Update on Online Business

I've had a lot of response on a previous post about online marketing that I do to create passive income for my family, so I thought I would update you on one of my recent efforts.  Many Muliple Sclerosis patients are not able to work full time and they would like to supplement their income with a business online.  Over the last few years I have been working my way through the "mess" that is internet marketing to find a few systems that actually work.  One of those is a system utilizing a free platform called Squidoo that I found about 2 months ago. 

This particular product was created by a mom that wanted to stay home with her kids, and worked to create a substantial online business to support her family.  The system is super simple, providing all of the information on how to setup simple Squidoo Lens to drive traffic to Amazon.  You receive a percentage of anything the visitor buys on Amazon along with additional income you can earn from Squidoo itself.  After 2 months of building lenses, I have about 25 up now and have sold a little over 50 products on Amazon this month.  I can do the research, build the lens, and have it up and running in just a few hours, and since it's on Squidoo it's free to build.  I don't have any hosting costs or domain name costs.  Pretty sweet deal to create income without any financial outlay.

If you are looking for a system to create income online, I would highly recommend Squid Pro Quo.  You can view the sales page here -  www.warriorplus.com/w/a/rhdfr.  I want to be totally up front with you and let you know that I make money from selling this product.  That's not why I'm recommending it to you though, I'm recommending it because it really does work.  I hesitated to even put the link on my blog because I don't want this blog to be about selling something.  If you've noticed I don't put ads on my blog or anything else because I want it to be about helping those with Multiple Sclerosis.  If your like me, money struggles can be one of the most stressful issues in your life and if I can help a few people to relieve some of that stress then it's worth it.  If you want to know more shoot me an email or leave a comment and I will do my best to share what I've learned.  If you do end up purchasing it, please let me know and I will help you if you have any questions.

Multiple Sclerosis Dizziness

Through the last six months my wife has worked extremely hard to listen to her body as she is having issues to see what she can do to help.  One of the issues she struggles with off and on is dizziness.  Sometimes its dizziness that leads to vertigo type symptoms and other times it's more of an annoyance that she just deals with throughout the day.  One thing she has learned is that she can stop the issue with rest and water, and if she drinks a lot of soda or tea it can bring on the symptoms.

This last week we went out to eat after a stressful day.  She and I both drank sweet tea and she drank 3 full glasses.  After driving back to the our offices, we were standing around outside the vehicle and the dizziness hit her.  Within minutes she could feel her head spinning and knew she needed to get home.  She went home, laid down and drank water and the dizziness went away.  I think it amazes both of us how quickly her body reacts to things, whether good or bad. 

She knows she has to drink plenty of water to keep her body hydrated and pays for it when she doesn't.  Years ago when we first started researching Naturopathy and how to treat MS differently, the first seminar I went to was on how dehydration affects MS and other Auto Immune diseases.  Since then, my wife has tried to make sure she drinks plenty of water every day and finds out really quickly when she doesn't drink enough.  The only other treatment we have used for dizziness is Chiropractic, and she is adjusted regularly so usually we don't have to take a special trip to the Chiropractor for dizziness. 

Can't Work Because Of Multiple Sclerosis, What Now?

My wife has been fortunate enough to not have to worry about working full time the majority of our marriage, but many individuals with MS don't have that option. Many have to work full time and are the main providers for their families. This is stress that many times causes more MS issues, which is why my wife and I have chosen a lifestyle that allows her to work if she wants, but she doesn't have to. Currently we run an all girl's children's home and she works part time filling the gaps we have in our staff. Since she isn't full time or punching a clock, she can stop when she needs to and rest. We both know that we are extremely lucky

For those that have had to give up full time work, or are looking to add some additional income for their family, we may have a solution. I hesitated to write about this on my blog because I refuse to sell anything on this blog, or add a bunch of ads etc. to the blog. I really want this to be a safe, truthful place about our experiences with MS and nothing more. After so many emails and comments about families struggling to make a living and life, I felt like I needed to share what we have learned. For the last year I have been learning affiliate marketing online, and have created a consistent supplemental income for my family.

