My Family Doc

I waited until this week to write about my doctors visit until I let my conversation with him sink in a little.  I needed some time to mull it over.  Last week I went to the doc to have an ugly spot taken off my arm.  A couple of gals my age that I know have had skin cancer removed.  We were the last generation that soaked in the sun in baby oil.  So, when I see a spot that looks odd, I have it checked out.  Tuesday morning I missed my every Tuesday managers meeting to go meet with the doc.  I showed him the spot and he agreed that it looked really ugly.  He set me up on Wednesday to remove it.  He couldn't do it Tuesday because he needed to schedule more time because I take Plavix and aspirin --both blood thinners.  He warned me it was going to be an ugly mess to cut me open.  They did remove it Wednesday and the first pathologist couldn't tell what it is, so I await the results from a second level pathologist (I had no idea there were different levels of pathologists!). 

So, while he was looking at my skin I mention that my psoriasis is gone.  He asked what I was doing different because psoriasis is an auto immune disease and it never just goes away.  I am all proud of myself as I tell him about going to a plant based, whole grain diet.  What does he do?  He turns his nose up at the thought that my diet made my psoriasis clear up.  He starts trying to pin it back to taking blood thinners saying that now I have better circulation and it could be tied to that.  Really???  Although I am no doctor, having struggled with psoriasis for 13 years I have done a lot of research on it; nowhere does it say psoriasis is a circulatory disease.  I have tried every over the counter and prescription cream there is to no avail.  All of my research pointed at a list of foods that could make it worse and I ate all of them.  When I stopped eating them for heart health, this was a very pleasant side effect.

Now that I know that my family doc thinks the plant based diet is goofy, I will still see him for other things because I like him but my diet will not be open for discussion with him.  I think he knows diddly about nutrition!  He said about the same thing as the folks I want to punch about needing to eat meat.  Now, what I know from my research is that your body produces all of the cholesterol it needs all on its own.  The problem with eating the meat and dairy is that animals create cholesterol.  So, where do you get all the extra cholesterol in your diet?  Meat and dairy=added cholesterol =bad cholesterol=much increased likelihood of heart attack. Having had a heart attack, I think I'll avoid the added cholesterol--thank your medical degree very much.  I have less tolerance this week than last week for those that think I need meat.  They don't know how good I feel these days!

In the end, the fact that my psoriasis is gone is a good enough benefit for me to continue with this lifestyle.  I also know though that the benefits will be far reaching beyond just the psoriasis.

I am still drinking a very little bit of soda--tomorrow is another day.  The other hurdle--start exercising.  That will start this weekend.

I put on a size smaller jeans this morning:)