The Cost of Being Healthy

I’m sure some of you out there, like me, have a chronic condition. Mine is Fibromyalgia, which I like to just call Fibro for short. When I was 16 years old, my body was wracked with pain and no one could figure out why. They did test after test and came up with Lupus. House episode joke aside, I was scared to death. I visited with a Lupus specialist at Riley Children’s Hospital in Indianapolis, but she diagnosed me with Fibro.

I've told you this story to explain that chronic conditions can be and are very expensive. I’ve tried all kinds of medications. I’ve spent thousands of dollars on doctor’s visits and blood tests and medications that didn’t work. Instead of trying more medications when I discovered that the 10^th medication I had been on actually made me depressed and pseudo-suicidal, I decided that I needed to do some research.

What I found was a great deal about treating my illness by changing the way I eat. When I was in Uganda in 2007/2008, I discovered myself feeling better and better. Maybe because there’s no pesticides there or pollution? I started eating better when I got home: organic milk, organic fruits and veggies, not too much red meat. Now I’ve started taking vitamins. You know what, I feel better. I function better. 

The point of this story is organic foods and vitamins are expensive, but they’re less expensive than medication and endless doctor visits. I’m not saying that you should stop taking the medications that work for you or stop going to the doctor, but think of alternatives that might work for you. My doctor stated that he’s glad I’ve done the research and that I function very well as a Fibro patient because of that. Be informed. Do your research. Check in with your doctor to ensure it is a good course. In the end, you may end up saving yourself a bunch of money.