Like any other business, affiliate marketing takes a lot of work and patience. There is a lot to learn and a lot of "gurus" out there that want you to give them hundreds or thousands of dollars for them to teach you how to make money online. I spent money and bought quite a few programs before I found one that has worked, and recently found an even easier, quicker way to create an income stream. There are many different methods that work, and I have only made money from a few. I am now working on replacing my income so that my wife and I can spend time doing what we want, instead of what we feel like we have to do.

So, I wrote this for any of you that might want to know more about how I've made money online. I'm not going to put any links on here to the products or systems I've used, but would rather you email me if you are really interested in knowing more. We know how tough it can be when you have an MS attack and your body won't cooperate, and this is a legitimate way to make money through all of that. If you want to know more shoot me an email at mywifehasms@gmail.com, and hopefully I can keep you from wasting time and money on systems and products that don't work, and show you products that I've used that I know work.

Blood Pressure and Multiple Sclerosis

It's been a while since I've posted because our life has been a little crazy. My wife is doing well, even with the craziness and many different physical and emotional drains on her body. One thing she came across recently is that her blood pressure is low. She was noticing some weird feelings in her body and on an off chance she checked it a few weeks ago. The numbers came back low so we purchased a blood pressure monitor and began to check it regularly. I'm sure glad we did because I learned that I have high blood pressure and have already went to the doctor to have it checked. After a few weeks of checking her blood pressure, she figured out quickly that she needed to increase her water intake to help with this issue. As long as she is drinking plenty of water her blood pressure is fine, but if she doesn't drink water and drinks soda or tea, she starts to feel bad. We both knew how important water intake was for our bodies, but neither of us ever thought about her blood pressure being low and how drinking water impacted blood pressure. We are always learning and she has become very good about "listening" to her body and taking action when she needs to. It's been almost 23 years since she was diagnosed with MS, and she is still figuring out how to live a healthier life.

Life Goes On With MS

So many emails I receive are from individuals with newly diagnosed MS. They are scared, and have more questions than answers. If they've searched the internet for MS symptoms, just diagnosed with MS, living with MS, etc., they have probably been led to many blogs and websites that give a bleak future for the MS patient. Well, I can only speak from my wife's experiences, but I can tell you that you can have MS and live a very full, active life. The last few months my wife has been working on losing weight, becoming healthier and having more control over her MS. She started with a juice fast a few months ago and has continued to become healthier by losing over 35 lbs, eating better, exercising with care, listening to her body and resting, and being more aware of her stress level and need for chiropractic. Because of this, she has had very limited MS symptoms in months and we have pushed hard with trips, church camps and the heat of summer. This last week alone, she had very little sleep at camp, spent all day working with teens, helped outside in 100 degree heat, and pushed hard from morning till night. She had one morning she experienced a headache and a few times in the heat that she had to step inside and cool off, but outside of that, she did amazing and was able to keep up at a pace with everyone else. I am so proud of her and her efforts the last few months because she has been more consistent and determined than I have seen her in a long time. She looks great, has lots of energy, and is feeling great. She has participated in cycling classes, climbed mountains in New Mexico, kept up with teens at church camp and been more active than I've seen her in a long time. There was a time not too many years ago that we wondered if she was going to be able to walk again, and through a lot of trial and error, we found some very specific ways that she was able to control her MS and overcome any issues she was having. I guess I am writing this today because so many newly diagnosed Multiple Sclerosis patients struggle to have hope for their future, and so many others are fighting for a normal life. Fatigue, headaches, numbness, pain, stomach issues, twitching, loss of movement, leg pain and weakness, MS hug, eyesight issues, cramping, dizziness, memory issues, brain fog and many other symptoms have all been issues my wife has dealt with over the 22+ years she has been diagnosed with MS, but she continues to fight for a better life and has been able to overcome those symptoms. Life can go on, and my wife has worked hard to be healthy not only for herself, but for me and our daughter. Living with MS is not easy, and one thing I have learned from talking with so may different individuals with MS is that not everything that has worked for my wife will work for them the same way. Patience, trial and error and having the hope that there are definitely treatments that will work have kept my wife striving for better health and a better life. Life goes on after diagnosis of MS, and there can be some really rough times, but I know for my wife that she has struggled through those and has continued to become healthier and live a full life. So, please don't let diagnosis or MS attacks stop you from hoping for a better future and a full life. That is one of the main reasons we started this blog, to share our experiences in the hope that it would help someone. We are an open book, so if there are any questions you have please shoot them our way, and don't ever lose hope that there are treatments and ways for you to have more control over MS.

