest challenge that I see is that people (even the sick ones) do not want to listen and are resistant to change. Recently a friend of mine was in the ER with chest pains that were later diagnosed as some "strange auto-immune/stress reaction". I suggested him to go gluten free for a month. He said "I couldn't live like that". Not even for 30 days. What was funny to me about his response was he was coming to my house that night for a dinner party and I was feeding him a gluten free, paleo meal. ;)

On your SCD comment, my experience is that an autoimmune version of paleo has been the most helpful for my issues. I have tried all the various diets including SCD. SCD did not work for me. The first few phases of GAPS did. And those phases are basically equivalent to AI paleo but employ very specific cooking methodology. I hope someday to transition to paleo with a few primal cheats for special occasions. But for now I am content with allowing my body to heal.

Cave Biddy - You are right on target. And so is the kuhnian paradigm analogy. It turns out that Alessio Fasano, right in your own back yard at U Maryland, is directly challenging the current paradigm (and using that term) with 2 blockbuster publications in the last year that clearly show how all autoimmune disease and most cancers have "leaky gut" as their foundation. He shows how diet is the environmental factor that triggers genetic expression. His work directly supports Robb Wolf, Loren Cordain and Mat Lalonde.

Even with the facts, this is an uphill battle. Big agra and pharma make way too much money for things to change quickly. But its worth the fight.

I must say I'm proud of you.

Find the links to Fasano's published work on http://crohnsdad.wordpress.com read Zonulin first, and Leaky Gut & Autoimmunity second.

Alan

Been on SCD/low carb for 4 years as of this month. My bleeding stopped within weeks, and I was up 13 pounds after 3 months. Been asymptomatic ever since.

The SCD is a good start, but I lean more towards Paleo/low carb these days, and do just fine- no meds. Others have reported the same to me, although there are some people for which this clearly does not work and I am still working out why.

Busy writing a book on the subject- why it works, and what is ultimately responsible for Crohn's. I doubt anyone will read it- too technical.

I think Paleo is best! My niece, at 32 years old, was diagnosed with a very aggressive form of cervical cancer. They gave her six months at best. She got mad and dug in. she dislikes big pharma nearly as much as I do. She understands that the health care industry is not working to make people well, but rather keep them just sick enough to keep them as "subscribers"!

My niece ate paleo and also took wheatgrass, spriulina, chlorella, and celery seed extract. What I believe really boosted her immune response what the fact that she tested her drinking water and when she discovered it was pH 6.8 she bought some alkaline drops and made it pH 8.0. she drank 4 liters every day. I also gave her natural artesian water to add the drops to. Municipal drinking water is not really water. It is drinking fluid. It contains fluorine, bromine, chlorine and dozens of other chemicals. Fluorine and bromine bind with your thyroxin binding sites to displace iodine uptake. This causes long-term toxic conditions that are barely measurable. But now with the drops I got from http://www.phdrops.net I am able to help her alkalize all of her drinking water.

Seven months after the diagnosis, she got pregnant. This was something the doctors said would never happen. Nine months after that she delivered a healthy baby boy! When the doctors called her back to the hospital to re-scan her, they said they would go in and cut out the cancer. They ran three tests on her and could not find any signs of cancer.

As much as I am grateful for the triage role doctors play in keeping us well, I am very unhappy with them being forced to work for big pharma and the health care "machine". This has to change. As I near retirement, I interview doctors and find they are woefully ignorant of holistic medicine. Big Pharma produces their compendiums, pays for their med schools, sponsors them for courses and trips, and generally entraps them into a life of slavery. Modern doctors do not understand the systemic effects of diet and environment. The system just pays them to plug holes. They will nearly always diagnose a condition to which a pill is the answer. And they absolutely reject notion of being properly hydrated!

It's not going to be easy changing this system since big pharma spends $30 billion a year trying to keep it the way it is.

Did you start this new blog btw?