ACKNOWLEDGMENT

For years I was in denial not believing that I was as bad as I was.  Things were pretty rough for a long time, but they are getting better now after taking the alternative healing approach.  I've been told that this alternative stuff is anecdotal and only works because I've made up my mind that it's going to.  That's hogwash!  All the years I was going to medical doctors and taking their prescriptions drugs, I was trying to "will" myself well.  I wasn't able to do it...at least not until I helped my body help itself with the holistic approach.  I was so skeptical that I almost didn't try it.  I didn't think it would work, but I was desperate.

I only wish I had known about holistic healing 12 years ago when I first started having symptoms.  But I know it now, and I plan to keep on doing it.  What we didn't realize back then was that medical doctors only treat the symptoms of MS, not the cause.  They will tell you there is no known cause and no known cure.  They only give you prescription medications which treat the symptoms, and do nothing for the cause.

I owe so much to my wonderful husband who just wouldn't take no for an answer.  Thank you, Duncan, for all your time and efforts researching the Internet, for all the errands and shopping that you've done single-handedly for so many years now, for not giving up on me when the medical doctors did.  Thank you for loving me.  I love you!

I’m a 50 year old housewife who started having numbness and tingling in my feet and legs in March 1984.  After seeing numerous doctors, one who told me "There’s no way the human body could feel the way [I] described",  I was diagnosed with MS in January 1985.  Over the next nine years I saw 5 neurologists who did all they could for me, including numerous prescription drugs to treat various symptoms, hospital treatments consisting of steroids and chemotherapy--yes, chemotherapy!!--, and putting me on the waiting list for Betaseron for over a year.  The time between hospital treatments was getting shorter and I was getting progressively worse.

I had mobility problems and got my first electric scooter in May 1988.  During times when my scooter was in the repair shop, I was pretty immobile and confined to just one room.   In 1989 I was temporarily partially paralyzed.  Duncan had to physically pick me up and move me as my legs just wouldn't work at all.  After 3 days of having another steroid treatment in the hospital, I could pick up my right leg a few inches off the bed.  I was soon able to stand and take a few steps on my own, as long as I could hold on to a countertop, furniture or a wall or use a 4-legged walker.  I was very weak and wobbly and fell a lot, and would drag one foot.   My legs felt extremely heavy, and would spasm when I’d stand up.  I’d have to wait for my muscles to relax before I could take a step.  I had extreme lack of coordination.  At times, I’d be walking down the hall holding on to the wall, and all of a sudden one leg would cross in front of the other one and I’d walk into the wall.

By 1990 I was confined to a wheelchair.  By then I had tremors, chronic fatigue, continuous bladder and kidney infections, spasms, muscle cramps, short term memory loss, constant and severe pain in my hands and feet, and many other problems.  I could not hold my arms up to brush my hair or put on my makeup due to extreme fatigue.  My speech was slurred and I could not complete a sentence without losing my train of thought. My handwriting used to look like a third grader's.  I could no longer balance our checkbook which I had done for many years.  I had no control over my fingers and would drop things constantly.  I had no appetite, daily nausea, incontinence, and constipation, not to mention severe depression, and I almost got an ulcer.  I had tried acupuncture, self-hypnosis, biofeedback, and various other things with little success.

In April 1994 I was very sick and getting worse fast, but didn't want another hospital treatment.  I was almost constantly nauseous and couldn't eat unless I took anti-nausea medicine first.  I was very weak and in constant pain, and had one bladder or kidney infection after another.  My eyes were yellow, my skin was grey, and I was confined to an electric wheelchair.  The doctors had done all they knew to do for me, and I kept getting worse.  I had so many prescription drugs I had to use a box lid to keep all the pill bottles.  A shoe box was no longer big enough to hold all of them.

Duncan believed there had to be something that could be done.  He suggested I try massage therapy for the pain.  The massage therapy gave temporary relief from the pain.  When I told the therapist about the stinging and burning pain in my feet and legs, she suggested that I soak my feet in ice water (but not too much ice or for too long so as not to give myself frostbite).  She suggested that I try homeopathic remedies and introduced me to some people who were knowledgable on the subject.  They recommended nutritional supplements, herbs and colon cleansers.  Grasping at straws I started taking some herbs and nutritional supplements.

In the meantime, Duncan started searching the Internet for any type of medical treatment for MS that was available in other countries around the world and not approved for use in this country.  We were trying to find anything anywhere in the world that would help.  We were desperate.

The first thing he found was the newsgroup alt.support.mult-sclerosis.  This is similar to a bulletin board combined with a support group atmosphere.  Anyone any place in the world can post questions, answer other people's questions, or give their opinions and advice to others about their own experience with MS.  It is very informal, but very informative.  Here we learned of many other people with MS who had similar experiences as mine with chronic degenerative MS.  Many of them said they had gotten so sick that their doctors had eventually given up on them, and they had lost hope that their doctors could help them recover.

