To Medicine or Not to Medicine...That is the Question

I'm currently looking in my medicine cabinet. It truly looks like I am 85. I've counted a total of 12 different bottles sitting there. Anti-inflammatories, well 3 different kinds of them, and more meds to help my stomach deal with them, anti-anxiety meds to deal with not knowing what's wrong with me, and pain meds when the anti-inflammatories don't work and I still have to be on my feet for hours on end at work and muscle relaxers because the muscle around my joints are so tense from all the inflammation...and well...the list just seems to go on.

I'M DONE. NO MORE.

Some of you out there might disagree but honestly, I don't care.  My stomach is bloated and uncomfortable from meds that I'm told to take but do NOTHING, sleep cycle thrown off from the anti-anxiety meds that are supposed to help me sleep, and don't even get me started on pain meds and muscle relaxers...making a habit out of those will just land me with a whole new set of problems.

For anyone out there that has to take a pill everyday, that has tried to work with their doctors to find the right pill, I get it...and it SUCKS. I understand that there are doctors who do end of finding the right mix of pills to help calm your symptoms and prevent further damage but at what cost? You know there are side effects to think about. The best was when the stupid PA told me the medication I should be taking to stop my immune system from beating itself up would make it difficult for me to have children and a known side affect is cancer. Well lady...sign me up!

With all of that being said...here begins the real journey for me and one I hope you will follow me on...my journey to control through diet and exercise. I've decided to put the pill bottles down, cancel the next appointment with some PA 3 years younger than me and concentrate on listening to my body. This is not a test, this is not a crash diet, this is not even a way to lose weight, this is the way I will get my life, body, and mind back. Do you know when I was on Weight Watchers I used to use at least 4 packets of splenda a day? That's not taking into consideration

sugar free foods that also have similar ingredients. Sweeteners like these are known to have not only inflammatory but other not so great side affects if used in access.  This is it...the turning point...no looking back now. Let's let my inner New Paltz out!

NEXT STOP...THE NUTRITIONIST!