Today is a day that has become all too common over the last few years. A little over 3 years ago I would've told you that my wife's MS wasn't affecting her daily activities much. We were living in Colorado, she was walking fine, working full time, and we were trying to figure out what the next phase of our life would be. We jumped into a new business in Denton, Tx, and moved into a home less than 10 years old in a great neighborhood. Life was hard as we established a new business from the ground up, but we noticed over time that my wife's health was not cooperating. Little did we know that the next year and half would be a journey of us trying to figure out how to help my wife as she lost feeling in her left side and started having more and more issues we thought were MS related.
We tried all kinds of things while we were in Dallas/Fort Worth, but we couldn't seem to find anything that helped my wife with her numbness, fatigue, foggy brain, stomach issues or walking issues. Honestly, it was crazy frustrating because she had done so well for years and then BAM, new issues and new Multiple Sclerosis problems. That's one of the things that's so frustrating with MS, it can rear it's ugly head out of nowhere and then the next journey begins to figure out how to combat it. The shock came when we figured out that her health issues had something to do with our environment after they disappeared while on a cruise.
Why is today just another common day? Because my wife's health once again has sidelined her and neither one of us know why. Out of nowhere last night her stomach started hurting and she's had stomach pain most of the night and morning. We know that this is related to her bowel issues and lack of bowel movements, just like all of the other times issues like this have happened thru the years. Yes, we know that it's her gut that's causing this issue but it's soooo frustrating that we haven't been able to find a solution. We've tried all kinds of different things, met with experts, researched and have been told over and over that this blah, blah, blah will definitely fix the issue. If you've struggled with MS for long, my guess is you've heard the same spill too.
What I do know is we feel like we're getting closer to figuring out what has been causing the issues over the last 3 years. We do know that mold was definitely present and affecting her health while we were in Denton. What's crazy is when we moved her health didn't really get better, unlike the cruise we went on. It's like a puzzle that we only have certain pieces to but we can't see the finished puzzle. I do feel like we're getting closer with a new Dr we are seeing and some new treatment she's been receiving. One of those is Clear Mind which I'll be writing about soon. It's been amazing to see how much it's helped her with her memory and brain fog. We're also learning about some other issues that have shown themselves that I'll be sharing soon, and hopefully the solutions we've found to them.
Blogging about MS has been on the backburner for me for the last year or so, especially as our online business has exploded. So many areas of our life are better than they've ever been, but there's nothing like having your health. 2016 has been a wild year learning about proper nutrition, trying to find a Doctor that had the skills and knowledge we were looking for, struggling thru new recipes and foods we weren't used to, and trying to keep up as our business grew at a rapid pace. I really feel like 2017 is going to be a life changing year, giving us new treatments, new revelations and my hope and prayer is better health for my wife. Thank you all so much for continuing to read about our crazy life, and I'll do my best to write more as we try and experience new treatments and things that help my wife's MS! Merry Christmas!
Showing posts with label alternative care. Show all posts
Showing posts with label alternative care. Show all posts
Sunday, December 18, 2016
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Alternative Treatments for Multiple Sclerosis
My wife and I have spent the last six years researching and trying different alternative therapies for MS. We have worked with Naturopathic Doctors, Chiropractors, Multiple Sclerosis Specialists and a host of other therapists to try and figure out the puzzle of my wife's MS. We have found many treatments that work, and are still seeking specific treatments for specific symptoms.
I am going to try and give some specifics over the next few posts to allow others to see what has worked for us and what hasn't. We have found certain treatments that seem to stop attacks, and other treatments that reverse attacks. We are always looking for more options and will be seeking out a new doctor this coming year to learn and grow more. Hopefully through the network we have established we will draw closer to a way of life that will best help my wife.
I am going to try and give some specifics over the next few posts to allow others to see what has worked for us and what hasn't. We have found certain treatments that seem to stop attacks, and other treatments that reverse attacks. We are always looking for more options and will be seeking out a new doctor this coming year to learn and grow more. Hopefully through the network we have established we will draw closer to a way of life that will best help my wife.
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Stress and MS
I have been reading some new material by the Rocky Mountain MS Center that we received when we went to visit them. One of the books is a collaboration of multiple doctors that is supposed to be a field guide to Multiple Sclerosis. The first of the book went through the usual explanation of what MS supposedly is and how it affects the body, then they go into different treatments and theories behind what you can do about MS. As I was reading through it, one paragraph really caught my eye. The authors were talking about how stress affects MS and if you could bring on an attack by too much work, stress, exercise etc. Their conclusion was that even though many MS patients and their "supporters" believe that these things directly affect their MS, the doctors didn't believe that MS could be aggravated by those things.
I almost put the book down! For the last 12 years I have watched as stress, exercise, work, child rearing, etc. has caused numbness, fatigue, visual issues, tingling, bladder issues and a host of other symptoms. How do I know that these things caused the attack? I watched every step of the way, and at this point in our marriage, I can tell you the progression of how it affects her. For instance, a few years ago she began to exercise regularly so that she could run a marathon. A few months went by without any problem and things seemed to be going well. One day she woke up with numbness in her side and her body began a downhill slide for well over a month. I have story after story of her having an attack because of physical and emotional stresses.