However, some of the people posted messages that they were recovering.  The common thread in the recovery stories seemed to be nutrition and detoxification.  They stressed diet as being very important.  (My neurologist had never mentioned that to me.)  This is where I found out about DaveQ. He has helped more than my doctors.  He has MS himself and has made a 95% recovery by natural means.  He puts out a "Recovery" Newsletter with lots of good information.  Check out his web site.  He has information on a good MS diet, and a page on steroids that describes how my treatments went, namely higher doses and shorter times between treatments.  He has a healthy lifestyle plan to follow.

The massage therapist told me about a chiropractor/nutritionist, Dr. Tom Campbell, who might be able to help me.  When I went to see him, he told me I needed to detoxify my body and feed it healthy nutrients. This information matched what we had read on the Internet in some of the personal success stories.  He had me change my diet beginning with juicing fresh fruits and vegetables, cut out white flour, sugar, caffeine, processed foods, and cut down on my meat intake.  Eliminate coffee, tea, and soda pop.  He gave me herbal colon cleansers and other nutritional supplements.  I was to consume nothing but juiced fresh produce (fruits and vegetables) for the first week, and add some steamed vegetables the second week.  I also was to take vitamins, minerals, and a colon cleansing herb.  No bread, meat, dairy products, pizza, etc.  My husband and I really didn't see how that would help, but we had nothing to lose, so we decided to give it a try.  It seemed to be like fighting a forest fire with a garden hose.

My nausea cleared up and my appetite began to improve in less than a week.  I no longer needed my daily anti-nausea medication.  My constipation of 6 years was gone in less than two weeks.  My then-current neurologist had been telling me "Constipation is just part of having MS.  Learn to live with it and take a laxative of your choice."   Well, I learned I didn’t have to live with it.  When my appetite came back, my strength soon began to improve.

We heard about the 60 Minutes report about the dangers of mercury poisoning from "silver" amalgam dental fillings which aired in December 1990,  and the possibility of a link between mercury poisoning and chronic degenerative diseases.  We started checking into that possibility and bought a copy of the book "IT’S ALL IN YOUR HEAD" by Dr. Hal Huggins.  We found an incredible amount of information on this subject on the Internet.  It sounded pretty far-fetched to us and pretty unbelievable.  So we asked my neurologist and dentist about it.  They both laughed and told us that it was a hoax and said there was nothing to it.  Both of them said that amalgam removal would be a waste of time and money.

When we asked Dr. Tom Campbell about amalgams, he immediately said that it would be necessary to get them out in order to totally detoxify my body.  Then we met someone who had been through the procedure and said it saved his life, and he highly recommended it.  This was further reinforced by an organization named DAMS (Defense Against Mercury Syndromes).  They published a book Defense Against Mystery Syndromes with many first hand personal stories about different degenerative diseases that were cured or greatly improved by removal of dental mercury amalgam fillings.  So armed with all this information I decided to take the bull by the horns, and we went to the Huggins Diagnostic Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado in November 1994.  I had my mercury amalgam fillings replaced with non-toxic composite dental material.

Afterwards we were still skeptical because there was no immediate change.  As recommended by Dr. Huggins, three months after we got back, I went for chelation therapy  to remove the mercury poison that had accumulated in my body over the years.  He had explained how mercury vapor is released from the amalgams as you chew and that it accumulates in your cells, tissues and organs.  Not feeling any different after five chelation treatments, we decided not to continue with them.  We didn't realize at that time just how significant they could be.  In the meantime I kept on juicing and watching my diet.

Then after about 6 or 8 months we started noticing subtle improvements.  Looking back, we realized that as the nausea had faded away, my appetite improved.  As my appetitie improved, my strength started coming back, and my knees quit buckling.  I quit falling and was soon able to walk some without holding on to anything.  Then we noticed that the tremors, slurred speech, and short term memory loss had gone.  I’ve had no bladder infections in the past two years.  I was having them almost continuously.  I have more energy and no longer need to take daily naps.  When I realized what was happening, we both got very excited and happy.  With the arrival of new hope for recovery, I lost my depression and started acting happy and smiling again for the first time in years.  The change was so slow and gradual that we didn’t notice it was happening for a while.

When the nausea cleared up, I was able to stop taking my anti-nausea medicine.  When the tremors stopped, I quit taking my muscle-relaxant medications.  When the bladder infections failed to recur, I no longer needed to take my antibiotics.  No more seizures and cramps - I quit taking the anti-seizure medicine.  When I realized I was improving the depression vanished and I quit taking my Prozac and other antidepressants.   Within a few weeks I was able to stop ALL of my MS medications that I had been taking for 9 years.  And I didn't notice any bad effects from it either.  That was great!  I had tried several times in the past to cut back on them, but was unable to do so.

