Where do I vegan?

Over a year ago, my wife and I made a radical, life changing decision. One day we were eating what I would consider the standard American fare. The next–plants. Almost exclusively. I'll explain.

For years I had sought information about a healthy diet, mainly out of concern for high cholesterol and for weight loss. Our diet consisted of healthy choices for what we knew at the time, like lean meats (mainly poultry and fish), vegetables and fruit, dairy, while managing (but not eliminating) simple carbohydrates and fats, especially fried foods.

Meanwhile back at the ranch, Nicola, my wife was dealing with a complex mix of health conditions. In about 2001 Nicola was diagnosed with fibromyalgia. Because of her sore muscles and achy joints, Nicola often did not feel she could exercise, though exercise is one of the few ways to battle her condition. Stacked on top of her fibromyalgia were symptoms from allergies and a (potentially) paralyzed vocal chord. At age 35, Nicola felt like she was old and worn out all of the time.

Nicola had been going in a constant circuit for months between four physicians, some of them specialists. The medical bills were mounting. We were receiving answers, but some of them were conflicting, and none were working. I have a great deal of respect for modern medicine. I'm not opposed to medicine, at all. However, something just smells a little funky to me when the "fix" is a script and a pat on the back. Antidepressants for fibromyalgia... I'm not buying it (says with a "wha chu talkin' 'bout, Willis?" look).

Frankly, she was discouraged to the point of tears and very concerned for her future. I was fearful, too, but my tendency is to react with anger. We needed help. We were willing to travel anywhere and pay anything within reason to get to the answer.

I remember praying specifically that God would give us some direction and give us the wisdom. Within the same season I listened to this podcast. Listen to it to get a feel for what this blog will be about. Part 2 of this story to follow.