Former local woman Faye Whittaker talks about the crippling disease that led her to write two books and forced her to radically change the way she lived her life.
“I went out to lunch one day and as I went to pick up the knife and fork suddenly my hands felt like they had been jammed in a car door.” It was 1992 and Faye Whittaker was 48 years old. The weeks of flu-like aches and severe coughing she had been experiencing were fully diagnosed as rheumatoid arthritis. Her GP prescribed 10 days treatment with the drug, Prednisone “which was great”, Faye recalls, “while I was on it. But you can’t take it forever and when I came off it I got pretty bad.”
She was admitted to hospital and her body started shutting down. “My hands went black. It was suggested my daughters should be called home as it really looked like I wasn’t going to pull out of it.”
But she did. As she began to recover, the doctors treating her wanted to put her on various drugs but Faye says the treatment options didn’t make sense to her. “A – they didn’t know what was wrong with me, and B – they didn’t know what caused my body to shut down like that. So I was mystified as to how they could prescribe a treatment which included a very heavy drug regime with all manner of side-effects to help dampen the symptoms. There certainly wasn’t a cure on offer. I think the medical profession thought I was being really stupid. They were advising me I’d be in a wheelchair within two years while I was thinking ‘I don’t think so!’ Then I was accused of being in denial. You’re in a ‘no win’ situation. I felt I was not only fighting the disease but also fighting the medical profession.”
Searching for her own answers led Faye to write her first book – The Rheumatoid Triangle: the complaint, the cause, the cure. Written in 2002, Faye states in the book that it is commonly acknowledged that stress, either prolonged or brief and traumatic, can be the cause of an onset of symptoms that will be diagnosed as Rheumatoid Arthritis or associated diseases.
“The breakdown in the normal function of joints, connected tendons and muscles doesn’t come directly from stress itself, but from the fact that stress lowers the body’s ability to defend itself,” says Faye. “Sometimes when we are stressed to the max, the immune system becomes unable to cope and tiny microbes called Mycoplasma, which have possibly been lying dormant for years, are able to establish and multiply in and around the joints. Because Mycoplasma lack a clearly defined outer wall they can invade tissue cells, using the host’s nutrients to replicate themselves. When the immune system attacks the Mycoplasma, it ends up attacking the host cell as well.”
Stress has definitely been a factor in Faye’s life. “I’ve had a lot of stress in my life. I went through insolvency on a back country farm and a marriage break-up”. Her body has also suffered stress from toxins. “I had fourteen amalgam fillings removed and the dentist remarked they were the worst example of dentistry he’d ever seen. I was tested and it was discovered that my body was loaded with five times the maximum tolerance level of mercury. Once those fillings were removed (in 1994) my health improved dramatically.”
She then underwent a detox programme for eighteen months with Tauranga doctor, Mike Godfrey, a chelation therapist and homeopathist. “I was in such a fog during that time,” recalls Faye. “I couldn’t even trust myself to drive. I’m actually pretty good now, though I can’t get over-tired or I’ll stiffen up. I have to be careful of the amount of stress I put myself under.”
In her book, Faye also describes antibiotic treatments and protocol to attack the Mycoplasma. Drinking plenty of water and eating live foods like fruit and vegetables are also recommended to help restore the body’s immune system. “All that enters the mouth should be of a healing nature”. Finally, rest, exercise and regular massage are also recommended. “We each ought to take more responsibility for our own health and what we are eating. Ask questions of our health experts,” believes Faye.
Her second book, Intricious – inspiring, nutritious, delicious, is a compilation of recipes for people with various food intolerances. Many are vegetarian. Faye herself has no intolerances and says she’s not a purist. “I still enjoy coffee and a muffin,” she admits. “But why constantly eat things that are not good for you when you can eat nutritious foods that are often more tasty too?”
Intricious – inspiring, nutritious, delicious features eighty recipes all wheat-free, sugar-free, dairy-free, red-meat free and nightshade family-free as well as being free from artificial colouring and preservatives. “This book is for people who love ‘real’ food,” says Faye, “and believe in the old adage ‘you are what you eat. Part of the magic of nutrition is that if we listen closely, our body is trying to tell us what we need.
“It’s just an area of interest – I didn’t realise I was that into it, but I’ve been studying nutrition for years and years now. I’ve researched foods and tested recipes for over five years now and I’ve learned so much. I wanted really simple foods and recipes for people who don’t have time for messing about.” Recipes include Kumara Stacks, Spinach with Pine Nuts, Spanish Rice, Stuffed Zealand Mushrooms and Chiang Mai Chicken.
“I don’t think I’m at the stage I’d say I’m grateful this happened (arthritis) but it has actually opened up a new world and changed my whole perspective of life and death. Even if the pain gets bad and I have to spend a day in bed, it actually doesn’t matter, whereas it used to really frustrate me. I’ve found within me a depth of strength I’d never before been called upon to use and been introduced to a wonderful new way of observing life.”