Update on MS Disease

It's been a while since I have posted, and I wanted to give a quick update on how my wife is doing. We have been in Kansas for almost a year, running a Children's Home that is both high stress and little rest. Over the last year she has struggled with minor Multiple Sclerosis symptoms, but has controlled any bigger issues with diet, rest and natural therapies like chiropractic. She isn't having to work full time, but works many hours per week for our Home, along with home schooling our daughter and taking care of our personal home. She is an amazing wife and mom, and this past year has been a year of learning and growing towards more understanding of how diet etc. affects her health. Over the past 4 months she has lost 28 pounds, and is continuing to lose weight utilizing Weight Watchers. She is combining years of information and studying MS diets with counting points in the WW system. This has worked wonderfully for her, and given her a goal to pursue. She participates in cycling class at least once a week right now, and has been working out as her body will allow. She has become much better at listening to her body over the last few years, and is very aware of when and how far she can push her body. She has done fantastic with her desire to become healthier and lose weight, and I couldn't be more proud of her progress. Our summer is going to be crazy with all of the activities and events we are participating in for the Home, and we will have to be careful to make sure my wife's MS doesn't rear it's ugly head while we are enjoying our trips. She will need to get plenty of rest, drink lot's of water, make sure her body is eliminating properly, eat healthy, and make sure she doesn't push her body beyond it's limits. For all of those individuals out there that have been recently diagnosed with MS and wonder if you can have a normal life with MS, my wife is a great example of someone that has not allowed her MS to define her life. You can find healing and with some adjustments in your life, you can thrive. Don't ever give up on learning and finding treatments that work for you, and please let us know if there is anything we can do to help you through your journey.

Multiple Sclerosis Life Expectancy

Tonight my daughter asked me a really off the wall question. She had driven with me to pickup a donation for the children's home and we were heading back home when she asked, "dad, is mom going to die soon?" Now, my daughter is 14 years old and my wife was diagnosed years before she was even born, so she hasn't ever known a time before my wife had ms. She totally took me off guard when she asked because we weren't even talking about my wife or anything to do with MS.

This is a question I had asked Dr. Swank when we used to visit him yearly. When we visited with him, I would bombard him with questions because I wanted to know as much as possible about Multiple Sclerosis. When I asked Dr. Swank about life expectancy he quickly told me that most MS patients lived a long life. He even said that in his research, 85% of his patients that were following the MS diet lived a full life with limited MS issues. What I've personally seen is MS doesn't lessen the amount of years you live, but it can lessen your ability to live those years.

I quickly answered my daughter and let her know that her mom wasn't going to die soon from her MS, and that is not the way Multiple Sclerosis affected the body. Then she asked me what we would do if my wife went completely numb, and I assured her that we would do everything possible for my wife to live a long, healthy life. It reminded me today that we need to be discussing MS with my daughter as she gets older so she understands it and doesn't fear it. It is so important to discuss MS with your family and especially with your children, and to understand the effects of MS well enough to discuss it. If you have any questions I can answer please let me know.