In trying to get even better, I began the Gerson Therapy at home in February 1996.  This is an intensive nutrition and detoxification treatment for cancer, heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, and other chronic degenerative diseases, including MS.  It consists of flooding your body with pure nutrition and live enzymes (building blocks to help the body assimilate the nutrients) by drinking lots of fresh organic vegetable and fruit juices, and by eating organic fruits and vegetables, and detoxifying your body from all the years of accumulated toxins.

On this program, you eat only fresh fruits and vegetables, nothing from a can, box, or jar.  You eat nothing with preservatives, sugar, salt, flour, or anything that has had insecticide on it.  For water, you drink only purified water - no chlorine or fluoride is allowed.  No insecticides are to be used inside the house.  When needed, use a fly swatter.  No hair coloring, makeup or hair spray.  All toxins are to be eliminated.  To allow the body to heal itself it needs detoxification and the right nutrients for fuel.   It's a shame that what we were taught as kids to be "good nutrition" really isn't.   Also, you can't cook in aluminum or Teflon coated cookware.  Aluminum is to be strictly avoided, including alum, baking powder and deodorants made with aluminum.

After 9 months on the Gerson Therapy, my legs continue to get stronger and my balance is improving all the time.  I still have leg spasms occasionally, but they're not as often or as severe as before.  I can walk across the room several times without holding on to anything and no longer drag one foot.  I no longer need a 4-legged walker or use my cane.  I can now pick up two cast iron skillets at the same time and walk across the kitchen with them!  That may not sound like much, but there was a time when I couldn't pick up even one small 7" iron skillet.  I don't get short of breath like before.  I have control of my fingers and don't drop things any more.  My handwriting is better, and I can once again type with all ten fingers and balance our checkbook!

Duncan continues to search the Internet for even more help.  We've found more articles on chelation therapy and have decided to give it another try in hopes of further improving my condition.  I had taken five treatments, and thought it was enough.  We now know that it takes 20 - 30 chelation treatments to do the job, and have started taking them again.  We also found some articles on Oxidation, or Hydrogen Peroxide Therapy, and have decided to give that a try.  So far it's too early to tell, but I'll update my story as I notice further improvements.  And I do expect there will be some!

I've been recently begun using a frequency generator to rid myself of parasites as advised by Dr. Hulda Clark in her book "Cure for All Diseases." After using the zapper, as it is called, for about two weeks, I noticed that the pain is less intense.  I don't have to stand in the ice water as often, or stay in it as long, or have it as cold as before, but I do still need it or at least an ice pack occasionally.  I have also begun a program of herbal parasite cleansing and elimination as recommended in her book.  She says that there are only two causes for all ailments:  toxins and parasites.  I think I have my toxins under control now, and I am starting to go to work on parasites.  I think she may be right, except for the degenerative diseases caused by poor nutrition.  Everyone knows the stories of the ancient sailors  who used to get scurvy if they had no limes or other citrus fruit to eat.  There are many ailments which can be caused by a poor diet and insufficient vitamins and minerals.

After 2 years on this holistic approach to healing, I’m still constantly improving, very gradually, but steadily.  I still have problems.  My stinging and burning pain in my feet and legs, although more tolerable now, is still with me.  But it doesn’t "put me under" like it used to.  I continue to soak my feet in ice water occasionally, or put an ice pack on my legs, which numbs the sensations (sometimes).  I’m very grateful for that.  The problem is it’s only temporary; but years have gone by when I got no relief at all from the pain.  I’ve also referred to it as scrubbing bubbles in my veins and under my skin; a sudden surge of adrenaline that just won’t let up; electric shock sensations like my body is electrocuting me.  I still ride my electric scooter, but probably only about 1/3 as much now as I did a year and a half ago. However, the more I walk the more it hurts.  Since the amalgam removal and change in diet, ALL my symptoms are either IMPROVED or GONE!  The pain is my worst problem now, but it is nothing like it used to be.

I’ve made more progress in the past two years than I have in the previous 10!  I’m thoroughly convinced that I did the right thing by removing the poisonous dental mercury amalgams.  My neurologist says it's a coincidence that I suddenly started improving after the amalgam removal, and that I had a "spontaneous remission."  Ha!  My last hospital treatment was 3-1/2 years ago.  I say that wasn't spontaneous.  I DID something about it by using detoxification methods and proper nutrition.  I got worse constantly for 10 years, then began detoxing and a strict MS diet, and have been improving constantly since that point in my life.  Definitely not spontaneous remission.  That is hogwash!  I owe a great debt of thanks to Dr. Tom Campbell, my Chiropractor/Nutritionist, who has helped me so much with my detoxification, diet and supplements, Dr. Hal Huggins who helped with my amalgam removal, Dr. Hulda Clark, and Dave Q.  I think these people have done more to help MS patients and others with other degenerative diseases than any neurologist I know of.