It’s an unexpected detour, but here’s my story post-“arm ticket,” taken not out of choice but necessity to support my kids. I hesitated, knowing the risks, but as a single parent, keeping a roof over our heads and food on the table during their own personal crises left me no choice.
Reflecting on Australia’s 60 percent who resisted until the supposed ‘non-‘mandates that came into effect, who were coerced, manipulated, threatened, and emotionally blackmailed into getting something they didn’t want and much less, didn’t need, and lost friends when they tried to make a stand, highlights a troubling reality that continues to exist.
On a personal note, this experience has led to an autoimmune condition, chronic pain, severe B12 deficiency, and newfound dietary restrictions. It’s been a journey, but I’ve finally found a way forward.
It has taken me up until now to effectively rid my body of these symptoms naturally. I’ve finally reversed the God-awful nature of what has happened to my body, and I’m compelled to list what I’ve done for you, in hopes that anyone suffering something similar may have the same luck as I.
My symptoms were:
Brain fog:
As a writer, this was the scary one. I couldn’t spell nor recall short-term memories of things hours prior, and I became disorientated in familiar locations. I forgot where I parked my car and how to do my job, and I still have no full recollection of the last holiday I went on with my family.
SOLUTIONS
Forego the Coffee—Completely.
Did you know that caffeine blocks B12 absorption within your body? It also causes oedema and inflammation. I went from a daily coffee, sometimes two or three, to none.
I started slow—be kind to yourself—but you have to push through the initial cravings. The first week is torture, with the first four days being the worst. Drink plenty of bottled or filtered water. This is half the battle won already.
B12 Supplements
I’ve never been a fan of supplements, and I’d prefer if I didn’t have to take them, but taking two under-the-tongue dissolvable B12 methyl tablets has returned my memory and, thus, my hope. I hope that after another six months of following this new health regime, I’ll be able to forego them entirely, but in the meantime, they’re actually working.
If you find you have a B12 deficiency, don’t take the standard B12 Cyanocobalamin if you think you have gut absorption issues (which can cause B12 deficiency). Your body won’t be able to process it, and this was my initial mistake. Cyanocobalamin is also a synthetic derivative of B12, and studies have linked intake to a handful of very unpleasant long-term issues.
Chronic joint pain:
Mainly in my knees and hips, with a popping/creaky sound every time I bent my knees that progressed until every step was painful. Stairs? Urgh.
SOLUTIONS
Turmeric
As for the turmeric, I started it 12 weeks into the new lifestyle, and this has essentially taken the place of prednisolone (an utterly evil, dangerous steroid), which I was occasionally taking when the oedema got too bad. In fact, the turmeric (providing it’s the good stuff with pepper added to the capsule to aid in absorption) has done more for me than the prednisolone and without the side effects.
Exercise
On top of all the foods I’ve cut out (processed food) and added (fresh food), I’ve maintained a daily routine of walking around my neighborhood, which is full of hills, between each paper I edit. I also park my car at the furthest point of downtown to where I have to shop, forcing me into another hour of walking.
I’m now finding I get restless and grumpy when I don’t walk, and the pain in my joints has lessened even more than when I started this health kick.
By 12 weeks I had minimal joint pain. Today, six months later, I have ZERO pain, no creaks in the knees and I can walk 20kms without breaking a sweat. The pain has gone.
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Oedema:
The areas affected were particularly the face and eyes, abdomen, knees, and right foot, to the point I didn’t recognize myself each morning after waking.
I still have some slight swelling to my right foot, where my shoe is tight, but I’m pushing through it, and the swelling’s slowly going down.
By 18 weeks, the swelling in my right foot is completely gone, as is all other oedema – even if I sleep flat and sleep in.
With the Oedema Came Vision Problems:
I put this down to the oedema around my eyes. I’m sure it’s caused damage, as I would have blurry vision each morning after waking with the pressure the fluid was placing around them.
** Unfortunately, month 6 into my health-style, I realised the damage done to my eyes and has been found to be irreparable. I’ve just filled my new glasses prescription, but hopefully, with these symptoms now gone, my eyes won’t deteriorate too much more.
Gluten intolerance:
I actually didn’t figure this out until my trip overseas eight weeks ago, where I realised I could eat foods over there (pasta, pastries) without experiencing as much inflammation as I did back home. This trip is what woke me up to how processed our foods are in Australia.
SOLUTIONS:
Forego Gluten—Completely.
When I stumbled across a YouTube channel documenting why a huge subset of the Western population suddenly developed gluten intolerance in the last four decades, I did the math.
Now, apparently, the Western world changed the DNA structure of wheat to produce more of it in a faster time frame in the 1960s/1970s.
The problem is that our bodies are used to processing the real stuff that we’ve evolved with over centuries upon centuries. As such, it causes inflammation. Something that I had suddenly started to experience a couple of weeks after the arm ticket.
Forego MOST Carbs.
Carbs are evil in the context of my own body. It wasn’t until I cut out the pastas and breads that I really noticed a substantial, huge, massive difference.
Now, it could be the gluten element in this situation, but the few times I’ve tempted the fates, such as eating a couple of shortbreads for Christmas (gluten-free), I felt hungover, achy, and nauseous the following day—once was enough. I’m never doing it again.
Is cutting out gluten easy? Damn straight it is. I stick to organic and/or just plain old supermarket fruit and vegetables as well as grass-reared meat. The meat helps with the B12 issue, the fresh produce helps you to lose weight, and overall, I certainly feel much better for it.
Heart Arrhythmias:
Palpitations at rest, tachycardia, and I suspect SVT, and the occasional chest pain (and yes, I’m qualified to assess that that is what was happening). Since altering the diet, this hasn’t happened at all.
SOLUTIONS:
Forego ALL Processed Forms of Sugar.
Simply put, if you don’t buy junk food, you can’t eat junk food, and why put sugar into your body when it’s a known inflammatory?
As an alternative, I munch on sweet Roma tomatoes for snacks or eat a couple of boiled eggs that are ready and waiting for me in the fridge; also, Greek salads, and, for a treat, strawberries. You WILL find better snack alternatives if you’re dedicated to getting better.
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SOLUTIONS:
These solutions aren’t for everybody, but they have most certainly all but cured the above symptoms. I started this diet when I returned home, and there’s no way I’m looking back. I’ve lost almost 10 kilos in eight weeks, and all the bloating that the oedema caused is gone. I now look like myself again.
How I view this:
I intentionally took a holistic approach to my body, treating each symptom individually. I know what caused this, and I know my immune system is still all over the place, fighting to retain its balance—hence the chronic inflammation I suffer—but the diet reversed this.
Give your body a chance to heal. Help your body to heal. It can be done, and it’s worth regaining your control.
All in all, I can see my cheekbones again, and I actually feel pretty. The sleep patterns are still a little rough, and on occasion, I’ve slipped up with eating something I shouldn’t. But the day after always reminds me that I’m on the right path.
I’ve lost almost 10 kilos, with most of it being the fluid, I think. I feel healthy for the first time in a few years. And I feel happy.
But I must thank the heavy-handed approach of the government, not for supposedly keeping us safe—that never happened—but for giving me the resolve to be strong, autonomous, and independent.
I’ll never succumb to the pressures of a bully again, no matter how big they are. I’ve become empowered. I’ve taken precautions now so that I don’t succumb to fear again, and I continue to seek out new ways to safeguard myself career-wise and health-wise every week.
But that’s another article for another day. I hope this one, however, helps someone, and please let me know if it does.
Stay free.