My Multiple Sclerosis Story

Recently, I’ve had five people ask me ”What have you done? You seem so healthy. What’s the story? Will you tell my friend?” OK, so I would be happy to share, with the understanding that what I have done has worked for me and may not do anything for others. Everybody is different. I am not a doctor and I am not telling you what to do. This is what I have done and still do.

First a little background. As a child I had a “good” diet. It was full of home grown food. It was after WWII, so we had all the new, modern, and convenient foods, also. New was good, right? It was also full of sugar, hydrogenated oils, and refined grains. I don’t think that I had a whole grain until I was in my 20’s. I thought soup and spaghetti came from a can and I don’t think a person could even buy a whole grain pasta or brown rice in our corner of the world at that time. The Doctor still made house calls and TV was at Grandma and Grandpa’s house. Penicillin was given as the standard care and mustard plasters were still slapped on a chest for a cold. I got both quite often. All my vegetables were boiled, unless I pulled a carrot out of the garden. Every meal had sugar, a lot of it. However, at the time this was a good diet. We ate three meals a day, plus snacks, and my Mom and Dad thought that they were giving their children the best that the world had to offer. Looking back there was a distinct lack of fiber, vitamins, omega 3’s, and enzymes, but that’s the way it was.

So, fast forward to my 20’s. I had my 1st child at 26 years. Within 4 weeks of his birth I had an extreme headache and I was losing my vision. Off to the ophthalmologist I went. I was almost totally blind in one eye by then. “Oh, this is very common after the birth of a child” he says. Hmmm, I had never heard of such a thing, but Dr. says, so we believe him. After a shot in the eye, we went home. I remember dragging myself through the days, but I’m a fairly cheerful person, so I assumed “that’s the way it is.”

Another child and more headaches, but no vision problems that I detected. Still dragging but “Oh Well”, that’s life. After some other medical issues, I was finally diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis at age 38. I was told just go home and live your life, there is nothing that can be done for you. This was before the internet, I had almost no resources, so I continued to live as always.

Enter a good friend who said “You need to be taking these vitamins.” I thought I might as well get some good nutrition, so I did as told. I had started to read a little bit by then and there was some talk of diet and vitamins. I felt a little better. I had relapsing-remitting MS and life went along with not too much difficulty until about age 45. Wow!! Life as I had known it came to an abrupt end!!! This time all the “nasties” didn’t go away. Still no internet, so I was still in the dark. I could still work and I did change my diet, a bit. Lessened the sugar, except for Holidays, and trying to eat more vegetables. I continued to take my vitamin, which is Double X, by Nutrilite. Then Bang!!, I was hit again at age 52. This time it was serious. I still haven’t totally recovered but I can pass for healthy, if I’m sitting. In fact I am the picture of health.

So, OK, this time there is the internet and I started reading. I was learning for the 1st time in my life that the way my body worked was not normal, but it had been all that I had known, so it was normal to me. Looking back, this body has had some form of MS since I was a teenager. I finally figured out that the nausea and pain that I was feeling after a meal was my body was not digesting meat properly. So, I became a vegetarian. Also, milk products started to give me digestive problems, so I cut them out too. I have had a much calmer digestive existence since then.

I went to a naturopath for some hormone counseling. As we were talking she told me to just add some Magnesium to my diet and it should help with elimination. I had asked one Dr. after another and they had all just shrugged and said “Eat more fiber and drink more water”. I was doing more than the recommended amount, so I knew that wasn’t the answer.

More reading, I knew that I could do better. Just reading about other MSers’ challenges and discoveries and victories was very helpful. I have to read and think about something for a long time. After about a year and a half, I took the plunge to try digestive enzymes. They were everything that I had hoped. At the time that I started taking them I was having new symptoms show up every 2 to 3 months. My symptoms slowed immediately and when I started taking them on an empty stomach (like the message boards suggested) the slow slide to more disability stopped. I was finally stable. No new symptoms! Wahoo!! Life wasn’t great but at least it wasn’t frightening anymore. I still have all the fatigue, neuropathy, pain and numbness, and all the fun stuff that goes along with this condition. I really don’t want to think of all the stuff that is wrong with this body and I certainly don’t feel like typing it either. I have to “walk a type rope” to stay this way, but compared to the way I was, it is worth it.

You have probably heard the expression “Listen to your Body”. It took a long time for me to really be able to do this. It’s an important tool for all of us to be able to do, IMHO, but especially for someone with a chronic medical condition. Now I know when I have done something that my body doesn’t like or eaten something that I shouldn’t. One thing that I have discovered is that sugar is a poison to me. Looking back, I have discovered that most of my major exacerbations have been brought on by too much sugar. Holidays and stress and a diet that is out of control, not a good combination.

The upshot is that I have nourished my body for over twenty years with Double X and all that nutrition is now showing results. If you’ve read any of my previous posts you know that I boarder on fanatic about nutrition. This is a whole body and I decided that I should keep the rest of me as healthy as I can. It’s not a cure, but I feel (if I don’t move) and look healthy. We have several diabetics on Double X also. They tell us “Don’t let me run out of this stuff”. Don’t know all the science behind it, but apparently, this all natural nutritional supplements contain what a body needs.

OK Brain drain has set in. Those of you who know who I am are welcome to call. Others can get in touch with me thru www.simplybetter.mychoices.biz. At least now we have a starting point.

Healthy Days to You, Your Smiling Maven