My Chickens Had to Die for Me to Finally Understand the Connection Between Food and Inflammation
And even then, it has taken three years
Author’s note: Because the world is now flooded with people suffering from pericarditis related to COVID-19, I felt compelled to share my experiences. I am not a healthcare professional. I have no nutritional training. I am merely a patient working through a chronic health issue.
When you’re in the heart of an inflammation storm, it’s not possible to think clearly. All I could think of in the weeks after a raccoon tore apart the wire door of my hen house and slaughtered my four girls was that it was probably for the best because I had become so severely ill that caring for the chickens would not have been possible. Hubs had taken over horse chores and caring for the chickens would have been just one more burden I was thankful he didn’t have to bear.
Back story:
I was diagnosed with idiopathic pericarditis in 2010, just as I turned 50. I’d had mild flareups of it for years before the diagnosis. I say “mild,” but that’s in hindsight. There were at least three doctor’s office visits and two ER visits with symptoms during the decade that led up to my diagnosis — all with no results, treatment, or even much in the way of sympathy.
