Pete:

I can see both sides of the story. I have talked with many nutritionists, massage therapsists, nurses and doctors about diet and how diet affects diseases. Many say yes, what you eat matters, and other disagree.

My mother has just recently purchased about book about actually eating for your blood type. The theory in this book is that foods have chemical reactions with specific blood types. Some good, some bad. It also tells of the foods that have always been thought to be good for us, such as drinking lots of milk, was actually doing harm. For example, my father and I are both O-NEG. Dairy products supposedly cause upset stomachs and headaches for people with my type of blood. My dad and I both can bearly stand milk, and rarily ever drink it. Trying to get calcium, we both began to drink the orange juice with calcium, and seeing no improvement to the stomach. In the book, oranges were also identified as a bad food for our blood type. Coincedence? Truth? Who knows?

I have also heard about foods for diseases. Pineapples were told to be the "Miracle food" for arthritis. For fun, I have been eating pineapples for around a month, and seen no difference. Shows you can't always believe everything.

My Rheumy is somewhat of a pill pusher too, and nothing has worked. I first tried Celebrex, than Naproxen, then Vioxx, then Robaxacet alone, then Mobicox, then Cortisone injections. My tummy takes the brunt, and I have had heartburn like mad.

But, I keep on, and no matter what, I try to look at my diet and keep it in check. I keep hoping that someday this may be the answer. Exercise is a big thing too. I noticed in the posts before this, there were many references made to exercise. When I first found out about AS, I was told that exercise was the only medication for the disease. Since then, I have been lead into a circle of feeling pain, wanting to exercise, try, can't get even more sore, lay down, want to exericse. It is a nightmare! And I see others in the same boat, and wish there was a way to help.

I am pressing on, and I am sure that all of us will. Keep us posted with what you find, and we will do the same.

Ronna