Living up here in the mountains is like living in the clouds. Even in summer those clouds seem to rise up from the valley just beyond the edge of our small homestead. This land was my father’s before me, my grandfather’s before him, and I’ve been working it for the better part of 45 years.

About a decade ago, I found myself unable to walk down the front porch steps, let alone operate a hoe properly. I found myself at a crossroads, staring at this swath of earth which had always been my passion, thinking to myself, I might lose it all to pain.

After seeing a rheumatologist, I was started on methotrexate and etanercept. I don’t think anyone has a greater fear of needles than I did and there were times that I would sit there for four or five minutes before I could work up the nerve to give myself the injection. After about six weeks I realized it just wasn’t working.

From there, I tried every prescribable treatment for rheumatism and arthritis, from anti-inflammatory drugs and intramuscular injections of gold, to steroid injections directly into the joints and even radiotherapy. The bad news was from there, I was simply passed along to another specialist.

Weeding Out The Pain of Arthritis

I remember getting back in the car with my wife and thinking, “I can’t go on like this. I have to do something." Taking control back really helped. There are so many things in our life that we can control and there are big things that we can't control, but if we assume control of the things that we can, at least we feel like we're doing something to make our lives better.

I forced myself to stay connected, keep in touch with family and friends, and ask for help when i needed it. I also discovered you can make a huge difference based on diet, exercise, and showing your body some respect.

My daughter also told me about all of the research that’s been done on various roots and barks, like turmeric, ginger, and frankincense and loved the idea that what I grew from the ground may be the answer to getting my hands in the dirt again.

For 6 months I planned, planted, and nurtured. I watched the yellow flowers of the ginger lilies rise up to about two meters tall, next to them, rows of turmeric in pots, daily turmeric milk smoothies, turmeric cauliflower soup. I even took turmeric in capsule form, but this therapy wasn’t really doing much good either. I began to think maybe the earth wouldn't give me relief after all.  

Fine Tuning My Turmeric Therapy with Turmeric x285

My knees hurt immensely and "cracked" with crepitus when I moved, every step felt as though I had just fallen flat on my knees on concrete. I was on the verge of resigning myself to  a more sedentary life when a package arrived. My wife had found this turmeric supplement that used a kind of special technology that allowed my body to actually absorb and use those turmeric benefits everyone keeps talking about.

I remember it clear as day. I started taking Turmeric x285 on a Tuesday and by Friday of the following week, I almost felt normal again. I suddenly had hope again and started a walking program, then a few weeks later I added some light weights to it. Within a month, I was back in my garden, hoe in hand, ready to enjoy the land once more.

I have also slightly adjusted the the layout of my homestead, so it’s not so taxing on my joints. I plant many of my flowers and vegetables in flower pots or raised garden beds instead of planting them directly in the ground, which eliminates having to bend down too low to care for them.

I often reflect that living with arthritis definitely brought out the fighter in me and my family rallied around me to support my healing. Now, having lived with it for 11 years, I am more resilient than I ever knew. I have also learned to pick my battles, I know when I can get away with doing something or when I need to let arthritis win for a day and just relax. Having been on Turmeric x285 now for over a year, I can happily say that those days are few and far between.

I encourage people to find out what treatments others have tried and what things have worked for them. I'm a believer in other people's ideas, in particular, my wife’s idea for me to try 1MD’s Turmeric x285. Obviously, what works for one person may not work for another, but unless you try it, you'll never know if it'll help. You can order Turmeric x285 on 1MD’s website and let me know, in the comments, how it has worked out for you!