Dr. Swank used to tell us that we had to make sure my wife rested everyday and would recommend laying down for at least an hour a day. I have watched as family stress has brought on physical pain in my wife. My wife is very emotional and when she gets upset, it can cause her to physically hurt and to sob uncontrollably. Movies can make her tense and make her body tighten up and hurt. To this day, she will do other things while we are watching a movie so that she doesn't get too involved in the action or suspense. I have watched her have muscle spasms and leg pain from walking too much or from stressing out at Christmas time in the mall. I have felt the knots and tightness in her neck and shoulders after a stressful day that will often lead to numbness or tingling in her arms and hands. I have watched her loose her eyesight after a stressful activity like rock climbing.
I am not sure where these doctors came up with this theory, but apparently none of them have MS or have someone with MS in their immediate family. It is so hard to watch the newly diagnosed MS patient walk into a neurologist office to be told these types of things. Do we have all of the answers? No. But, we have figured out how to keep my wife functioning at a very high level and living a good life. She just walked into our office a minute ago, and she looks great! She had some numbness earlier this week, but we were able to make it go away with chiropractic and rest. Today, she is working on her new desk she bought, just enjoying the challenges of owning her own business. I guess I wonder where we would be if we listened to all of the "MS specialists", Neurologists, MD's and other doctors that wanted her on the MS drugs and steroids. I feel like I know what our lives would be like. We would be stressed out about how to pay for the drugs, my wife would be messed up from the side effects of the drugs, and she would probably be in a wheelchair by now. That seems to be the course we have seen from others around us that have taken that route. Not all of them have turned out that way, but a majority have. I am just not convinced that in a majority of these cases, they could have dieted better, taken supplements, done other alternative care and had a better life without all of the side effects caused by the MS drugs.
Her mom took that route and has been in a wheelchair most of her life. She is completely crippled up at this point, barely able to function. Yeah, MS won't kill you, but it will take your life away. I wish we could help her, but she is adamant about doing things the MS doctor way, so we have to sit and watch as she gets worse each year. To anyone out there that has MS, I would say educate yourself. Listen to your body and make informed decisions based on your bodies needs, not on what the drug companies tell you. Make sure you don't discount the affects a good diet and supplement program can have, and never ever discount the affects alternative health care can have. We have been blessed in our lives to find good doctors that are more interested in helping figure out what is causing the problem than giving a drug to help with a symptom. Can stress cause MS attacks? In our experience, I would have to say YES!
I almost put the book down! For the last 12 years I have watched as stress, exercise, work, child rearing, etc. has caused numbness, fatigue, visual issues, tingling, bladder issues and a host of other symptoms. How do I know that these things caused the attack? I watched every step of the way, and at this point in our marriage, I can tell you the progression of how it affects her. For instance, a few years ago she began to exercise regularly so that she could run a marathon. A few months went by without any problem and things seemed to be going well. One day she woke up with numbness in her side and her body began a downhill slide for well over a month. I have story after story of her having an attack because of physical and emotional stresses.
Dr. Swank used to tell us that we had to make sure my wife rested everyday and would recommend laying down for at least an hour a day. I have watched as family stress has brought on physical pain in my wife. My wife is very emotional and when she gets upset, it can cause her to physically hurt and to sob uncontrollably. Movies can make her tense and make her body tighten up and hurt. To this day, she will do other things while we are watching a movie so that she doesn't get too involved in the action or suspense. I have watched her have muscle spasms and leg pain from walking too much or from stressing out at Christmas time in the mall. I have felt the knots and tightness in her neck and shoulders after a stressful day that will often lead to numbness or tingling in her arms and hands. I have watched her loose her eyesight after a stressful activity like rock climbing.
I am not sure where these doctors came up with this theory, but apparently none of them have MS or have someone with MS in their immediate family. It is so hard to watch the newly diagnosed MS patient walk into a neurologist office to be told these types of things. Do we have all of the answers? No. But, we have figured out how to keep my wife functioning at a very high level and living a good life. She just walked into our office a minute ago, and she looks great! She had some numbness earlier this week, but we were able to make it go away with chiropractic and rest. Today, she is working on her new desk she bought, just enjoying the challenges of owning her own business. I guess I wonder where we would be if we listened to all of the "MS specialists", Neurologists, MD's and other doctors that wanted her on the MS drugs and steroids. I feel like I know what our lives would be like. We would be stressed out about how to pay for the drugs, my wife would be messed up from the side effects of the drugs, and she would probably be in a wheelchair by now. That seems to be the course we have seen from others around us that have taken that route. Not all of them have turned out that way, but a majority have. I am just not convinced that in a majority of these cases, they could have dieted better, taken supplements, done other alternative care and had a better life without all of the side effects caused by the MS drugs.
Her mom took that route and has been in a wheelchair most of her life. She is completely crippled up at this point, barely able to function. Yeah, MS won't kill you, but it will take your life away. I wish we could help her, but she is adamant about doing things the MS doctor way, so we have to sit and watch as she gets worse each year. To anyone out there that has MS, I would say educate yourself. Listen to your body and make informed decisions based on your bodies needs, not on what the drug companies tell you. Make sure you don't discount the affects a good diet and supplement program can have, and never ever discount the affects alternative health care can have. We have been blessed in our lives to find good doctors that are more interested in helping figure out what is causing the problem than giving a drug to help with a symptom. Can stress cause MS attacks? In our experience, I would have to say YES!
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