From Constant Pain to Vibrant Health: A Fibromyalgia Success Story
At 46 years old, Jenece is thriving on a meat-based diet after enduring over a decade of debilitating pain. The Arizona resident and grandmother radiates vitality that belies her previous health struggles. Her transformation from a medication-dependent pain patient to an energetic, pain-free individual showcases the potential impact of dietary changes on chronic conditions.
The Downward Spiral of Chronic Pain
Fourteen years ago, doctors diagnosed Jenece with fibromyalgia following numerous back surgeries and procedures. “I think there were 28 of them total,” she recalls. Confined to her couch for two years, she struggled with basic household tasks and missed countless moments with her young children.
“My mom would have to come over and do the laundry for me because I couldn’t bend over and get the laundry out of the washing machine,” Jenece says. “I couldn’t vacuum. I couldn’t do a lot of things.”
Medical professionals responded by prescribing an array of medications—Vicodin, morphine, Lyrica, and strong ibuprofen, among others. The result was a decade of foggy existence that Jenece describes as being “a zombie.” When she asked her doctor about discontinuing these medications, the response was discouraging: “You’ll never get off the Lyrica. You’ll never get off the pain meds.”
Breaking Free from the Medication Cycle
Determined to reclaim her life, Jenece gradually weaned herself off all medications over two years with family support. She began incorporating yoga into her morning routine to loosen stiff joints. As her mobility improved, she added more physical activities, eventually becoming an endurance cyclist who could ride up to 60 miles daily.
Despite these improvements, the pain persisted. “I was in pain constantly,” she explains. “I was just trying to outride the pain.”
The Discovery That Changed Everything
During the COVID lockdown, Jenece and her husband began cooking more whole foods from scratch. She noticed subtle improvements in how she felt and developed an interest in ancestral nutrition.
“I would always tell my kids when they were young, ‘Eat like a caveman. That’s the healthiest way to eat,'” she remembers with amusement. “Now it kind of comes full circle.”
After researching historical eating patterns, Jenece was ready when her husband approached her about trying the carnivore diet in June 2023. Their transition was immediate—that night’s dinner was simply steak with butter for dipping.
Two Days to Freedom from Pain
The results were astonishing. Within just two days, Jenece’s fibromyalgia symptoms disappeared.
“I remember before when I would wash my hair because it was mostly in my scalp, it was just tears. I would just cry. It was just so painful,” she recalls. “I go to wash my hair and I’m like, ‘Oh, this feels good.’ The water felt so good because before, it just felt like ice picks stabbing me.”
Her chronic shingles pain, which had plagued her arm for eight years, vanished within a week. For the first time in over a decade, Jenece could wear long sleeves without discomfort.
Beyond Pain Relief: Unexpected Benefits
The carnivore lifestyle brought numerous additional improvements. Jenece describes sleeping deeply for the first time in her life. Her mental health improved dramatically—she now smiles constantly and finds herself more resilient when facing life’s challenges.
Physically, she transformed from what she calls “skinny fat” to athletic, losing 35 pounds without intentionally trying to lose weight. “You can get abs without even doing any crunches,” she notes. “They just kind of appeared.”
Simple and Sustainable
Today, Jenece’s diet consists primarily of beef, salt, butter, and bacon. She typically enjoys burger patties with bacon for breakfast, sometimes lunch, and either more patties or steak for dinner.
Beyond the health benefits, she appreciates the simplicity of carnivore living. “Cooking is super easy. You never have to think about what you’re going to cook,” she explains. “We spend way less on groceries. Grocery shopping takes like five minutes.”
For Jenece, the journey from constant pain to vibrant health has been transformative. Her experience demonstrates how dietary changes can sometimes succeed where conventional medical approaches have failed, offering hope to others struggling with chronic conditions.
